The Atacama desert is a one of the driest areas of the world, but it's also famous for its stark beauty. At more than 7000' elevation San Pedro de Atacama is a traditional-style town with adobe walls and a brilliant white-washed church that could only stay that bright in this kind of climate. The barren landscape around the town offers surprising beauty clustered around pockets of volcanic geysers, salt flats, and high lakes fed by melt from snow when the Andean crest squeezes out of the last bits of moisture from the air. The Chilean flamingos and their breading areas are fiercely protected in this desert and the image of these graceful and colorful large birds against the backdrop of 100-mile vistas and the Andean crest is a truly sublime sight.
© Carmen Photography