france
Another image from my trip to the Pyrenees, this time an image made from France of a Spanish peak which name I don't remember. What I do remember, though, is the beautiful sight that early morning.
A long exposure of Lac Gentau with the beautiful Midi d'Ossau in the background. Yet another great view from the stunning hike to Lacs d'Ayous in the french Pyrenees.
Even though I got a few images from some majestic peaks on my hike to Lacs d'Ayous, this one of the baby horse with its mom has to be one of my favorites.
Besides the moment between the horse, this image is all about the light.
One of the most beautiful hikes I've done in the Pyrenees. The lakes reminded me a lot of the Enchantments in Washington State, another of my favorite hikes.
This is a moderate hike, a 9.5mile / 16kms loop with some 2,500 feet / 800m of elevation gain. Rocky terrain, it was also a bit slippery due to the rain of the day before.
Photography wise, there are plenty of opportunities. The hike starts through a dense forest with some very beautiful trees, and then opens up once the lakes start. You get incredible views of Midi d'Ossau, and there are other peaks as well.
As always in the mountains, it's all about the light. Conditions can change quickly, especially on partly cloudy days. If you find a composition you like, it might pay off to wait a little bit to see if the light improves.
An image from a very peaceful afternoon back in 2018, in Brittany, France.
In my opinion, one of the most beautiful peaks in the Pyrenees mountains. I was lucky enough to see a couple of sunrises at the feet of this magnificient mountain, and during one of them I was gifted with some fog to make everything even better.
You already know about my fall trip and my decision to go compact on this trip. This is that same information but in video form, plus some of the highlights of my drive from NW Spain to SW Germany.
Arcachon Bay is a beautiful place in SW France, in the region of Aquitaine. A few months ago, I got to spend a few days in the area and ended up making a few images.
This one is my favorite. These sticks are markers for the oyster beds, where fishermen go during low tide to get the ones that are ready.
"Arcachon Bay" is the first digital image offered as part of the "Image of the Month" collection, also a first for an image of mine made in Europe after months of shooting at this side of the ocean.
You can watch the video of how I made it here.
A new image will be released every month and offered at a reduced price during that time. After 30 days, it will be sold at full price. They will never be on sale at any time in the future, the rate during the first month will be the lowest, ever.
You can find more information about how I create my images and all the details about pricing on The Art and Craft behind my prints.
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.
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
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
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.
The French Road Trip is over.
Biarritz was my last stop after 40 days on the road. I wasn't planning on making any images there since I only had a few hours, but I liked the town so much that I couldn't not try.
My time in France is coming to an end.
I thought that going to the Arcachon Bay and making some images of the oyster parks was one of the best ways to spend that little time left, and I think it was a good decision.
It was time to leave Brittany behind, after 2 weeks. This video is a compilation of clips and images that never made into a full movie.
We visit the small town of Roscoff, in Brittany, France, as I try a relatively new lens to me: the Sigma 30mm f/1.4.
Despite having the f/2.8 version, I decided to pull the trigger when I found a good deal on this one. 2 stops faster, but what else does it offer? Is it good for video?
Find out what I think about this lens after a little montage I made using the Sigma paired with my old and trusty Sony a6000.
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.
I've talked before about the importance of working a scene. I talk about this in this video as I make some images in Brittany, France.
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.
While exploring is a big part of landscape photography, there's nothing wrong with trying to optimize the time you spend outside.
In this video, I give you a glimpse of how I plan my shots by showing how I planned this image at Mount Saint-Michel. I did not get the shot due to bad weather, but I was very, very close.
