Salars and lagunas of northern Chile, the so called El Norte Grande region, stand out regarding to contrasts. It is a harsh world with raw texture of salt and sand, where fierce heat and cold leave their traces on the earth.

Colors can look sweet and lovely, but make no mistake, this is remote territory and vast desert. At dusk and just minutes after sunset at Laguna Tebinquinche the light starts a colorful feast for the eyes overlooking the still waters of the lagoon with view on Lincancabur volcano in the background.

In this wild environment, the elegant James' flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) at Salar de Surire (above) and Laguna Chaxa (under) try to maintain their habitat, even with salt winning industry developing coming nearer and nearer.