BTS: Photographing Breathtaking Vistas in Venezuela with Philip Lee Harvey

On November 18, 1933, aviator Jimmie Angel became the first American to catch a glimpse of the tallest waterfall in the world — a natural wonder that would eventually be named for him. Four years later, he returned to Venezuela and Angel Falls, crash landing on top of one of the flat-topped mountains in the area and having to hike 11 days with little food or water to the nearest village.

Photographer Philip Lee Harvey wanted to see these places for himself, and so he followed in Angel’s footsteps, photographing the breathtaking sights along the way. The behind-the-scenes video above shows you how that adventure went down.

Fortunately, Harvey’s trip involved no crash-landings or fights for survival. There was plenty of food, proper transportation and three of every essential piece of gear he would need to get the pictures right — you can never be too careful.

From Mount Roraima to Angel Falls itself, Harvey and his crew of helpers and guides manage to capture stunning shots of a part of the world that is still fairly un-inhabited and difficult to get to. Maybe someday Google will manage to send their Trekkers there to give us a virtual glimpse, but even if they do, we doubt they’ll come back with anything half as beautiful as these photos:

©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey
©PhilipLeeHarvey

Check out the video at the top to hear Harvey narrate your way through the entire expedition. To see more photos from Venezuela, as well as the rest of Harvey’s photography, head over to his website by clicking here.


Image credits: Photographs by Philip Lee Harvey and used with permission

Discussion