Web framed autumn’s colors

First picture I took this fall. Not much of detail (and much more is lost in the small sized jpeg) but I really liked the autumns colors emerging from the landscape behind it in a rainy and foggy afternoon.

I’m still without a macro lens, thus I’m being forced to explore other approaches to smaller animals. In this case, I went for composing a nicely wet web as a frame for the landscape.

Primeira foto deste Outuno. Sem muito detalhe (e muito mais é perdido no jpeg de baixa resolução) mas eu gostei das cores da estação a emergir da paisagem, num dia de chuva e nevoeiro.

 Non-identified spider/ Aranha não identificada (PT) – ?

Sintra, Portugal

2012, October

Grasshopper (saltamontes) - Terras de Bouro

Going through last year’s photos, I had this one to edit and publish. This was a green grasshopper on the shores of Rio Homem. A simple but pleasant motif to photograph.

This genus of grasshoppers has more than 190 species. Hope I got this one rightly identified.

Dando a volta a algumas fotos do ano passado, encontrei esta por editar e publicar. Um gafanhoto (ou saltamontes como são conhecidos no Norte do País) nuns juncos nas margens do Rio Homem. Um motivo simples mas sempre interessante de fotografar. Espero ter acertado na identificação do bicho mas com insectos é sempre uma aventura.

 Common green grasshopper / Saltamontes verde comum – Chorthippus jucundus

Terras de Bouro, Portugal

2011, August

 

Bufo bufo - Sintra

I kept coming to Sintra in what was my less travelled summer in like… ever! This time, I was engaged in capturing a common but always interesting toad. For this large toad species, reaching 20 centimeters, I was quite amazed to know that young juveniles are completely formed (after metamorphosis) with just 10 millimeters.

De regresso a Sintra naquele que foi o meu Verão menos viajado de sempre. Desta vez, entreti-me a fotografar um sapo comum. Numa zona húmida perto de onde encontrei este adulto, encontrei umas dezenas de juvenis. Fiquei bastante espantado ao deparar-me com sapos comuns, completamente formados (após a metarmofose) mas com apenas 10 milímetros de tamanho, numa espécie que pode alcançar 20 centímetros.

 Common toad / Sapo Comum (PT) – Bufo bufo

Sintra, Portugal

2012, August

Adraga's nightsky

Even in a very favorable night with clear weather and no moonlight, it’s hard to find spots for night sky photography around Lisbon. This was for the practice, for the trip and for the company (and some greasy picanha’s pitas at late hours).

In this photo, most of what I did was in the opposite direction of what should be good practices for this kind of photography: sea level, near a large city, camera pointing at public illuminated road and (though not seen), Cabo da Roca’s lighthouse on the other side of the ridge blazing through the sky. It actually worked well, even if I’m unhappy with my post-processing skills.

 

Praia da Adraga, Colares, Portugal

2012, July

Bosca's teenager newt!

Again in Sintra, this time in a platoon of 4 nature photographers (blogs here, here and here). Baby newts have grown a little since last month and their mothers are now disappearing from wetspots. Again, I found several newts, included an adult marbled one. But this cute little guy was mesmerizing. The interesting thing is it was quite curious about the camera and kept walking towards it, providing very nice poses.

 Bosca’s newt / Tritão-de-ventre-laranja (PT) – Lissotriton boscai

Sintra, Portugal

2012, July

Sintra’s nightsky

First attempt at nocturnal photography. I’ve found and framed a very nice composition with Ursa Major dominating the skyline and trees reflecting over a lake. The sky had some low height travelling clouds, reflecting the city lights behind me and providing good fill illumination bellow. They gave an interesting dynamic to the sky but also hidden most of the stars.

Anyway, I reckon that this photographic technique is very demanding, getting good exposures needs a lot of practice and post-editing goes beyond witchcraft stuff. Challenge accepted!

 

Lagoa Azul, Sintra, Portugal

2012, July