Alentejo and Vicentina Coast Natural Park – Page 12

Milfontes – morning magic

I have written before about this small town located in SW Portugal, at the estuary of the river Mira. It is considered as the “pearl of Alentejo”, and is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Coming summer, it can be a bit congested, given the affluence of vacationers. But throughout the rest of the year, it is a haven of tranquillity and beauty.

In one of my recent visits, just a few weeks back, I planned to shoot the hay bales that dot the countryside during this time of the year. I had envisaged to use the bales as foreground interest, using the rising sun and the Cercal hills as backdrop. Of course, shooting the sunrise during the summer implies waking up at around 5am, but this is just one of the challenges of landscape photography!

I wanted to capture both wide angle and more telephoto field of views, so those were the lenses I carried with me: the Zeiss Loxia 21 f/2.8 and the Sony G 70-200 f/4. I prefer to have the flexibility of a zoom for my telephoto shots, as the light changes quickly, and “zooming with your feet” is not always practicable.

Shooting towards the East, I got lucky for the bonus of the mist and fog that were present along the river Mira course. This extra element provided some fantastic depth and feel to my photos, thus really paying off for the early rise!

Shooting from my tripod, I soon entered in the rhythm of composing, relaxing, taking my time, while at the same time enjoying the light play over the rural landscape.

In the end, I consider this session as a success, and fully recommend this location for landscape photographers; within a small area, there are several subjects of interest, either facing the sea, or inland.

Wind mill in Odemira

In a recent visit to the lovely village of Odemira (a place I often go to), which is located inside the Southwest Alentejo Natural Park, I was lucky enough to be able to see the wind mill working. The municipality of Odemira invests money to maintain some of these old mills working; it is an old tradition, that is being maintained by a few men. One of these was operating the mill when I visited; his name is Jose Guilherme, and he was very kind and invited me to go inside.

His is an old family of millers, going back to his great-grandfather’s time. Unfortunately, this family tradition will die with him, since no one else in the family will pick up the trade. I always enjoy experiencing and visiting these places of tradition, and talking to the people that still use them. Mr. Guilherme told me that in a couple of hours, he had milled 50 kg of wheat, thanks to the strong wind and his expertise in operating the mill. He still has customers that take the grain to him for transforming into flour, that then goes into making the famous local bread.

He was gracious enough to let me take some photos, and I will be sure to give in some copies next time I am in Odemira. This is the type of experience that is still possible to have in the region, where the old traditions are still alive.

Equipment wise, I used my trusty Sony A7II, and the discrete ZEISS Loxia 50 f/2 lens. I simply love this combination for this type of reportage shooting. I converted the files to black and white to convey a stronger feel of the place and the experience.

... and exits as flour. — … and exits as flour.

ZEISS Loxia 50 f2 lens – some impressions

Currently, where auto-focus reigns supreme, it may seem odd to use a manual focus lens. But sometimes, for photographing at a more leisurely pace, a manual focus lens is a valuable tool. No need to think about auto focus modes, camera drive modes, just take full control about where, and when, you want your lens to focus. When travelling, or when simply on a stroll photographing on my own, I enjoy the simplicity provided by manual focus, and manual aperture setting, on the lens.

Since I use a Sony Alpha 7 camera system, it is possible to adapt hundreds of so-called vintage lenses, from other mounts, to the Sony E mount. And I have done that before. But for the standard focal length, 50mm, I have never tried to use a manual focus lens; I was used to the excellent Sony Zeiss 55 f1.8 lens. Recently, I am trying the Zeiss Loxia 50 f2 lens, which is completely manual in operation, but has the electronic contacts to “talk” to the camera, since it is a native E mount lens. In all other aspects, it feels, and handles, like any other high-quality Zeiss manual focus lens, which means is a pleasure to use.

I am familiar with Loxia lenses, because I have used the 21mm and 35mm ones in the past. The lens line is rounded up by the 50 f2, and more recently, the 85 f2.4. Today I want to share some photos, and impressions, from using the Loxia 50 is a recent trip to Odeceixe, a well-known beach located in SW Portugal. I spent a couple of days in the area with my wife, profiting from a balmy end of October, with unseasonably warm temperatures for the time of the year. After some picnicking and swimming, we took the trail that links Odeceixe to the small fishing village on Azenha do Mar to the North.

This trail is very easy to do, and affords great views along the coastline, plus crossing coastal dunes and farmlands. This time of the year, it is sweet potato pick up season. In fact, some of the best sweet potatoes come from this region, with yellow, orange, and purple varieties. But that will be perhaps the subject for a future article, in case I manage to visit the sweet potato festival in Aljezur at the end of November.

Mounted on my Sony A7II, the Loxia 50 balances and handles perfectly; it works and feels like the precision instrument that it is. Manual focus is easy, with all the technological assistance provided by the camera, in terms of peaking and magnification at your fingertips. All the hallmarks of the Zeiss heritage are present in the lens, with the vibrant colours (but never over the top), contrast, sharpness, and resistance to flare. At the end of the day, in Azenha do Mar, I spend some time taking some long exposures off the tripod, photographing the boats in the small harbour.

For those who enjoy manual focus, the Loxia lenses combine tradition and modern performance in a very good way. I will certainly be keeping my copy of the Loxia 50.

Sony FE 90 f2.8 Macro lens – initial impressions

The Sony FE 90mm f2.8 Macro G OSS lens (to give it its full name) was introduced in early 2015, as the first dedicated macro lens in the system. Besides the obvious macro application (the lens can do 1:1 magnification), a short telephoto lens also works nicely for landscapes and portraits. Because I often shoot macro and close-up, I was of course very interested in this lens. I recently had the opportunity to use it for a couple of days in the town of Odemira, in southwest Portugal.

I used the lens on my Sony A7II, and I felt that the balance was good when handholding. The lens is not small, but it is not heavy either, even though it feels robust. Operating the lens is straightforward, which is nice when working in the field. Most of the shots were tripod-based, because I was shooting before and around sunrise; with the required stopping down to get acceptable depth-of-field, I quickly ended with exposures close to 1 second.

People interested in the lens know by now that this is a high-quality lens, and the images it produces are clean, crisp, and colourful. In the macro range, the backgrounds are rendered smoothly. I strolled through the streets of Odemira looking for potential subjects, including landscapes, details of the houses, and flowers in the local garden. I have tried auto focus and manual focus in the macro range, and both worked fine; make sure you use the focus limiter switch on the lens. The optical stabilization in the lens works very well for hand held shots, when required.

After two years in the market, there are no surprises coming from this lens; this is a highly recommend lens for those that like to shoot macro, landscapes, and portraits. To me, the focal length is preferable compared to other shorter (50mm) macro lenses, because it provides more working distance between the camera and the subjects.

Tokina Firin 20 f2 lens – initial photos

I recently spend the weekend near Almograve, a very nice beach located in the Alentejo coast. This is an area that I know very well, and for many years now, as you can ascertain from the several posts I have made until now. During this last stay, I took the opportunity to use a recent wide angle lens for the Sony ILCE system: the Tokina Firin 20mm f2.

Tokina are introducing this new lens line for the system, and the 20mm lens is the first one. After using the Zeiss Loxia 21 f2.8 for a while, I was curious to see how this new contender would fare. In short, the new lens is very good, both in terms of optical quality, and in terms of usability in the field. Mind you, it is only manual focus, but for my intended use (landscapes) I see no problem with that.

Compared to its natural competitor, the Loxia 21, the lens is bigger and heavier, since it is one stop faster; it is also not fully metal build, but that does not mean it feels flimsy or not well constructed (far from that). One can feel the heft of the lens, no doubt the result of some nice glass inside, and robust materials outside. In terms of usability, the only nit I have is the lens’ aperture ring turns a bit too easy for my liking; in this regard, the Loxia has more firm detents.

Other than that, the lens shows very well controlled geometrical distortion (I have not had to resort to correction during image processing), good colours and sharpness across the frame, and of course some vignetting wide open (as expected). Even against the light, the lens performed very well, with no detrimental effect on the contrast or appearance of spurious reflections.

Below are some images shot during sunrise and sunset times, along the coast; some were taken using the long exposure provided by a neutral density filter. Personally, I highly recommend this lens to anyone looking for a wide-angle landscape lens; it also allows to save a significant amount of money compared to the price of a Zeiss Loxia lens, which may be important.

A short Easter trip with the Leica M Summicron 90

For me, one of the advantages of the Sony A7 system is the capability to use some Leica M mount lenses. This post is about the Leica M Summicron 90 f2 lens, which I have recently acquired in the used market. I have always enjoyed using prime lenses, and particularly a set consisting of a trio of wide angle, standard, and short tele. In this regard, the Summicron 90 perfectly complements my Zeiss M C Sonnar 50. For wide angle, I am currently trying the new Tokina FE Firin 20 f2 lens, but that will merit a dedicated post in the future.

There is no point in describing how a 50-year-old Leica M lens still feels and handles like a precision instrument; it is just a joy to use. In a recent family, Easter weekend trip to the southwest coast of Portugal (one of my usual roaming grounds), I made myself the challenge to use only the 90mm lens; the trip involved some driving around in the region between the villages of Odemira, Santa Clara a Velha, and Odeceixe.

In Odemira, I visited a flower garden; in Santa Clara, we picnicked and relaxed in the dam; and in Odeceixe we visited the “Folar” fair (folar is a traditional Easter sweet bread). So, there was no lack of varied subjects to choose from: flower close-ups, portraits, landscapes, and even an old baby foot game in a local café.

The lens is a joy to use, inviting a more leisurely approach to photography; it invites one to slow down, and join the rhythm of life taking place around you. It invites me to look and really see what is going on, while trying to find interesting subjects. It is always to recommend a Leica M lens, but with this one, it is even easier: it can be bought with confidence in the used market (these things are built to last), it performs to high standards, and it is a lot cheaper than the current APO version! Furthermore, it cost me about half-price of a new Loxia 85 f2.4, and it is almost 1 stop faster. What’s there not to like?

As a final practical note, for Lightroom users, I found that the lens correction profile for the lens is not there, but the profile for the APO lens works fine.

Fujifilm X100T in the Southwest Alentejo Coast

Today I just want to share some photos that I made this last weekend in one of my favourite regions, the Southwest Portugal Coast of Alentejo. I am talking about the area that roughly goes from Milfontes in the North, to Zambujeira in the South, along the coast; and also, goes inland towards the hills of Odemira. The purpose of this weekend was not photography, but simply relaxing and taking care of Spring planting in my backyard!

Still, you cannot be a photographer and go on a weekend without carrying a camera, right? In my case, that was the wonderful small and highly capable Fujifilm X100T, and a small travel tripod for good measure… my wife, being a wonderful and understanding lady, came along for the trip, and only returned to the car at Cabo Sardão (our last stop of the day for sunset shots), because of the cold winds.

It is wonderful to travel in the area at this time of the year, without the presence of the many tourists that flood some locations in the Summer. The fields are turning green with the approaching Spring, flowers are popping up, and there is an overall quietness that makes life happy. These were the feelings that I was experiencing while making the photos in Milfontes, Odemira, Longueira, and Zambujeira.

As always, the trusty X100T performed very well, the focal length is suitable for my subjects. Plus, its Macro mode is very useful for the occasional close-up of flowers.

A shipwreck near Milfontes

Whenever I find an interesting and new location, I always plan to visit several times. This was the case with a famous shipwreck near Milfontes, in Portugal’s southwest coast. For more than 20 years, there is a Dutch cargo ship being pounded by the waves in a small rocky beach. This makes for a picturesque subject, set against a scenic coastal background. This time of the year, without the summer crowds, this stretch of still pristine coastline is well worth visiting.

I visited the place for the first time in October last year, to get a feel for the location, and to scope potential viewpoints and compositions. With the sidelight from the approaching sunset, I grabbed a few interesting photos of the now-rusted ship. These are some photos I made back then, including a panorama of Milfontes.

I made a mental note back then to return during the winter, at the blue hour before sunrise. The occasion arose last Sunday, on a very cold January morning… the small beach is easy to reach, within walking distance of the small lighthouse of Milfontes, where the path starts. I was carrying a small backpack with my Sony A7II and FE 24-70 f4 zoom lens, a light and versatile high quality combination. Sure, the zoom lens is not bitingly sharp in the corners like the Loxia or Batis lenses, but then, it provided the advantage of not having to change lenses with frozen hands… a big plus in my book!

Thanks to my early visit, I could set up the tripod quickly in selected vantage points, and started shooting some long exposures. The first one, after some calculations, was about 7 minutes long; plus, another 7 minutes for the in-camera long exposure noise reduction. So, I had about a quarter of an hour to check the news on my mobile.

From then on, it was smooth shooting all along, trying different framings of the pebbly beach and the shipwreck. I was packing to go back to the car park, when I noticed a fog bank developing at the river Mira estuary; this seemed like a fantastic and unexpected opportunity, so I hurried back along the dunes. Thankfully, the fog lasted for another 30 minutes or so, and I could grab some more interesting photos!

Early morning in Almograve beach

Almograve beach, Alentejo coast, around 5.30 am. I woke up early one August morning to photograph this beach at sunrise. After Milfontes (previous posting), this time there was no fog, but the quietness was similar. In a few hours, the beach would be bustling with people, but for now, I had it all for myself. Well, apart from the seagulls and a couple of fishermen trying their luck during the low tide.

In recent years, this beach has seen a significant increase in sand in the intertidal zone, which has covered numerous rocks. This has completely changed its profile, and opens new opportunities for photography. In a way, I wanted to document this new character of a beach that I have known for 40 years.

I started by taking photos of the full Moon setting over the sea, with the bonus of some wispy clouds providing added interest to the scene. I tried several exposure times, in the end I decided to keep the 30 seconds one. I knew I could recover the highlight detail on the Moon, and the resulting cloud movement worked out nicely.

From those initial shots, I went down to explore further, making several compositions featuring the rocks, the vastness of the sand at low tide, and even some star trails. The clouds lit by the early morning sun, with some seagulls flying, also resulted in interesting photos. Indeed, there were no lack of interesting things to photograph.

Once more, it really paid off to wake up early and go out in this session. I came away with some keepers, and experienced this beach in its full potential, when it is deserted. And I arrived home just in time for breakfast with the family.

Foggy morning in Milfontes

What do you do if you wake up at 5 am one August morning, with the plan to go out and do some pre-sunrise photography in a nice place, but then everything is covered in thick fog? This happened to me recently, when I wanted to go to the picturesque small village of Milfontes, in the Mira river estuary (Alentejo coast in Portugal), in order to try and get some good landscape photos. Early in the morning is always mandatory for some good and interesting light, and the summer one more reason to go out this early: avoid the summer crowds on this popular beach destination…

I bit the bullet and went out anyway, despite the fog. My plans of framing the village, bridge and houses, against the rising sun, with the beach as a backdrop, was gone. So I quickly came up with plan B, which was to focus more on some studies featuring the sand patterns, the calm water, and a couple of small piers. The difference between the hustle and bustle of the beach during the day, and the calm that was now everywhere, was really big. All I could hear in the near darkness was the slow flow of the water lapping against the margin, and a few seagulls that were probably waking up.

In the end, I was happy with the results I got, and above all, happy with the experience of tranquillity that I had, with a long stretch of nature just for myself. As I was packing up to go leave the place, I met two other early birds, a couple that were starting they daily trek towards another beach. This is what I like about this region: even in the middle of a busy summer season, it is possible to experience the place fully.

Technically, the photos were taken on the Sony ILCE-7 and the Zeiss Batis 25 f/2 lens, all on a tripod. With the low light levels, I was of course using a tripod and Bulb mode with a remote release.