”Porto Sunrise Surprise!”

”Porto Sunrise Surprise!”
©David A. Ziser

This is an image I made a few days ago from our balcony overlooking the river as I watched the early morning light make it’s gradual appearance into the new day.  I was taken by how the well illuminated building on the opposite bank of the Douro River stood out against the bright blue early morning sky.  The contrasting colors held me mesmerized. 

With camera in hand I worked to get the image I wanted.  I tried several crops and even reviewing the images in Lightroom, I struggled to select the image I thought captured the moment best.  The image above is my final result. I hope you like it..

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with Canon 24-105mm IS lens at 58mm, F4.0 at 1/20 second, ISO 5000.  Enjoy!  -David

Let The Light Shine In: Don’t Miss The Morning Moments!

Good Morning Everybody,

As I sit here at the computer this morning it strikes me that many people miss many beautiful moments in life.  Myself included sometimes. But as we continue our travels throughout Spain and Portugal - I plan to miss far fewer.

What exactly do I mean by the above remark?  Each of us awake each day to a new sunrise, a new day, a new set of daily adventures, challenges and experiences. But from that first moment we open our eyes we have a choice to make – this is especially true of the traveler.  We can either roll over and go back to sleep.  Or we could climb out of bed and see what the first light of day brings to our eyes.

Maybe it’s the jet lag – who knows – but my inclination on this trip so far is to get out of bed at first light and sometimes before and see what the morning sunrise beholds.  I have to say, we have been rewarded handsomely for the effort.

Let The Light Shine In: Don’t Miss The Morning Moments!

After leaving Salamanca, Spain we headed over to Porto, Portugal – land of great history, beautiful vistas, and fine port wine!  As I said in an earlier post, we are making the rounds on this trip via Airbnb – so far a fantastic way to see the world.  Our accommodations are right in the middle of the action – see the above image.  For the second time in our travels our arrival into Porto has put us right into the middle of the action. This time we are located on the River Douro along the Cais da Ribeira overlooking the Dom Luís I Bridge.  UNESCO declared this location a World Heritage Site.  Our new location is in a vibrant neighborhood filled with locals, tourists, colors, sounds, smells, many boats, lots of seagulls and an energy that is mesmerizing.

The evening of our arrival I just sat on our balcony overlooking the river simply enjoying the wonderfully cool evening and the beautiful view of the Dom Luís I Bridge. I think I sat there for hours – the mosquito bites I found on my arms and legs the next day bore that fact out too ;~)

But it was still that next morning that was so beautiful with it’s first light.  I was awake early, well before sunrise.  But a short while later I could see the rays of the new day.  The camera was in my hand and ready.  I spent the next 45 minutes photographing the colors and grandeur of this new day.  The site was just amazing!

Even after the sun had risen the slight mist in the distance played magically on the bridges down the river in the distance. The town was still sleeping but the city was coming alive in the light of the new day.  Don’t miss the moments – savor every one!  It was an exciting first day in the city of Porto, Portugal.

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today. I’ll update our Porto visit with more photos in a day or so.

Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you soon!

-David

Salamanca – A Photographic Journey

Good Morning Everybody,

We had a great time visiting Salamanca, Spain.  Photographic opportunities abounded.  The sights and sounds of the city made for some wonderful “camera candy” any time of the day or night.

As with any historic city, we love to stroll the town capturing as much of the architecture as possible. We certainly had plenty of opportunities in Salamanca.

I also like to capture the flavor of the city with images of the many cafes and street side restaurants.  The weather was perfect and it seemed everyone was enjoying a meal or just a cup of coffee outside.  

We also find it enjoyable striking up conversations with complete strangers most of which are more than willing to share their time and their stories.  We met Anita while enjoying an adult beverage at a little restaurant just outside the Plaza Mayor.  She joined us for dinner and we had a terrific visit.  She had just completed 125 miles walk along the historic “Way of St. James” – and filled us in on her experience, shared her “passport of decals” – fascinating. We are actually heading for Santiago de Compostela later today.

Another interesting observation that was hard to miss was the large number of weddings taking place in the city during our stay.  We encountered one bachelorette party and two weddings on Saturday alone.  As a wedding photographer, I couldn’t resist.  I had to fire off a few shots ;~)

I have to say that my favorite times to photograph are during the evening hours.  The city comes alive with lights, people, and an vibrant, quiet energy that is just wonderful to experience.

I’ve featured a few images of our Salamanca visit in this post.  But if you would like to see a more thorough representation of the city, I’ve included several more images below.

		Salamanca, Spain: A Photographic Journey VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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Hey gang, that’s it for today.  We’ve been hanging out in Porto, Portugal for the last few days, more on Portugal tomorrow, and head off to Santiago, Spain in just a few hours. 

Have a good one and I’ll see you soon, David