Just sit and enjoy ( the pleasure of traveling )

Early morning on the abandoned Santa Barbara beach, Portugal.

A story behind: The Santa Barbara beach faces the north. It is usually very windy and rainy and it never lacks impressive moments.
On Friday´s morning the beach was empty so I could enjoy the view all by myself and had enough time to prepare my camera to photograph fast moving clouds and an empty white chair that I decided to place in the left down corner of the image.

Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35 mm, ND Full Stop. Tripod.

Aperture: f/16

Shutter speed: 35 sec

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 50

Date Taken: Friday, March 24th, 2012, 10: 10

Maciek.

The spiraling stairs

Looking up the spiraling staircase at the Pão de Açucar hotel in downtown Porto.

A story behind: In early July our friends are coming to Porto. They made a reservation at the Pão de Açucar hotel in downtown Porto. As I was passing by the hotel I stepped in and ask at the reception desk in everything is OK with the reservation. A spiraling stairs immediately caught my eye.
I put my camera and shot some photos.
Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 1 sec

Exposure bias: -0,3 EV

Focal Length: 22 mm

ISO: 250

Date Taken: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, 13: 17

Maciek.

This is my world

A view at the mouth of the Douro river as it flows into the Atlantic ocean.

A story behind: As I hustled down to the river and set up my D700 and 16-35, I already had an idea in my mind of how I wanted to compose the image: the foreground with stone stairs, long exposure time to soften the water and three lighthouses on the horizon. My lens already had my polarizer and I added the 3-stop soft-step ND Grad to balance the exposure of the bright areas of the sky with the pastel colored sea in the shaded foreground.

From the south the moisture-soaked clouds were approaching and the sky was lighting up for the sunset. I set my camera with the remote and sit on the stairs enjoying the view.

Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Polarizer. 3-stop soft-step ND Grad.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 30 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 22 mm

ISO: 200

Place taken ( map ): Porto, Portugal.

Date Taken: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, 18: 45

Maciek.

Lisbon - Vasco da Gama bridge

Vasco da Gama bridge stretches for 17 kilometers and is one of the longest structures in Europe.

A story behind: Monday. Very early morning. Shooting photos with Mariusz at the bank of the Tagus river, at one of my favorite spots close to the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
The light was far from perfect with almost clear sky. The sunrise was quick but spectacular. I used B&W preset in my camera.
Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Tripod. ND reverse 0,6.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 1 sec

Exposure bias: -0,7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Place taken: Lisbon, Portugal.

Date Taken: Monday, March January 5th, 2012, 06: 45

Maciek.

The westernmost point of the continental Europe

Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point if the continental Europe, Portugal. Ursa beach.

A story behind: This is one of the most spectacular locations for landscape photographers in Portugal - the Ursa beach situated in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, 60 kilometers west of Lisbon. On the right of the picture one can see a huge rock with a natural Bear (Ursa) shape and another rocky formation on its side, named Gigante (Giant).

Location: Close to Cabo da Roca, Portugal.

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

Aperture: f/13

Shutter speed: 1/200 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Date: March 5th, 2012.

Maciek.

The storytelling landscape

The very end of Mosteiros peninsula. A view to the Eastern cliffs of Sete Cidades mountain, Portugal.

A story behind: The entire route along the Western coast of the São Miguel island is considered a visual treat for the eye, but my personal preference is the northwestern-most point around the small village of Mosteiros. This is where I concentrate the majority of my photography and walks. Recently I felt a little bored with the Mosteiros beach so I looked for the new spot for shooting photos.
That night the landscape was playing the big show and the only person standing at the audience was me. The sky was covered with quickly moving dark clouds with some light patches from the dying sun. The massive cliffs of the Eastern side of the Sete Cidades volcano were bravely standing against the Middle Atlantic waves. And in the foreground lava-formed stones and small waterfalls with amazing parallel wave lines emerging only on the long shutter images.


Technique: Rapidly changing water and weather conditions with suddenly appearing/disappearing big bright water areas in the foreground were really a big challenge to set up a right white balance. Tripod, cable remote and 3-stop reversed ND Grad filter.

Location: Outside the village of Mosteiros, Portugal.

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

Aperture: f/10

Shutter speed: 2 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 200

Maciek.

The silence

Murtosa, Vouga river delta, Portugal. On the horizon the lights of the city of Aveiro.

A story behind: Standing alone in the shallow waters of the Vouga river delta surrounded by the silence. Me and my camera.

Full frame Nikon D700 allows to capture a great number of details from the full of light clouds on the horizon to the very poor lit boat hull.
With the help of my polarizer, I simply waited for the ambient light on the water to match the sunset light on the horizon. The magic happened a couple of minutes after the sunset when the light got pleasant allowing the rest of the scene to fade to softness.

Enjoy.
Location: Village of Murtosa, Portugal.

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

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 3 sec

Exposure bias: 0 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 50

Maciek.

The clouds have finally appeared

The Granja port lighthouse.

A story behind: The sunset over the Atlantic ocean with heavy clouds, low tide, rocks and quiet sea observed from the mouth of the small fishermen port of Granja.


Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Tripod. ND 0.6. Standing and taking photo from one of the most furthermost rocks of the shoreline accessible by foot.

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 12 sec

Exposure bias: -0.7 EV

Focal Length: 16 mm

ISO: 50

Place taken: Granja beach, Portugal.

Date Taken: Sunday, February 5th, 2012, 18: 00

Maciek.

A Friday night

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

A story behind: The Felgueiras lighthouse was built in 1886. Its system of lamps and lenses is now deactivated due to the construction of the new lighthouse close-by.

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

Aperture: f/22

Shutter speed: 5 sec

Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 20 mm

ISO: 200

Place taken: Porto Foz beach, Portugal.

Date Taken: Friday, Fabruary 3rd, 2012, 18: 07

Maciek.

The sun sinking into the horizon - a view from my window.

A story behind: Days and weeks pass and the weather continues the same: cold nights, nice days with blue sky and ZERO clouds. This is an landscape-photographer nightmare. I long for clouds, soft light and photo opportunities.

That Thursday night being completely desperate I took my Nikkor 75-300 mm lenses opened the window and shot the sunset.



Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 75-300 mm. Handheld.

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter speed: 1/120 sec


Exposure bias: -0.3 EV

Focal Length: 300 mm

ISO: 500

Place taken: Porto, Portugal.

Date Taken: Thursday, February 2nd, 2012, 18: 50

Maciek.