This minimalist Portuguese landscape features the quay of Seixal Harbour and the coastal mountains of Madeira during at sunrise.
The harbour of Seixal, or Porto de Abrigo do Seixal beach, sits at the northern coast of the island of Madeira. The quay shelters the black sand beach of Seixal from the incoming waves of the North Atlantic Ocean.
It was during a sunrise in November when this Portuguese coastal landscape was captured, so the area was far from over-crowded. The coastal mountains of Madeira in the back were hardly visible because of the fog that surrounded them that morning. As the sun was still low above the horizon, its beams created interesting layers of luminosity in the fog.
Seixal Harbour is quite an interesting location for photography, especially at sunrise. The presence of various characteristic photography subjects adds to this. You will find:
- A substantially large quay with a beacon
- The black sand beach
- An old, curved jetty
- A beautiful view of the luscious green coastal mountains
It’s best to visit it outside of the main tourist season, as it can get crowded there.
I captured this photo at medium tide. The water of the Atlantic Ocean was calm. The quay with its beacon stood out beautifully against the misty coastal mountains and the light beams complemented the scene nicely. A shutter speed of eight minutes smoothened the fog and water. It creates a more soothing feeling. Finally, using black & white seemed to fit the over-all mood best.
Please visit our Black & White Photography portfolio to see more images in black & white. Alternatively, check out our The Coast theme to see coastal landscapes from around the world.
Lastly, for more landscapes from Portugal visit our Portuguese Landscape Photography portfolio. This portfolio is a work in progress however, so make sure to re-visit it occasionally to see new additions.
Sue Foden –
Strong composition !
Johan Peijnenburg –
Thanks Sue! 🙂