One of the many beautiful tress you can find in this region of Portugal.
Lone Tree, Alentejo, December 2018
in photographs
photographs
Roads of the Alentejo, December 2018
in photographs
Foggy day on one of the many roads of the beautiful Alentejo.
Two Sides, Mértola, December 2018
in photographs
I had Mértola on my list of places to visit for a while. On my way there, I drove through the Guadiana Valley Natural Park, where I saw signs on the road warning about lynx. Now, that was something new to me!
This is an image of a little chapel on top of a hill, just out of town. The light was harsh allowing only for very high contrast shots. This was what I came up with.
Sheep of the Alentejo, Almodovar, December 2018
in photographs
I love the landscapes of the Alentejo. My last trip to Portugal was spent mostly in the Algarve, and I mentioned how much I regretted that decision. I do need more time in the Alentejo, hopefully I can go back soon.
Despite being a bit far from where I was staying further south -90 minute drive or so-, I still tried to make some images around there. This is one of them, of some sheep grazing around this tree just before sunset.
Beautiful and calm scenes no matter where you look at. I'm ready to go back.
Urriellu, Asturias, September 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, 16-70mm f/4 Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/160sec
I've been going through some old images I never had time to work on, and I'm finding a few I really like.
Like this one, taken up in the mountains when the Sun was already setting behind the peaks of Picos de Europa National Park, in Asturias, Spain.
I really can't wait to visit the mountains this winter. Soon!
Oak, Algarve, December 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, Sigma 16mm f/1.4
Settings: ISO 160, f/2, 1/60sec
I went on a little hike to get some fresh air and try to get the inspiration I've been lacking lately. I picked a nearby trail through the hills of the Algarve and grabbed my video camera.
It was a success. This one is my favorite of the few images I made there, but that was not the point. That little walk filled up my "inspiration tank" and I can already feel it (me writing this post today is proof of it).
Apartment Building, Monforte de Lemos, November 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6000, Holga Pinhole Lens
Settings: ISO 1600, 1/3 sec
This is my favorite image I've made with the Holga Pinhole Lens so far.
This is the view I get every morning when I'm in Spain and I'm checking for the morning weather. The same ugly building, every day.
A completely different view when looking through the pinhole.
Portugal, Week 1
in photographs
Some images from last week, my first one in Southern Portugal.
Oyster Beds, Arcachon Bay, November 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6000 + 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 70mm, ISO 200, f/5.0, 30 seconds
This is, along with "Valley of the Saints", my favorite image from France.
I drove for more than three hours to make an image like this one, even though I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to. You see, these Oyster Beds are on a peninsula in the Arcachon Bay, a place I didn't know I'd be able to reach.
I only had one day in the area, so I had to try.
Not only was I able to get close to them, but I did it for hours. I thought that I'd have to leave once the tide got higher, but that only made the spot better and better for the kind of photography I was looking for.
I had a blast looking for compositions among these sticks, until I finally found it. I knew I had gotten what I was looking for as soon as I pressed the shutter, but I still spent some more time in the location just in case I ran into something even better.
That didn't happen, but it didn't matter. I was happy and couldn't wait to see the results of that long day.
It was worth it.
Tree, Huelgoat, Bretagne, October 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500 + 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/200sec
This day I spent in Bretagne visiting the Valley of the Saints and Huelgoat was the highlight of my 2 weeks there, no doubt.
Huelgoat is a beautiful town and the forests around it are stunning. It was there where I found this tree, one of the few that had already lost almost all of their leaves.
It was a busy scene but I was lucky enough to find this clear. The other trees seemed to frame this one perfectly.
Vlog from Valley of the Saints || See more images from France
Valley of the Saints, Bretagne, October 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500 + 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/320sec
This is one of my favorite images from my recent trip to France, made in a place I didn't have big hopes for. This location, in the middle of the Bretagne, turned out to be a great spot for photography.
Vlog from Valley of the Saints || See more images from France
Monument to the fallen soldiers, Normandy, October 2018
in photographs
The fog had taken over Normandy that day. After trying to make an image at Mount-Saint-Michel and failing, I decided to drive around and find other spots to photograph. When I passed by this cemetery I knew I had to stop and make some images there. This is the one I liked the most.
Boat, Cancale, October 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 70mm, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/400sec
An image I made near Cancale, Brittany, France. The ocean was beautiful that morning, calm and of such a bright blue that almost looked white. I saw this boat and tried to isolate it from others around.
Mount Saint-Michel, Normandy, October 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, Sony 70-200mm f/4
Settings: 70mm, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/400sec
The beautiful Mount Saint-Michel in Normandy has been photographed to death. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to make your own image there, your own take on an iconic location.
I don't know if this one is original or not, but I love the way the fog was lying low showing only the higher parts of the castle, along with a pretty much clear sky.
This was one of the very few images I made that morning, I tried to enjoy the sunrise instead.
Gavarnie, Parc National des Pyrénées, October 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Settings: ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/60sec
It rained quite a bit on our first day in the Parc National des Pyrénées. We made it to the impressive Cirque de Gavarnie, but couldn't reach the waterfall due to the torrential rain.
Rain can make photography very hard and challenging, and it can ruin your gear in seconds. It also offers some of the best light you'll ever get (even better than sunrise / sunset) and the mood is unbeatable.
This is how I made this image.
If you haven't watched the video of this adventure, you totally should!
Naranjo de Bulnes, Asturias, September 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 150mm f/4
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 1600
Developer: Ilford Ilfotec HC
I made this image on my first day in the Picos de Europa National Park. I didn't get to shoot much film those days because the Bronica would be left behind on my hikes due to its weight. I like how this one turned out, though.
Torre, Serra da Estrela, Portugal, September 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 80mm f/2.8
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 1600
Developer: Ilford Ilfotec HC
I made this image during my recent trip to Portugal. It was a beautiful morning up in the Serra da Estrela, at an elevation of some 2,000 meters (6,500 feet).
You can't see the warm, pink colors of the sky. You can't see the green tones of the tower. But you can tell this is not mid-day light. I love shooting black and white during sunrise.
Misty Morning, Arnois, September 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 400, f/8, 1/320sec
I believe a photographer should always have a camera with them, and this image is a very good example of why.
This day, I had to drive to the aiport to drop someone off. On my way back, the fog started to roll in so I decided it could be a good opportunity to make some images.
I quickly went through my saved spots on Google Maps and found this one just off the main road.
I'm glad I brought my camera with me and decided to take a bit longer to get back home. This is one of a few images I made that day.
House, Picos de Europa, September 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, Sony 70-200mm f/4
Settings: 90mm, ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250sec
On my way back from Pico Urriellu, I had the chance to photograph a few houses near the mostly abandoned town of Pandebano.
This one was the best composition I could find, using a long telephoto lens to make the mountain in the background stand out. It was an impressive sight and I wanted an image that did it justice.
Back to port, Portosin, July 2018
in photographs
Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 70mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/500sec
A beatiful misty morning looking at the boats coming back to port.