Photo and Travel

The lighthouse at the end of the world

2012-02-01T14:47:00.009Z

Ponta de Arnel lighthouse in the early morning.

A story behind: With a completion of the new highway along the Northern coast of São Miguel island ( with several impressive sky bridges ) the access to this remote part of the island was made quite easy. Now from the island´s capital Ponta Delgada it only takes around 45 minutes to get to the lighthouse.

This particular morning when I got to the place the light was far from perfect but I tried to do my best. The place is beautiful but not quite serene: abandoned, with stunning 180º views, strong but steady winds and overwhelming sound of crushing 50 meters below waves.

"The lighthouse at the end of the world" is also the title of one of the novels by Jules Verne.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Handheld.

Aperture: f/5,6

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: -0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 500

Place taken: Nordeste, Portugal.

Date Taken: Friday, January 27th, 2012, 07: 15

Maciek.

A spring time in our garden

2012-01-23T13:41:00.003Z

Two hyacinths flowers just emerging in our garden are the true sign of the approaching spring.

Date: January 20th, 2012.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm.

Maciek.

My town at dusk

2012-01-22T22:34:00.011Z

Porto old town view at dusk.

A story behind: Most of the times even our most modern cameras simply cannot 'see' the same way our eyes see. Our camera's sensor does not record anything close to the full 'dynamic range' of the human eye, meaning it can only capture so much difference between the darkest and brightest parts of an image. This means we must frequently control or moderate the light entering the camera into a more narrow range of tones which the camera will be able to 'see' as it should.

But sometimes we need to do the opposite. By setting long exposure time camera can record the images that are impossible to capture by the naked human eye. Just look above: smoothing the water surface with long shutter speed gave a great effect.

The picture was made on Sunday at dusk.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Tripod.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 14 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 320

Place taken: Porto, Portugal.

Date Taken: Sunday, January 22th, 2012, 07: 36

Maciek.

The winter sea

2012-01-15T19:41:00.008Z

The late afternoon at the Granja beach, Portugal.

A story behind: The ocean has always been astonishing me. Two photos from the same spot are never the same. Just a simple walk with a camera results in a diverse collection of seascapes. It is never, ever, predictable.
That night the particularly interesting cloud formation was hanging above the stairs in Granja. I knew, as soon as the dying sun began to illuminate the cloud, it was going to be a nice sunset.
The bright sky spots and some over-cast sky was nicely balanced with a 2-stop, soft-step ND Grad. Even in the age of digital blending and fine tuning in post processing, these filters offer something you simply cannot accomplish on the computer. I knew that brown stone stairs make a nice foreground element, so I sat down on the beach with my 16-35 mm lens and framed this scene. The 3 seconds long exposure and fast moving water added a lot of commotion to the scene. The shutter speed turned out to be long enough to smooth out the distant water, gave a fast wave movement, but short enough to maintain some structure in the clouds.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/20

Shutter speed: 3 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 50

Place taken: Porto, Portugal.

Date Taken: Sunday, January 15th, 2012, 18: 34

Maciek.

The last days of 2011 at the Oporto beach

2011-12-30T13:47:00.009Z

The late afternoon at the Foz beach, Porto, Portugal.

A story behind: The 2011 is gone. It was a very good and productive year for me. During all my photo trips I have learned some valuable lessons. These experiences ( that I have always included in "A story behind" section of this blog ) have made me richer and I hope that you will find them refreshing and inspiring on your next photo journey.

Just a reminder of some of them: Every shooting situation is different and definitely not the same as the last time you have been on the same spot. Do your homework by reviewing online the weather and light conditions, low-high sea times and look at some other photos from the same spot as well as watch the place you want to shoot first on the web then with your camera ( there are a lot of usefuls apps I use on my iPhone ). Keep your camera clean and protect it ( and the filters ) from dust, humidity and salt.
Shoot a lot but later publish only one best photo.
Get to know your camera very well, because searching the menu button at night can be a horror. Understand and look to your histogram while shooting. It delivers very important information about your image.

And last but not the least: start a photoblog and write tips about photography, because writing is also learning !

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/18

Shutter speed: 2 sec

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 22 mm

ISO: 320

Place taken: Porto, Portugal.

Date Taken: Thursday, December 29st, 2011, 17: 22

Maciek.

Winter storm waves attacking the lighthouse

2011-12-16T22:20:00.011Z

A ferocious winter storm wave attacking the lighthouse and the pier at the mouth of the Douro river.

A story behind: The lighthouse at the end of the recently built pier is 15 meters high which means that the foam is spraying close to 35 meters into the air, propelled upward by the raging winter ocean. Amazing what kind of weather lighthouses have to endure.
Since no people were allowed to get close to the pier that day, I used the Nikkor 75-300 mm lenses with high ISO to catch a very fast moving water.

The photo was selected for the front page of http://onephoto.net.

PS: Now also at 1x.com, click here

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 75-300 mm.

Aperture: f/13

Shutter speed: 1/2000 sec

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 250 mm

ISO: 400

Place taken: Porto-Foz, Portugal.

Date Taken: Thursday, December 13th, 2011, 10: 14

Maciek.

The sea stairs of Granja

2011-12-15T15:42:00.007Z

Veteran outdoor photographer a.k.a me, standing on the stairs leading to the sea,
December 2011.

A story behind: After surviving harsh weather conditions that night me and my camera easily could be called "veterans of outdoor photography". High winds, 100% humidity, the waves crashing all over my body, camera and tripod with a dramatic sky and an approaching storm ( look left upper corner ) above not too mention a necessity of cleaning the lenses every 2 shots - these were the weather conditions I encountered that night when I shoot this photo.
I additionally used the ND 0. 5 filter to smooth out ripples on the sea caused by high winds during the longer exposure.
I used B&W technique. In general images with very colourful elements work best when presented in full colour. I found that photos with strong textures, interesting patterns, and/or stormy spotlighting make excellent black and white photographs. It is all about contrasts -- when I'm working with shades of Gray I'm relying heavily on contrast to develop a successful image.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. ND 0.5 filter.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 1 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 19 mm

ISO: 200

Place taken: Granja, Portugal.

Date Taken: Sunday, December 11th, 2011, 17: 24

Maciek.

Looking back at our 2010 trip

2011-12-08T18:25:00.007Z

A old photo miraculously found on my hard drive. Grand Teton National park, looking south from the 191 Interstate, Wyoming, USA.

Gear: Nikon D80. Sigma 10-20 mm. B&W in PS3.

Aperture: f/8

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 20 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: August 22nd, 2010, 17: 50

Maciek.

December in Aguda

2011-12-04T18:03:00.006Z

The first day of December, stormy sunset over the Aguda beach, Portugal.

A story behind: Early evening storm approaching from the mainland Portugal with beautiful, full of contrast clouds gathering over the small lighthouse and pier of the Aguda beach. I used the 3-stop soft-step ND Grad to balance the exposure of the bright areas of the sky with the pastel coloured sea in the shaded foreground.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/20

Shutter speed: 1 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 28 mm

ISO: 200

Place taken: Aguda, Portugal.

Date Taken: Thursday, December 1st, 2011, 17: 12

Maciek.

Tuesday in the Mountains

2011-12-01T11:31:00.008Z

A scenic view of the Serra Estrela Mountains with wind turbines.

A story behind: In the early afternoon I climbed the Serra Estrela Mountains and settled on one of the peaks with scenic 360º views. I was familiar with the location because I did some exploring in that area back in April. I waited. The sun was slowly going down and it started to get more and more cold. These weather conditions added some red cast to the image. The clouds and fog filled valleys as the Sun went down over the western reaches the Portuguese coast. The night was coming.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-300 mm 1,45-5,6 ED, VR on. Handhold.

Place taken: Seia, Portugal.

Aperture: f/11

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Outside temeprature: 4º C.

Focal Length: 300 mm

ISO: 230

Date Taken: Tuesday, November 29th, 2011, 17: 07

Maciek.

Monday in Spain

2011-11-25T11:43:00.010Z

Two monks and a famous middle pier at entrance to the main nave of the Santiago de Compostela cathedral.

A story behind: We travel to Spain a lot. One of the places we visit frequently is the city of Santiago de Compostela located in Northern Spain. Its main Cathedral is one of the most magnificent churches in Spain. Its Gothic interior is spectacular. The chief beauty of the cathedral, however, is the 12th century Portico da Gloria and its middle pier ( pictured above ) that represents Saint James. So many pilgrims have laid their hands on the pillar to rest their weary bones, that a five fingers grooves have been worn in the stone. Look carefully at the lower part of the column pictured above to spot all 5 finger grooves.

Full-frame DSLR cameras offer a number of advantages over their smaller-sensor counterparts. The large sensor produces lower to none noise at high ISO levels. The picture above was taken at 4000 ISO with no visible noise while shooting at very low light situation.

Gear: Nikon D700, Tamron AF 28-75 mm F 2.8

Place taken: Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Aperture: f/2,8

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 75 mm

ISO: 4000

Date Taken: Monday, November 21st, 2011, 12: 50

Maciek.

The painted beach

2011-11-23T12:11:00.002Z

A wide strip of sandy beach of Nazaré, Portuguese Atlantic coast.

A story behind: A photo taken from the high cliff overlooking a little town of Nazaré.

Gear: Nikon D700, Tamron AF 28-75 mm F 2.8

Place taken: Nazaré, Portugal.

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 75 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Friday, November 18th, 2011, 16: 48

Maciek.

Photo of the year

2011-11-05T23:29:00.006Z

My photo from Bilbao ( Spain ) has been awarded "Photo of the year" ( Category: Architecture ) by the most prestigious Polish photo portal ( link ) .

Maciek.

3D

2011-10-31T18:45:00.008Z

Murtosa beach, Portugal.

A story behind: Photography is all about light.

Three main rules govern the appearance light for photographic purposes.

Rule number 1. Quality of light: The larger the light source, the softer the light. Direct light from the sun alone will be much harsher than light coming from the sky covered with clouds ( look at the picture above ).

Rule number 2. Reflected light. Direct light is basically colourless but the light bouncing from the clouds at different level and the water surface takes the colour of the structure off which it bounces ( look at the picture above ).

Rule number 3. Intensity of light decreases in a manner inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the light source and the subject. In landscape photography this rule can be important when the light bounces for many times decreasing the quality.

That was a wonderful night for me at Murtosa, a night when shooting photos gives you a real pleasure.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm, ND reversed 0,6, HE 0,3

Place taken: Murtosa, Portugal.

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 6 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 50

Date Taken: October 30th, 2011, 18: 31

Maciek.

The summer´s gone

2011-10-28T09:13:00.004+01:00

October on the abandoned Santa Barbara beach, Portugal.

A story behind: Windy and rainy. Waves were crashing along the Santa Barbara beach with the last surfers leaving. On the horizon you can spot the lights of the Santo Antonio village. Summer residents, vacationers and tourists are all gone. With November upon us, there is just a month to shot the best landscape photos one can imagine. I am so anxious !

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm, ND reversed 0,6.

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 1/2 sec

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: October 26th, 2011, 19: 00

Maciek.

The foggy evening

2011-10-17T21:46:00.007+01:00

An Arrábida bridge seen from the Southern bank of the Douro river.

A story behind: Finally yesterday, after 2 long months of high temperatures and pale blue skies, the weather in Porto started to change. In the evening the chilly and full of moisture breeze came from the sea. I crossed the bridge and found myself on the Southern bank of Douro river looking for a nice spot. A thick fog wrapped around the illuminated Arrabida bridge. I set up my camera to B&W and the wide 16 mm lens did the rest of the job enhancing the curvature of the lower arch. B&W additionally "cleared" the image reducing a number of the unnecessary details.
Find a full size image on the front page of onephoto.

Location: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 6 sec

Exposure bias: - 0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO:200

Date Taken: October 16th, 2011.

Maciek.

Imperial War Museum

2011-10-15T15:42:00.004+01:00

Imperial War Museum was the first project in the UK designed by internationally-acclaimed architect, Daniel Libeskind. This is my B&W version.

Location: Manchester, UK.

Maciek.

A white boat

2011-10-11T09:24:00.006+01:00

A morning look at Santiago and Blue Lakes.

A story behind: On Azores Islands cutting trees is a kind of a necessity. Have a small earth tremor plus extreme precipitation combined with heavy trees growing on steep slopes and sooner or later you will have a land slide. The water acts as a lubricant causing already wet and unstable soil laying over solid basalt rock to move.
Cutting trees is done every 10-20 years.

In late September 2011 the local authorities slashed down trees on the Northern slopes of Santiago Lake. It opened a never seen before window of opportunity to shoot new landscapes.
I left my car on the small road connecting Sete Cidades and Vista de Rei and started climbing up a narrow path on the mountain ridge that separates Santiago and Laga Lakes.
After half and hour I finally reached the summit. The view was splendid. With a Santiago Lake down close, Blue Lake far away and the glimmering ocean on the horizon I stood there with my mouth wide open. How big and overwhelming the scenery was one can imagine looking at a small white boat on the surface of the Santiago Lake that looks like a tiny dot. After a while I shot my mouth with my hand and started to take pictures.

Location: Close to Sete Cidades, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: - 0,3 EV

Focal Length: 19 mm

ISO:200

Date Taken: September, 2011.

Maciek.

And meanwhile somewhere far away there is a war going on in Europe

2011-10-06T16:23:00.012+01:00

Year 1940. The war rages all across Europe, but in Portugal people still make a pretty normal life and a good wine.

This is a very special Port wine for a very special occasion.

Maciek.

The unforgettable moments

2011-09-29T22:08:00.006+01:00

Early morning storm approaching the coast.

A story behind: I arrived at this spot very early in the morning ( it was 6 a.m. ). The early morning storm bringing heavy rain and dark clouds was about to hit the Northern coast.
The view was breathtaking. Standing alone I had these unique moments all by myself.
Unfortunately the scene did not last long. Soon clouds cleared just in the nick of time and the strong glare from the rising sun unpleasantly covered the landscape.

The larger sensor size of the full frame camera results in less depth of field, so I am frequently bracketing my focus with F9 to F13 do compensate sharpness. Using a reverse ND-Grad filter resulted in a cloud-filled exposure that left the foreground reasonably exposed and a dreamy feel in the sky.

For the full 1200 pix image click here.

Location: Ribeira Grande, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Tripod.

Aperture: f/13

Shutter speed: 1/5 sec

Exposure bias: + 0,3 EV

Focal Length: 19 mm

ISO:400

Date Taken: September 23rd, 2011, 07: 22

Maciek.

Somewhere

2011-09-09T18:57:00.005+01:00

Santa Barbara beach, Portugal.

A story behind: Just sit down and enjoy the view as I did that evening.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 22 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: September 3rd, 2011, 18: 20

Maciek.

The night when I lost my shoe

2011-09-07T19:10:00.006+01:00

Sunset over the beach of Mosteiros, São Miguel, Portugal.

A story behind: I arrived at the beach quite early. Had time to buy an ice cream, watch some surfers breaking the waves. There were a few German tourist on the beach and we had a little chat. Then I started to put up my gear and prepare for the sunset. Usually I put on the rubber boots to protect me from the cold water but it was summer-time so I enthusiastically took off my shoes and went bare foot into the water.
Some dogs were playing on the beach. Suddenly one of them grabbed my shoe and ran away. For a second I considered to chase the dog but sacrifice your own personal comfort, or miss the shot. But who needs comfort when you get light like this, right? Believe me, getting back later to the hotel on one shoe was not pleasant.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/18

Shutter speed: 1 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: September 2nd, 2011, 21: 11

Maciek.

A postcard from São Miguel

2011-08-28T17:35:00.006+01:00

Rays of morning light filter through the clouds above the Lake of Fire, São Miguel, Portugal.

A story behind: It took me 20 minutes to get from the hotel to the viewing point pictured above. I got up early, climbed the mountain to see the sun being born over the mountain ridge and waited for the right moment. I managed to take a few snaps and be back to the hotel for the breakfast. ´Not a bad beginning of the day´, I thought.
Photographing rays of sun can be tricky. If you do not get aperture and shutter speed under control, images tend to have high contrast, blown out highlights, lens flare and colours that might even look overly saturated. So pick a mid-tone area to meter off if you want everything to be exposed relatively well. Check your histogram and - if necessary - take multiple shots metering off different parts of the scene so that you can choose the best one later.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/14

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 19 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: August, 2011, 07: 40

Maciek.

Sunrise over the Tejo river.

2011-08-25T08:36:00.001+01:00

A story behind: Three different things went wrong yesterday morning. First the sky: no clouds nor river fog and consequently no natural light filtering, just hard and unpleasant feeling. Second the temperature: we are still in the middle of the summer so 20º C at 6.30 in the morning may be normal for this time of the year but it is a "killing machine" for photography. And finally the low tide that I have encountered that morning deteriorated the reflection of the bridges in the water.

In such difficult conditions it is important to remember to be very precise with the initial color settings during exposure and the shutter speed to balance the unwanted light and weather conditions.

Location: Lisbon, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/14

Shutter speed: 3 sec

Exposure bias: -0,9 EV

Focal Length: 19 mm

ISO: 500

Date Taken: August 24th, 2011, 06: 32

Maciek.

A view from Quiraing.

2011-08-15T10:32:00.006+01:00

A story behind: We were climbing the Trotternish ridge for over an hour. Every moment the views were more and more amazing. But when we got close to the top and the plateau of the Quiraing the breathtaking 360º panoramic views have opened.
To the west we could see the Outer Hebrides islands, to the east the Scottish mainland and down there were some small lakes and a pyramidal rocky peak ( the Prison ).
The full frame camera is ideal to capture vast and spacious landscapes. Minimal adjustments were made to this image using Photoshop. It’s as straight out of the camera as possible.

Location: Quiraing, Scotland.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/14

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: July 08th, 2011, 12: 52

Maciek.

Cuellar Castle and a man with a dog

2011-08-11T21:56:00.004+01:00

A story behind: It was Sunday, rather early morning, the 7th of August. It is rare to see the main square in front of the famous Santiago Cathedral empty. Usually the square and church are packed with tourists and pilgrims from around the world.
So that morning I savoured this unique moment of solitude and beauty of the place.
Later I took some photos and spent a couple of minutes talking to a pilgrim who walked here from France. Bon voyage home my friend !

Location: Santiago de Compostela , Spain.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/4

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 640

Date Taken: August 07th, 2011, 06: 38

Maciek.

A perfect day in Porto

2011-08-11T15:33:00.006+01:00

Porto is the second biggest city in Portugal. Located on the Atlantic coast and on the banks of the Douro river the city has more than 1 million friendly inhabitants.

SEE:

In the morning put your comfy shoes because Porto is an excellent city to explore on foot. Start with the oldest part: the Ribeira. You can´t miss the red roofed old houses squeezed on the rocky slope of the Douro river. This is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ribeira district. Walk the narrow streets and later go to the other side of the river by crossing the iron Ponte de Dom Luís I bridge.

Dont´t forget to enter the Lello bookstore. Opened in 1906, Lello is one of the most beautiful places to read in Porto and around the world. In 2007 Lello was selected by the British journal "The Guardian" the third most beautiful bookstore in the world.

In the late afternoon take an old tram line from the Ribeira to the ocean front. Sit comfortably on one of many beach cafés decks and enjoy the sunset.

PLAY:

For some free Portuguese red or white wine tasting go to ViniPortugal ( http://www.viniportugal.pt/ ) in the heart of the old Ribeira district.

You can also have fun and learn about a production of the world-famous sweet Port wine at the wine caves located in the old warehouses. ( http://www.cavesvinhodoporto.com/ ).

On the 24th of June ( St John´s day ) there is a famous Regatta of Rabelo boats on the Douro river. In the old days the boats used to transport barrels of Port wine from the upper Douro to the caves located in Porto. Today hundreds of people gather along the banks of the river to watch the spectacle.

SHOP:

For shopping go to Santa Catarina street not far from the old town. This mostly-pedestrianized street is a magnet for both locals and tourists. If you are tired just sit in one of the many cafés and watch the life of this always busy street.

An old pastry shop close to the Santa Catarina shopping district in the old town.

On the same Santa Catarina street seek for the Capela das Almas or a Chapel of the Souls with its gorgeous tiles that cover its exterior walls with the scenes from the lives of Saint Francisco de Assis and Saint Catarina.

STAY:

Hotel HF Tuela just in the town center and close to Bom Sucesso Shopping Center offers good accommodation with reasonable prices of 38 Euro per room.

EAT:

If you want to eat the best fish and sea food in town head for Matosinhos, a large by-the-ocean community 2 kilometres from Porto. Just in front of the ocean you will find a lot of small family-run and inexpensive restaurants with unquestionably the freshest gilled fish in Northern Portugal.

Maciek.

PS. This is a part of my mini-guide of Porto published elsewhere.
Enjoy.

Santiago de Compostela - early morning.

2011-08-08T17:48:00.007+01:00

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/4

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 640

Date Taken: August 07th, 2011, 06: 38

Maciek.

The sky over Loch Alsh

2011-08-04T22:08:00.004+01:00

A story behind: That night we were back from just another adventurous day on the Isle of Skye. The storm was beginning to arrive from the Atlantic ocean. The dull sky suddenly turned wild. I stopped the car. I had no time to put a tripod. Handheld, with the high ISO and short exposure the fast cloud motion got freeze. Some of the warmth from the dying sun was even captured and the effect of the polarizing filter was just enough as to not lose the reflections of the light which I felt was a necessary component of this image.

Location: Near Dornie, Loch Alsh, Scotland.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/9

Shutter speed: 60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 800

Date Taken: July 08th, 2011, 22: 00

Maciek.

Early evening at the Isle of Skye

2011-08-01T22:33:00.011+01:00

A story behind: I arrived at the spot at about 6 p.m. The early afternoon storm cleared completely leaving some clouds over the ridges of the Cuillins mountains on the horizon.
I grabbed my pack and headed north along the stony beach. The walk wasn´t easy. Big rocks and never ending fields of stones were on my way. Finally after 30 minutes I reached a small promontory, set my gear and started shooting.
Once more, the ND 100 filter worked its magic, adding some strong tones and drama to the sky and simultaneously smoothing the water.
The photographic conditions weren´t perfect ( a lot of harsh light ) and the result is just OK, but I loved the views, walk and that picture will forever remind me of that day.

Location: Elgol, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. ND 100. Tripod.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 30 sec

Exposure bias: + 0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 50

Date Taken: July 08th, 2011, 20: 06

Maciek.

So happy

2011-07-28T10:30:00.005+01:00

I consider myself as a beginner / moderate-advanced amateur in the area of photography but decided to sign in for the most prestigious photo web site in the world: 1x.com. And was so happy when my first photograph got published and received so many nice comments ( look here ).

Maciek.

Castilla and Leon off the beaten track

2011-07-24T22:48:00.012+01:00

A story behind: Last 3 days we spent in Castilla and Leon, central Spanish province. Above is the picture of a pretty little town and castle of Pedraza. Top 3 of the most beautiful and must-see things in Spain.

Location: Pedraza, Spain.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/11

Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec

Exposure bias: -0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Saturday, July 23rd, 2011, 14: 15

Maciek.

The sea wind farm

2011-07-22T20:25:00.000+01:00

A story behind: The sunset over the beach in Rhyl, Wales, UK. Irish sea.

Location: Rhyl, Wales, UK.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm lenses, tripod, ND 100 Pro Stop.

Aperture: f/13

Shutter speed: 30 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 23 mm

ISO: 320

Date Taken: Friday, July 1st, 2011, 21: 50

Maciek.

Glencoe

2011-07-20T12:30:00.006+01:00

A story behind: The scenery of this Scottish mountain ridge with deep valleys, small lakes and torrents is absolutely stunning. Quickly changing weather conditions allow unrestricted photographic pleasure. During one hour you can be caught in pitch dark or in gale storm, rain and fog, or on the contrary experience lucky breaks in between storms and random glimpses of sun, allowing for some stunning pics. Scotland at its best !

Location: Glencoe , Scotland.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm lenses. HDR image.

Aperture: f/20

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Saturday, July 5th, 2011, 07: 15

Maciek.

Eilean Donan Castle

2011-07-17T12:54:00.009+01:00

A story behind: Scotland has always been a must-visit place for me. Eilean Donan castle and its surroundings are the essence of Scotland. Located on the small island with neighboring gentle hills, friendly local people, salted water loch and the way the light plays in the evening - it all was top quality.
We stayed in the area 3 long and beautiful days escaping the main roads, searching for light, good food and countryside views.
The picture was taken 20 minutes after the sunset. At these latitudes in mid-summer it really never gets dark at night.

The photo was awarded a High Gallery on www.fotoferia.pl and on the front page of www.onephoto.net

Location: Dornie, Scotland.

Gear: Nikon D700. Tripod, ND 0.6 hard filter, Nikkor 18-35 mm lenses. Standing in rubber boots in the shallow waters of the Duich Loch.

Aperture: f/20

Shutter speed: 8 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 18 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Saturday, July 9th, 2011, 22: 38

Maciek.

Imperial War Museum - Manchester, UK.

2011-07-16T16:32:00.000+01:00

A story behind: It took me almost 2 hours to circle the building of Imperial War Museum twice. The first time I had a wide angle lenses attached to my camera and looked at the building from every possible angle but could not find the right spot. For the second round I switched to a 50-mm Nikkor 1.8 lenses to get more details. And this turned out to be a very good decision. The repeated lines, patterns and shapes started to emerge. They inspire, motivate and bring out creativity.
Of course is a very heavily populated tourist area and hundreds of images being taken of it every year. The trick is to capture the beauty and power of the museum in a way nobody has done before.

Imperial War Museum was the first project in the UK designed by internationally-acclaimed architect, Daniel Libeskind. Clad in steel and silver colored highly polished aluminium, this Manchester City landmark is a visionary work.

Location: Manchester Quays, UK.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 1.8 50 mm.Capture NX: RAW to Tiff. PS Tiff to JPG.

Aperture: f/8

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 50 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Wednesday, July 13th, 2011, 12: 47

Maciek.

How we celebrate São João in Porto ( 2 )

2011-06-26T22:59:00.005+01:00

Photo dimensions: 671px × 950px.

Maciek.

How we celebrate São João in Porto

2011-06-24T22:10:00.008+01:00

A story behind: Porto has a double holiday on 23 and 24 June because the day of São João / Saint John is on 24 June, but the 23rd is when the party happens – one of the biggest street parties in Europe – and there’s a lot of things to do. Above is how the fireworks display around Dom Luis II bridge went this year. The display goes on for 20 minutes and this is only the starting point for the second half of celebration: the night party and beach sunrise celebration.
I set my gear very early in the first line of people just by the bank of Douro river with a magnificent view over the old town of Porto.

Location: Porto, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700. Tripod. Capture NX: RAW to Tiff. PS Tiff to JPG.

Aperture: f/8

Shutter speed: 2 sec

Exposure bias: + 0,3 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 400

Date Taken: Friday, June 24th, 2011, 00: 18

Maciek.

The Northern Coast

2011-06-22T12:33:00.006+01:00

A story behind: This image was taken here at 8.37pm of the local time. I am so happy to discover this remote location and a splendid view. Next time I will be there I hope to meet better photographic conditions ( there wasn´t too much drama on the sky ).

Location: Ribeira Grande, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700. RAW to Tiff. B&W.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 1/20 sec

Exposure bias: -0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken:Wednesday, June 15th, 2011, 20: 37

Maciek.

A boat

2011-06-21T08:58:00.008+01:00

A story behind: This image was taken at 8.10pm of the local time, while the far away mountain ridge was illuminated by some of the last rays of sun. The soft light nicely accentuates the hills surrounding the lake. An evening peaceful setting with a wooden boat in a corner. Hope you like it.

Location: Sete Cidades, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 1/20 sec

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Thursday, June 16th, 2011, 20: 10

Maciek.

Monday in Alentejo

2011-06-16T09:42:00.005+01:00

A story behind: Monte da Rocha is a name of the river Sado dam in the middle of Portuguese Alentejo region. The Monte Rocha is a barrage dam - a special kind of dam which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing the dam. Situated among the rolling hills covered with cork oaks the dam has a kind of strange hydro-regulation system, I have never seen before. In the middle of the water reservoir there is a huge hole to control the amount of water passing through.

Location: Ourique, Alentejo, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D700, polarizing filter.

Aperture: f/11

Shutter speed: 1/640 sec

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Monday, June 13th, 2011, 13: 50

Maciek.

A postcard from Spanish Seville

2011-06-14T18:24:00.006+01:00

A postcard from Spanish Seville

A story behind: Last couple of days we spent wandering around Spanish Extremadura and Andalusia and back to Portuguese Algarve.

Location: Seville, Andalusia, Spain

Gear: Nikon D700, polarizing filter.

Aperture: f/9

Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Sunday, June 12th, 2011, 11: 4853

Maciek.

Dont´t let the sun go down on me.

2011-06-10T23:22:00.010+01:00

A story behind: With the music "Dont´t let the sun go down on me" featuring Elton John and George Michael in my ears I shot this picture. Lovely weather, lovely time but some strange sorrow filling the air.

Composition with the "rule of thirds" and points of interest matching the crossing lines but the horizon in the lower third. In general, place the horizon high or low in your scenics, but rarely in the middle. RAW to Tiff. B&W transformation.

Here you can find a full 1280 pixels version.

Location: Vila Nova de Gaia beach, Portugal.

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

Aperture: f/9

Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 22 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Friday, June 6th, 2011, 20: 53

Maciek.

The convergence lines

2011-06-03T11:28:00.001+01:00

A story behind: Architecture comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and forms, so there are no set rules when it comes to this type of photography. However, some of the guidelines should be considered when one starts in the genre.

Searching for patterns can be one of the basic methods to build a depth and perspective in photography. In the photo above look at the convergence lines. These linear perspective parallel lines recede into the distance and converge at one central location on the horizon.

Another important trick while photographing a modern art is to add a human subject. First one can imagine how big things really are by comparing them to the human. Second adding a person to an architectural photograph provides context and brings some life to the picture.

Another tip: avoid the unnecessary and uninteresting elements. Make a picture as clean and as simple as possible.

Photo awarded a front page of www.obiektywni.pl and www.onephoto.net.

Location: Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, Portugal.

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

Aperture: f/13

Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date Taken: Sunday, May 26th, 2011, 09: 31

Maciek.

The same place 2 days later

2011-06-01T15:26:00.002+01:00

A story behind: Same place. Different sunset. An evening trip with my son Lucas.
Even with high ISO the D700 image contains little noise and the excellent level of detail.

Location: Foz beach, Porto, Portugal.

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

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 2 sec

Exposure bias: + 0,7 EV

Focal Length: 20 mm

ISO: 3200

Date Taken: Tuesday, May 31st, 2011, 21: 11

Maciek.

Between high and low tide

2011-05-31T10:22:00.002+01:00

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

2011-05-29T10:18:00.000+01:00

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 !

2011-05-28T14:21:00.009+01:00

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

2011-05-25T15:30:00.003+01:00

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

2011-05-23T23:17:00.006+01:00

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

2011-05-18T11:50:00.002+01:00

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.

The end of the road

2011-05-09T18:02:00.003+01:00

A story behind: Another picture of the Sado River fishing port in Carrasqueira near Alcácer do Sal, Alentejo, Portugal. Awarded a front page of www.onephoto.net.

PS. This is one of my last photos made with D80. I am soon upgrading my gear.

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

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

Aperture: f/25

Exposure bias: +0,7 EV

Focal Length: 13 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Friday, March 29th, 2011, 17:29

Maciek.

Historic Pousada hotel - Alcácer do Sal.

2011-05-08T17:44:00.011+01:00

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 ?

2011-05-06T11:45:00.004+01:00

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.

2011-05-04T17:05:00.002+01:00

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 )

2011-05-03T21:42:00.002+01:00

Maciek.

Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon ( part II )

2011-05-03T08:46:00.002+01:00

Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon.

2011-05-02T21:17:00.004+01:00

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.

The Transparent Building

2011-04-24T16:20:00.004+01:00

A story behind: "The Transparent building" or Edifício Transparente ( in Portuguese ) is an example of architectural bad taste. It was built in 2001 for the Porto 2001: European Culture Capital festival. The idea was to make a panoramic double window construction: one side wide open for the Atlantic ocean, the other with a view over the biggest green area: the city park.

The idea was captivating but somehow has lost its spark on the way and now appears neither innovative nor groundbreaking. Today the building stands for many as a monument of the architectural bad taste.

But at night while sitting there ( where many restaurants and coffee-shops are installed ) and watching the spectacular sunset, the Transparent Building can undergo a metamorphosis into something special.

Location: Porto-Matosinhos beach , Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: - 0,3 EV

Focal Length: 12 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Wednesday, April 20th, 2011, 20:01

Maciek.

Against-the-light photography

2011-04-21T08:33:00.004+01:00

A story behind: Against-the-light landscape photography has always been tricky. You can not choose to set a longer exposure because the human will not appear sharp. With a pool of water in front of you it is also very tricky to use the flash effectively since the flash light would reflect unnaturally against the water. All you can do is just to increase the exposure compensation a step in order to have some more light over the near subjects, paying attention not to burn the background. But the secret ingredient of this image was lots of patience waiting for sun to dive and a perfect reflection when the ocean breeze stopped blowing.

PS. Top of the www.plfoto.com

Location: Porto-Matosinhos beach , Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm

Aperture: f/13

Exposure bias: + 0,3 EV

Focal Length: 10 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Wednesday, April 20th, 2011, 20:09

Maciek.

A couple, the sunset and the tide gauge

2011-04-14T17:51:00.001+01:00

A story behind: That was a pleasant Tuesday. In the evening I had a nice walk along the Douro river until finally arrive at this small pier with the old tide gauge. There is no better place in Porto that unites wide open vistas, vast expanses, the river and the sea with a lot of light. The tide gauge is a scientific instrument used for registering the tide variation per time. The device measures the amplitude of sea level. I stopped there, had talk a little with fisherman and made some shots of the sunset. The sky was not sensational but it was a warm and pleasant spring evening. The light was a bit too hard so it required some thought to properly expose and use my filters, but when I get it right, the world out there 'explodes.' I used a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad along with a 4-stop soft-step ND Grad.

Location: Porto, Foz , Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm.

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 22 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Tuesday, April 12st, 2011, 20:04

Maciek.

Vodafone office building ( part 5 )

2011-04-11T22:04:00.006+01:00

Main corridor, level 0, Vodafone building, Porto.

Maciek.

Vodafone office building ( part 4 )

2011-04-10T22:42:00.004+01:00

Ground level, main corridor, B&W.

Maciek.

Vodafone office building ( part 3 )

2011-04-10T11:49:00.005+01:00

Western staircase with its pure and simple lines, B&W.

Selected for the main page of www.obiektywni.pl

Maciek.

Vodafone office building ( part 2 )

2011-04-09T23:01:00.003+01:00

View of the southern facade, Vodafone office building, B&W version.

Maciek.

Vodafone office building ( part 1 ).

2011-04-09T08:36:00.013+01:00

A story behind: Picturing the modern architecture is my second great photo passion. When I look at the building form the different angles I try to recognize interesting curve lines or patterns of different rectangles. Experimenting with wide angles to produce distortion and extreme perspective is another great idea. Since there is always a big number of details you can crop in tightly on the building without making the photo feel unnatural. Desaturation is another fantastic tool you can use to captivate one´s eye. Black and white ( B&W ) photos with all shades of gray can increase a tonal range and make a picture even more appealing. Special thanks to: Luis Esteves and Antonieta Gomes ( and all people from the Vodafone.pt team ) for all the help they offered me in making this project possible.

Location: Porto, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm and Sigma 10-20 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Thursday, April 7th, 2011.

Maciek.

Unbeaten Football Club Porto clinch 25th title after win over Benfica

2011-04-04T00:01:00.005+01:00

Especially for you all my dear readers, I present you a real time upload of the video with a street party after the football club of my home town won the 25th national title. Unbeaten during the whole season Football Club Porto clinched 25th title after this night win over Benfica of Lisbon.

These moments of joy and crazy but peaceful "festa" party are happy moments of living in Portugal.

Place: Avenida dos Aliados, Porto, Portugal

Time: April 4th, 23.00 hour.

Maciek.

Belmonte

2011-04-02T13:36:00.004+01:00

A story behind: Belmonte is a little town located on the small hill that overlooks the highest range of Serra Estrela mountains. When I got there on the last Thursday´s morning and despite the lovely summer temperatures of 25º C, I could still see some snow covering the peaks of the mountains.
The town is dominated by the 13th century castle ( pictured above ) that was transformed into a fortified mansion by the family of famous Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, the man who discovered Brazil in the year 1500.
In the parochial church not far from the castle you can see a statue of the Virgin, Nª Sra da Esperança, which according to legend, has followed the navigator in his voyages to the newly discovered continent.

Location: Belmonte, province of Beiras , Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm

Aperture: f/13

Exposure bias: -0.7 EV

Focal Length: 17 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Thursday, March 31st, 2011, 12:04

Maciek.

Lisbon. Oriente Station. Part II.

2011-03-29T10:43:00.004+01:00

A story behind: Another shot from my travelscapes in Lisbon: Oriente ( East ) train station. Photo number II. Platform number I.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm, tripod

Aperture: f/22 Exposure bias: 0 EV

Shutter speed: 2 sec

Focal Length: 17 mm

ISO: 100

Maciek.

A death of Joaquim

2011-03-25T23:08:00.005Z

A story behind: I don´t know if it is only happening to me, but almost every time a take photos in some remote village, a small group of elderly people gathers around. They talk and ask questions. Maybe it happens because a stranger photographing the landscape may be for them the most interesting event of the day.
"Please be careful" one man said - "last autumn our neighbor Joaquim disappeared here. He probably has drowned. The sea and the waves can be dangerous". Centuries of sea-fishing tradition are reflected in these people and in the local quay sides, fraternities and also in many colors of the fishing boats.

The calm and placid shoreline continues here for miles and miles. The coastline is dotted with small and rather poor fishing villages with colorful houses along narrow alleyways. There is a sensation of peace and serenity that comes from contemplating the ocean and the sunset. Murtosa ( this is the name of the nearby village ) is a destination for those yearning to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Even during summer time the area around Murtosa is never invaded by tourists or marry-go-rounds. There are no outdoor cafés and restaurants. This is a bit of forgotten land.

Please feel free to cease that moments and contemplate the passing time at this special place where Joaquim has died and the place where that night the sunset light flooded us with that singular luminosity and colors that I so clumsily tried to capture on my photo.

Location: near Murtosa, 60 kilometers south from Porto, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 10 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Thursday, March 24th, 2011, 18:34

Maciek.

Small and simple pleasures.

2011-03-20T09:38:00.004Z

A story behind: Today when the temperature outside hit 20ºC I knew what to do. I opened a bottle of 2009 Moscatel Roxo pink wine. This is a creation of one of the most famous Portuguese wine makers Domingos Soares Franco from the Setubal peninsula which is located just a couple of kilometers south of Lisbon ( and only 9000 bottles were made of this extremely rare type of vines ). The wine is very much salmon colored, and surprises with a complex fruity nose and peachy honeyed goodness. The palate is dense and generous, round fruity with passionfruit and pineapple and does not fall away through the finish. It all ends almost sweet and long. It is pink ( or "rose" in Portuguese ) but so wonderfully different from that famous Mateus Rosé "wine thing". This is a kind of wine Portugal can be really proud of. An excellent accompaniment to lighter meals or just to drink alone during the hot and lazy March afternoons just as I did. Date: Saturday, March 19th, 2011. Maciek.

Vodafone Office Building, Porto.

2011-03-18T20:09:00.002Z

A story behind: Here it is: the Vodafone office building in Porto with all its polygon spaces, with its twists, turns and formidable geometric lines. It is a nice object to point your lenses at because it can be shot from so many different angles.

Location: Porto, Avenida da Boavista, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm

Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 35 mm

ISO: 450

Date Taken: Thursday, March 17th, 2011, 18:35

Maciek.

The Lisbon Oriente or East train station

2011-03-17T10:01:00.003Z

A story behind: The Lisbon Oriente ( East ) train station is one of the landmarks of the city and a truly unique work of one of the genious architects of the contemporary world: Santiago Calatrava.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm, tripod

Aperture: f/14 Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 27 mm

ISO: 100

Maciek.

A rainy Monday

2011-03-15T22:49:00.007Z

A story behind: Today I traveled to Sortelha. This is a charming small historical village in the Portuguese interior with a picturesque castle and old stone traditional houses covered with red tiles ( some of the houses are actually sculpted in the rocks ).

The weather was nothing like spring. In fact it was more like winter: rain, bitter cold and some wind.

The meadows were all just spring-green colored in contrast to gray and rather unpleasant sky. But that was a perfect combination for a photo, and all I needed for a good landscape composition was an object to seal these two elements: a lone olive tree ! I soon found a perfect match and put a tree in my composition according to the "rule of thirds".

Location: near Sortelha, 20 kilometers from the Spanish border, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Nikkor 17-75 mm

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 35 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Wednesday, March 14th, 2011, 13:04

Maciek.

Chapel, human factor and dynamic water

2011-03-11T08:55:00.005Z

A story behind: The Lord of the Stone chapel in Gulpilhares is a very popular photography spot. You can find thousands of its pictures taken from every possible angle. Last Wednesday night I thought of something different. My idea was to include the human factor ( located in the left upper corner ) to contrast with the water movement around the stone in the left lower corner. The low tide made it possible to have a wide strand of the sandy beach to get the moving water stripes longer and therefore more dynamic. I used my 2-stop soft-step ND Grad to achieve this nicely balanced exposure. The image was intended to be color so the filter has kept my tones smooth. The chapel on the rock and moody sunset clouds made the rest of the scene. PS. Photo of the day at photomedia.com Location: Gulpilhares, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80

Aperture: f/22 Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 10 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Wednesday, March 9th, 2011, 19:19

Maciek.

Three ships on the roadstead

2011-03-09T11:29:00.001Z

Three ships seen on the horizon waiting on the roadstead before they enter the port of Leça de Palmeira.

A story behind: In the beginning of spring this site is frequently shrouded in a dense and lasting marine fog. I was more than pleased to learn the air was crystal clear this evening. I wasted no time getting down to the beach, found my point of view over the small stone, and pulled out the 4-stop ND Grad from my bag. Positioning the filter at 0º angle over the sky, I managed a few long exposures while continually refining the filter’s influence over the scene.

Photo awarded a front page of www.plfoto.com

Location: Vila Nova Gaia, Portugal.

Gear: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20 mm

Aperture: f/22

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 10 mm

ISO: 100

Date Taken: Monday, March 7th, 2011, 19:13

Maciek.

Serralves Museum, Porto

2011-03-08T19:10:00.007Z

The inside of the Serralves museum.

Museum´s outside modern architecture.

A story behind: Serralves is the biggest contemporary art museum in Porto. Sunday was a lovely day with lot of light and truly early summer temperatures. We had a lunch at the open air museum´s cafeteria, then a stroll in the park among the trees and flowers bursting into spring. ( The second photo awarded a first page of Onephoto.net ) Location: Porto, Portugal.

Date Taken: Sunday, March 6th, 2011, 13:23

Maciek.

A Thursday in Celorico da Beira

2011-03-08T09:15:00.003Z

Traveling to small Portuguese towns like Celorico da Beira in the middle of the week can be a real pleasure. That day we were probably the only tourists there and the old part of the town was completely "ours". Celorico da Beira is one of these "forgotten" Portuguese towns that does not make the Top 50 Portugal Tourist Attractor List but that is exactly what makes it so attractive and appealing: no tourists!

So have a walk along the walls of the XII century castle with the astonishingly beautiful vistas over the Beira country. The medieval style castle is old but when you look closer you find some old stone inscriptions with a names like Sérvio, Munida and Junio dating back from the Roman period of emperor César Augusto (27 a.C.-14 d.C.). But there is more to Celorico than its medieval castle. Walk a couple of steps down and you find a very well preserved 200 meters long Roman road still in use ! No tourists, friendly people and a piece of big history waits for you in Celorico. Have fun as we did.

Date: March 3rd, 2011.

Maciek.