Between high and low tide

A story behind: The photo above was shot in pretty extreme weather conditions with dropping rain ( me and a camera under the umbrella ) and pale raining clouds quickly moving from the left. The clouds on the horizon were half-transparent so the sunset light somehow managed to penetrate. The darker hours of dusk let exposures go from several to many seconds. The key to such long exposures is to reduce the light coming into the lens. Anything that moves - rushing water, flitting clouds - takes on a surreal, painterly, matte glass look.

Even in these hard weather conditions N700 images are dripping with sharpness and rich color.

Location: Foz beach, Porto, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm AF-S ED. RAW to Tiff.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: Single exposure 20 sec

Exposure bias: + 0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Sunday, May 29th, 2011, 21: 04

Maciek.

Back in the mountains

First light in Covão da Ametade, Serra da Estrela mountains, Portugal.

A story behind: Portuguese mountains are very difficult to photograph. First the mountains are very monotonous. Finding a stunning scenery can prove difficult. Second the light is not soft. In the shot above, I wanted to capture not only the water movement and the texture of the rocks in the foreground, but also the sky and the sunrise’s sidelight. Combining these details into a single photograph called for balancing the foreground with the inherently bright light of the sky. The task proved very difficult to handle and I am not very satisfied with the result.

Location: Serra da Estrela mountains, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm AF-S ED. RAW to Tiff.

Aperture: f/522

Exposure bias: - 0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Friday, May 27th, 2011, 7: 04

Serralves Museum Festa !

One of the Museum´s dark corners and part of ‘Off the Wall’ exhibition.

Mirrors: part of the exhibition ‘Off the Wall’, organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York ( featuring Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol ).

A story behind: Pictures from the Serralves Museum of the Contemporary Art in Porto, Portugal.

Location: Porto, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm AF-S ED. RAW to Tiff.

Aperture: f/5,6

Exposure bias: - 0,7 EV

Focal Length: 35 mm

ISO: 800

Date Taken: Saturday, May 9th, 2011, 9: 17

Maciek.

A stromy weather

A story behind: Black volcanic wet stones glittering in dimmed late afternoon light just before the storm. The photo shot at the Santana beach, Portugal.

Location: Santana, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm AF-S ED, tripod. RAW to Tiff.

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: 0,0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Thursday, May 19th, 2011, 19: 33

Maciek.

My solitary mornings

A story behind: A photo shot very early in the morning while waiting for the sunrise at lake Furnas, Portugal.

Location: Furnas Lake, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm AF-S ED, ND 0.6, tripod. RAW to Tiff.

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: +0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Thursday, May 19th, 2011, 06: 33

Maciek.

The first test

A story behind: The whole last week the sun was shining furiously with no clouds in view. Finally last Thursday some small clouds appeared so I grab my gear and headed to the beach to test my new shiny camera and lenses.


Location: Foz do Douro, Portugal. Atlantic ocean sunset.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm AF-S ED, tripod. RAW to Tiff B&W conversion. Vignetting with a +21 midpoint added.

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: +0,3 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011, 20: 21

Maciek.

Historic Pousada hotel - Alcácer do Sal.

Alcácer do Sal: a small village located 70 kilometers south from Lisbon, Portugal. The Romans called it Salatia Urbs Imperatoria. The Arabs built a castle. The first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, conquered the town in year 1217. The old Arab castle was rebuilt and became a convent. Today it is a luxury hotel, a part of the Pousada Hotel Network.

Shot during our stay in the hotel: April 28th -May 1st, 2011.

An old courtyard seen from the top.

Maciek.

Eternal dilemma. Which way to go ?

A story behind: Early morning picture of the Sado River fishing port in Carrasqueira near Alcácer do Sal, Alentejo, Portugal.

Location: Sado river, Alentejo, 80 kilometers south of Lisbon, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm, ND hard 3 stops, tripod.

Aperture: f/16

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 10 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Saturday, March 30th, 2011, 06:50

Maciek.

A thunderstorm seen from the ferryboat.

A story behind: That early afternoon we were crossing the Sado river from a small holiday resort of Troia to the port of Setubal. This is the picture taken a few minutes before the big storm hit our little green ferry.

Location: Sado river, a few kilometers from the Atlantic ocean, Setubal peninsula, 60 kilometers south of Lisbon, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm

Aperture: f/5,6

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 10 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Saturday, March 30th, 2011, 13:03

Maciek.

Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon ( part III )

Maciek.

Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon ( part II )

Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon.

A story behind: The Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon was accomplished in 2010. It is a multidisciplinary center for research of excellence, with the best possible conditions to attract and retain the best researchers, academics and medical doctors from Portugal and abroad in the fields of neurosciences and oncology. Magnificently located at the bank of the Tagus river, very close to the famous Belem Tower, the modern architecture of the buildings attracts the eye.


Location: Lisbon, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm

Aperture: f/5,6

Exposure bias: - 0,3 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 160

Date Taken: Sunday, May 1st, 2011, 11:03

Maciek.