Spring

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

The almond trees have bloomed!
Spring will soon be here.

Lighthouse at sunset

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

I was rushing to take a few photos of the sunset over the sea, as the rest of the family moved ahead, not willing to wait for me in the cold. Before joining them, I saw the lighthouse and quickly took a single shot.

The other photos came out absolutely uninteresting, but this one was a nice surprise. The lighthouse is located in S. Pedro de Moel, by the way.

Original Refrigerator Art

Those of you who are kind enough to follow this blog have probably noticed that I am not a fan of heavy post-processing. My work flow pretty much consists only of exposure/contrast adjustments, sometimes color tuning for improving B&W conversion. No layers, no filters, no effects, no HDR. I don't have any fundamental reason against elaborate digital treatments. After all, it is all part of the creative process that started when the shutter was released. But I don't derive much pleasure from doing that to my photos, it is not my "style."

So, whatever my style might be, it is definitely a bit low-key-low-saturation-low-impact for the web. That leaves me feeling a bit lonely sometimes, specially when I browse through the myriad of eye-catching photoblogs that populate our digital world.

Every once in a while, however, I discover a photoblog that surprises me for the subtlety and sensibility of its images. That happened very recently with More Original Refrigerator Art, a collection of simple, touching, beautifully crafted photos. The post-processing is there, but it only attempts to underline the nuances of the original image, not to create something different.

Apart from the quality of the images, one thing that I find fascinating in this photoblog is that, according to the author, the photos were taken with a single - non zoom - lens (Pentax 21/3.2 Limited). That makes it even more inspiring to me.

Romantic sunset

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

You know, today being Valentine's day and all... ah, forget it.

Escape flight (II)

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Sonnar 85/2.8

Not a very remarkable photo, except for that imaginary diagonal line across the center, connecting the seagull and the pointy rock. It somehow breaks the monotony of the dominant horizontal lines in the photo.

Escape flight

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Sonnar 85/2.8

I grabbed my camera when I saw that horizontal opening in the dark clouds. It started as a thin white line but went on widening fast. This was one of the most interesting photos of the set. Thanks to that seagull, apparently flying towards the opening slit.

Alentejo (II)

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

Another thing about Alentejo is the peacefulness and (apparent) harmony of the small towns. I know it is a cliche, but time flows on differently around here.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

Alentejo

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

It is a very subjective opinion, but I believe that Alentejo, in Southern Portugal, is one of the most beautiful regions in Europe. Just above the much better known (and tourist ridden) Algarve, Alentejo's landscape is made of vast plains and rolling hills, dotted with white houses and cork trees. The colors change dramatically along the year: green during Winter, sprinkled with flowers in Spring and brown-yellow in Summer.

I took these photos about one month ago, during the family's short Christmas vacation. Just looking at them makes me think about when we'll be able to go back.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4