Travel Photography Inspiration Project: Peru

Peru has an amazingly diverse geography. From deserts on the coast to lush jungle in the East and high altitude mountain environments in between, the country is wedged between the Amazon River and the Pacific Ocean in South America.

I thank the DPS readers who submitted not only their images, but helpful tips if you should decide to travel to Peru in the future.

This is the twelfth country we are covering in the reader fueled DPS Travel Photography Inspiration Project.

If you would like to be involved in the next country’s post, drop me a line here.

Hillsides of Peru by Jeff Johnson

Description:On the road from Cuzco to Ollantaytambo, you will find beautiful scenery.

Tip: I took many pictures from the inside of a taxi with a fast shutter speed. This is one of them. You will find the weather changes rapidly, but frequently rains.

Girl And Cat by Misty Neilsen

This girl and her cat were sunbathing when I caught them.  Many of the homes are reached through narrow entrances and alleyways and it pays to take a closer look at these areas.

Taxi by Bruno Santos

Those taxi there, asked for panning photos…. Slow shutter speed (those taxis aren’t fast), the right place to be at, smooth camera movement, and a lot trial and error to get the photo.

Untitled by Sergio Burani

The fauna is also gorgeous. You can benefit from a good telephoto lens – at least 200mm.

Uros, Paradise by Patricia Reyna

Uros Floating Islands is a group of artificial islands on Lake Titicaca, made ??of reeds. The construction of these islands is ??by weaving the reeds and forming a natural layer on which they build their homes.

You can arrive to the place by using a boat.

Aged beggar by Robyn Rose

This old man stood on a street corner in Huanchaco. He had a warm and gentle disposition. I gestured that I would like to take a photo of him and he was most obliging. I was happy to contribute some local currency for his time. TIP – Even though my Spanish is poor, with a smile and gesturing we managed to share a few minutes together and comfortably too. I am always nervous approaching strangers, as I never enjoy getting rejected. However if I smile, treat them politely and passively, then the rejection seem to hurt less! Of course the ones who allow you to take their photo seem so much more worth it after plucking up some courage to approach them and ask.

Arequipa Convent by Lori Sorrentino Photography

This convent in the colonial city of Arequipa is a photographer’s paradise, and one not too many travelers seem to visit in Peru. I spent an entire day in the convent, the size of a large city block, and could have spent more! It’s well worth the trip and traveling the 8 hours or so by bus to get there from Puno and Lake Titicaca.

Posing Llama by Jeff Johnson

Description: While in Machu Picchu, nearly ten llamas surprised us as they appeared from around a corner. This particular one was not camera-shy.

Tip: While atop Machu Picchu, it’s suggested that you have one lens that can zoom from 18mm to at least 250mm. Without such a luxury of a single multi-purpose lens, I was challenged with having to swap lenses frequently.

Untitled by Misty Neilsen

While waiting for THE Machu Picchu photo, I decided that the partially fog covered shot was more interesting than the clear shot…and I still think so.

Coca Tea by Bruno Santos

The traditional tea, served at the home stay.

Untitled by Sergio Burani

The children are beautiful. This little girl is playing “mother” to her brother. People are very available to being photographed, especially children. They expect a little money.

Playing the Pututo by Patricia Reyna

This man of the Taquile island is playing a Pututo, an instrument made ??of seashells, which was used by the Quechua-speaking peoples in ancient times to call meetings or make announcements of something.

Taquile island is in the Titicaca Lake, and hundreds of tourists from all around the world visit this beautiful and interesting place.

Machu Pichu Security by Robyn Rose

These guards watch over and protect the sacred ground of Machu Pichu. The Wayna pichu looms overhead. TIP – To give a sense of the mist and clouds that were descending  all around us I converted to black and white.

Camera Fun by Lori Sorrentino Photography

The highlight of my trip was a homestay visit to the island of Amantani (Machu Picchu was great but this has it beat!). If you join a small tour from Puno, you can stay overnight with a local indigenous family and spend time learning about their culture. Part of our stay included a tour of their school. I met several of the young children who were so fascinated by my point-and-shoot camera. So I handed it to them and they had a ball taking photos of themselves with the reversing LED screen. Two of these little girls belonged to the family we stayed with, and these photos they took of themselves making faces and laughing at themselves are some of the most dear to me.

Proud Boy by Jeff Johnson

Description: In the city of Ollantaytambo, this hard-working young boy was spotted working away.

Tip: This photo was taken with a Canon Rebel T3 with the stock lens in the kit. I used the “Creative Auto” setting. While in Peru, explore the ruins of the mountain Pinkuylluna.

Feeding the Lama by Bruno Santos

At the home stay in Ccaccallo, near Cusco, we had contact with some Lamas.

Tip: Making the Inca Trail is a must do in Peru. It’s hard, yes, but you can do it at your speed and arriving at Machu Pichu is a rewarding victory. But you have to be lucky do don’t get rain, cause the tropical forest is tricky.

View of Peru by Robyn Rose

The view from the Sacsayhuaman ruins. The high altitude and the ever changing cumulonimbus clouds create for dramatic photographs. TIP – I boosted contrast and used a graduated filter in Lightroom to darken the clouds and create a more ‘moody’ shot.

Hiking Huayna Picchu by Lori Sorrentino Photography

We decided to hike the giant mountain you see in the background of all the shots of Machu Picchu, called Huayna or Wayna Picchu. The mountain is another 1000 ft higher and is not for the faint of heart, but is definitely worth it to get a different perspective looking down on the Machu Picchu site. Take a wide lens for the best images to capture the immense and wide never ending views!

City trawlers by Robyn Rose

These women and their alpacas roam the cobbled streets of Cusco trying to make a buck posing for photographs. The police are constantly chasing them away. TIP – This was taken in mid day where the light was harsh and created harsh shadows. I used a 480 EC Canon flash to create a more even light across the shot as well as desaturated the colours using Lightroom in order to induce a more uniformed look.

Cuzco Woman by Lori Sorrentino Photography

This is my favorite photo I took in Peru. This woman sat at the top of this hill at the base of the Christo Blanco (White Jesus) statue overlooking Cuzco, and was so gracious in letting me photograph her. The expression on her face is so intriguing and calm, as if she’s lived a thousand lifetimes.

Lastly, here’s my take of Machu Picchu as a time lapse as the morning clouds burned off: