A Behind the Lens Look at Bolivia

When one thinks of traveling to South America, it is countries like Ecuador, Peru, Brazil or Argentina that dominate the list of places to explore. While I worked in Ecuador as a photography instructor for National Geographic and spent a few months shooting in the Patagonia region of southern Chile and Argentina…it is the country of Bolivia that has always been at the top of my travel list. However it wasn’t until this year that I was able to finally find the time to get there. After teaching an eight day photography workshop through my company The Giving Lens in Peru, I crossed over the Peruvian boarder via a public bus and arrived in La Paz, Bolivia to met up with a couple friends (Scott Jarvie, Roma Gee and Natalie Stone) and the adventure began. Between the high altitude mountains of the Andes, to the largest salt flats in the world to the amazing Bolivia culture…there was a lot to love. Bolivia is certainly a country I will be returning to in the near future.

Here is a collection of behind the scenes images that I took with my Android Galaxy Nexus cell phone throughout Bolivia. While not all of the images from this trip and my other adventures around the globe make it to my blog, you can find an endless stream of via my TUMBLR page that is visible in the sidebar of this blog.

La Paz Bolivia at Dusk — Photo of shooting La Paz, Bolivia at Dusk

4x4 Toyota 4 Runner — Our 4×4 rental we had for eight days…oh and Scott Jarvie 🙂

Curahuara de Carangas Church that was on the way to Sajama National Park

Sajama National Park in Bolivia — Outskirts of Sajama National Park

Sunset in Sajama National Park — Sunset over the town of Sajama

Dusk over Twin Volcanoes in Bolivia — Dusk over Twin Volcanoes in Sajama National Park

Bones found outside the town of Sajama, Bolivia — The last thing you want to find when exploring Bolivia alone

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia — Worlds largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni

Isla de Sol in the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia — Morning cactus on Isla de Sol in the Salar de Uyuni

Lama traffic Jam in Bolivia — Bolivian Traffic Jam

In a 4x4 crossing the Salar de Coipasa in Bolivia — Fording the Salar de Coipasa…well our 2nd attempt…took 4 🙂

Milky Way over the town of Coipasa Bolivia

Flamingoes in Laguna Hedionda in Bolivia — Andean Flamingos in Laguna Hedionda

A rock that looks like a tree in Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in Bolivia — Famous rock that looks like a tree in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve

Hot Springs pool at 15,000 ft in Bolivia — Hot springs at nearly 15,000 ft….yes please!

View from Hotel near Laguna Verde in Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in Bolivia — View from Hostal near Laguna Verde…pretty much the middle of no where

Photo of Laguna Verde near sunset in Bolivia — Behind the lens shot of capturing Laguna Verde

Volcano in Bolivia — Scott Jarvie and Natalie Stone looking for something to shoot…don’t they see the volcano behind them?

Sand Waves in sand dunes at 14,000 ft in Bolivia — Totally random sand dunes at the top of a mountain in southern Bolivia…nearly 14,000 ft.

White Christ near Cochabama, Bolivia — White Christ near Cochabama

Iran Airlines plane in Bolivia — Islamic Republic of Iran Airlines plane in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

In the Taxi on the way to the Santa Cruz Airport in Bolivia — Heading to the airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to head home to Denver

About the Author

Colby Brown

Colby Brown is a photographer, photo educator and author that specializes in landscape, travel and wildlife photography. His photographic portfolio spans the four corners of the globe and all 7 continents. He has worked as a photo instructor for National Geographic and founded The Giving Lens, an organization that blends photo education with support for various non-governmental organizations (NGO) and causes around the world, such as child education, clean drinking water projects, and women’s rights.

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Wildlife Photography Workshop in Brazil Jaguars of the Pantanal

July 31st – Aug. 7th, 2025

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With this adventure, our focus will be on capturing the beauty of the Cuban people, culture, and architecture throughout the Island of Cuba. From the classic cars and ocean side highways in Havana to the cobblestone streets of Trinidad and everything in between. With so much uncertainty in the US/Cuban relationship, NOW is the time to go!

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Iceland Winter Photo Workshop – Ice Caves & Auroras

March 4th – 11th, 2024

Winter in Iceland is one of those unique experiences that everyone should have at least once in their life. With this workshop, we will focus our time on the South of Iceland, focusing our time on Ice Caves, Northern Lights, and glaciers, but we will also photograph a number of waterfalls such as Gullfoss, Bruarfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skogarfoss and more.

A cheetah image captured in the wild in Namibia by Colby Brown during a Photography Workshop

Namibia Photography Workshop

October 12th – 24th, 2022

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