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