Travel Photography Pointers: Portugal & Beyond

Good Morning Everybody,

After our brief stay in Gibraltar we headed out to Villamoura, Portugal which was about a 2 1/2 hour drive.  Once again, we were presented with the ever changing landscape.  From wind turbines to those beautifully designed Spanish bridges.  I have to say – Spain has the most exciting modern architecture throughout the country – more than any other country LaDawn and I have traveled.

We finally arrived at our newest destination about 3 in the afternoon. A quick side note – we had always wanted to stay in this resort.  It is one of the jewels of Hilton’s resort locations.  On a whim, I dialed up the US Hilton reservation headquarters and asked if there was any chance in getting into Hilton Villamoura.

It had ben sold out months before when I tried to book it.  Low and behold, there was a last minute cancellation and we were able to change our reservations to this fabulous property.  Clean living, I guess ;~)

Villamoura, Portugal is one of the most popular European travel destinations with it’s beautiful beaches, marinas, and warm weather. This locale also made for a good home base for us to explore the surrounding areas.

Travel Photography Pointers:  Portugal & Beyond

As a professional photographer, photography during our travels is essential.  Remember, I’m not just documenting our travels with “vacation pictures”. My main goal is to capture some great images for fine art posters, wall décor, and app development. More on the app later.

LaDawn and I always travel with two cameras – me with my Canon 5D Mark III and she with the Canon SX50.  Both together offer quality output and an unbelievable range of focal lengths that works perfectly for our travel photography.

Storytelling: Get The Overall Views

One of my goals when shooting travel photography is to tell a story – it’s not just landscapes and sunsets. I like to capture the flavor of the cities and towns.  That may even include the KFC or Pizza Hut restaurants tucked away in some of the far flung locals.

I also like to show the people. This is an image (right)of a young entrepreneurial couple  who just opened their shop one year ago.  They custom create, design and manufacture cork related accessories.  Their products are fascinatingly beautiful and the price is right.  I love the fact that they have put together a concept that is looking to be quite successful for these young entrepreneurs.

Just as you have seen in previous posts, I like to show images that feature the emblematic icons of the country.  Just as the bull is emblematic of Spain, so is the Rooster of Barcelous to Portugal. 

We always try to explore the surrounding towns, villages and often the roads-less-traveled. This is where we really start burning through the megapixels.  Sagres Point was by far the most fascinating locale we visited in Portugal. Sagres Point is a plateau that drops directly into the sea.  Please hit the link right here to get the full details on the really cool part of the world.

The views and the photographs can be quite extraordinary when the weather is just right.  Even with our rather overcast weather during our visit, I still think we captured some very good images.

Another cool thing about this part of the world beyond the churches and castles is how the architecture of the buildings still shows the influence of the Moors from so many years ago.  Check out this image above from the Loule, Portugal showing the market across the street. It looks like is was transplanted from Morocco.

Another thing I like to include in our travel photography is the local cuisine.  In Salamanca, Spain it’s Pulpo – that’s octopus to you and me.  Here in Portugal it’s sardines.  Hey, when in Portugal eat what the Portuguese eat, right?  I dug right in and it was super yummy ;~)

Why not check out the sampling of images below – it will give you a good idea of the photographic story we try to tell during our travels.

		Villamoura, Portugal and Beyond VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

__________________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I’ve got one more stop in our travels to share  before we fly back to Barcelona, Spain and board our cruise ship for our Atlantic crossing back home. That stop is Seville ,Spain – one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Hope to see you soon.

Adios for now, David