Vistas of Madeira

I never sease to be amazed by the dramatic beauty of Madeira. It makes my heart sing. I wonder if you could ever grow immune to it, if you lived there. I'm guessing; no! My home is situated in a relatively flat area in comparison, and yet, I find myself marveling at the view quite often. Every landscape has it's own charm I guess, no matter where you are. Though, I've always preferred mountains and lush green hills. That's part of why Mr and I keep returning to Madeira I think.

One of the other reasons we keep coming back is the wine. Madeira wine is quite unique in taste and ranges from rich (sweet) to dry. If you're ever on the island, make sure you taste a Bolo do Mel de Cana (a sweet kake). It should be accompanied with a rich Madeira wine, and it's an excellent way to end the evening.

Speaking of ends, as this month draws to a close, I'm getting more and more exited about the next. You see, next month the 30-day challenge is on again. I missed it last time, due to workload, but now I finally have the time to do it. I'll be shooting each day, and you'll see my top pick here, every day. Fun fun fun! I love how the intense shooting gets your creative juices flowing. The previous challenges have really helped me develop as a photographer, and, they've been a lot of fun too. I can't wait :)

So, see you Sunday for my first post.

Cheers

/MrsHjort

High Tides

Water has always fascinated me. You see, I grew up just a stone's throw away from Sweden's second largest lake. It's called Vättern and it's is sort of like a small sea - sometimes its waves are several meters high and it's deepest point is at 128 m. It's a very cold lake, even during the summer, and the temperature very seldom rises above 20 degrees C. That didn't stop me though, no siree! I was in more than I was out growing up, and when I finally came out of the water I was full of goose-bumps with clattering teeth. Nowadays I (mostly) limit myself to shooting water from afar though. It's more comfortable that way :).

Waves are such a joy to shoot. I love the contrasts you get from the foam and the beautiful natural lines. This shot in particular is very special to me. I shot it from Cabo Girão, Madeira, which is the second highest sea cliff in the world (approximately 580 m). Let me tell you, the view from there is breathtaking! It's so high up, that some days you're right among the clouds.

The top picture was shot using my Sigma lens. It's shot straight down, at maximum zoom (300 mm). I'm very glad it turned out so crisp, and I just love the angle - it really brings out the drama.

The photo to the right is shot with the Nikon lens at minimum zoom (18 mm). It allowed me to get the whole scope of the place. I had to wait a while for the clouds to clear a bit though, but I think they add a whole new dimension to the shot - landscapes tend to look flat in pictures, and they very often loose their drama. This way however, the size becomes more tangible. I just love the context a cloud or two can bring to a shot.

I've started carrying both my trusty lenses lately - ever since I got a small lens case that I can wear on my belt. I just love the flexibility you get that way. I've been thinking of getting a one legged stand too - they're not as bulky as the tripods are, and it would fit my trekking habits a lot better. Maybe I'll put it on my X-mas list ;).

What's your favorite gear?

/MrsHjort

Unexpected Beauty

Sometimes, you can find things where you least expect them to be - like when Mr and I took a spontaneous drive up a mountain, during our recent holiday to Madeira. As we were huffing and puffing up a steep road, wondering if even the 1st gear would be enough, we found these wonderful orchids. They were all around, at approximately 1 200 m altitude, and thrived beneath the thick foliage in a moist dark forest. Someone probably planted them along the roadside long, long ago, but since then, they've spread, and now they'd just pop up anywhere... sort of like dandelions back home, but far prettier!

As you've probably figured out by now, I just love floral macros. The last calendar I did was full of them and I just cannot resist that itchy feeling in my index finger whenever I encounter subjects like these, especially not since I got my 70-300 mm macro lens. I's been like Christmas every time I've used it. I could just snap on forever... if not for Mr that is. He usually sighs more and more loudly until I notice him and stop haha!

Orchids are especially interesting when it comes to shooting. You can get so many different lovely angles and really experiment with composition. I've always been fond of the Rule of Thirds (RoT). I love its simplicity and mathematical components. Though sometimes breaking the rules can really do the trick. I really like that about photography. Nothing is written in stone, and everything is up to you. We all look upon the world with different eyes and beauty can be found anywhere! Even in a murky forest, up in the mountains, along a small winding road.

/MrsHjort

New Adventures

I've been away for a while now, travelling. And since I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my photography, and my laptop can't handle PS, that means that I've been away from my blog as well. This was the third time we went back to the one of our favorite islands - Madeira, Portugal.

I've always preferred nature photography to anything else, and Madeira is a great place for that. The "levadas" and mountain paths are just gorgeous and the flora is quite unique. You can find a lot of different types of areas - from very dry to very moist, and sometimes, it's enough to turn a corner to get from one to the other. Very cool indeed!

Unfortunately though, Mr and I had been sick for weeks before travelling, and therefore, we were quite out of shape. So, alas, this time we had to keep to the easier treks, wish meant mainly forest treks along levadas. Don't let that give you the idea that it was less enjoyable or less adventurous though. You can find really gorgeous spots pretty much anywhere on the Island, and despite the fact that Mr and I have spent... lets see... yes, as many as 7 weeks on the island in total, counting all our trips there, there are still things we haven't done yet!
Ergo, lots of cool stuff to see and do, and shoot ;)

So, there's more to come. I just wanted to touch base a bit, and show you the first batch of my shots. They describe our trip pretty well I think - wandering in lush green forests, feeding birds and enjoying the wonderful weather :)

See you soon

/MrsHjort