Red Borax River

“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.” Salvador Dalí

Sometimes what we perceive as real is actually surreal, while what we see as surreal is actually real. A red river runs past white islands of borax salt (sodium borate) in Laguna Colorada. The red and orange colours in the lake are from pigmentation in algae which grows in the borax rich water. The tiny little pink speckles in the back part of the lake are thousands of flamingos. The lake sits high (4278m or 14035ft) in the Bolivian Altiplano in the Andes. Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. Bolivia.

RedBoraxRiver.jpg

Taken on a Canon EOS 50D with a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM at ISO 400, 70.0 mm (110.9 mm in 35mm), f/10 and 1/1250s exposure time. I took this shot from a moving 4WD which is why the super fast exposure time for a landscape shot.

If you would like to learn a little bit more about my background in photography you can read the interview @photofeed did with me here.

Robert Downie
Love Life, Love Photography

All images in this post were taken by and remain the Copyright of Robert Downie - http://www.robertdowniephotography.com



0
0
0.000
15 comments
avatar

If you told me this was a painting I would have believed you!

I wonder, did you get closer to the flamingos or was that not possible?

0
0
0.000
avatar
(Edited)

Yes. But at the other end of the lake.

FlamencodeJames2.jpg

0
0
0.000
avatar

It must be something to see mate. Simply stunning.

I also managed to take a shot of a bird, a stork I think but I'll have to consult my Charles Darwin book of species to be sure. :)

20200512_143402.jpg

0
0
0.000
avatar

lol; you might get naming rights to that species ;-)

Does it drink rum ?

0
0
0.000
avatar

It lives on rum, how did you know? Are you really David Attenborough?

Naming rights...The G-dog bird. Gdoggerous birdyopusus.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Real and surreal is all real ;D

That is one seriously red river. Is that level of algae all right for the river ecosystem or pretty much is the river ecosystem?

I suppose I could go look it up XD

0
0
0.000
avatar

That level of algae is right across this lagoon system due to the lithium salts.

0
0
0.000
avatar

damn that is so magnificent to watch amazing

0
0
0.000