Azores – Portugal

São Miguel and the volcanic landscape of the Azores

In the Azores photos of São Miguel, structured pastures, steep coasts and colorful water basins can be seen. At Furnas this creates completely different views than on the open Atlantic coast. A sequence of images can make it possible to trace the path from the interior of the island to the cliffs.

From Furnas to the Atlantic

At São Miguel, the closed basins in the interior of the island reveal different shapes than the open coast. A selection of images can make this change between the interior and the Atlantic clear.

On an island, the distance from the shore determines the message of the photograph. If water is visible all around, its shape can be seen at a glance. If there is a piece of land in the picture, the situation in the larger body of water becomes understandable. Both options complement each other for a photo series. The first glance explains what belongs to the island. The second shows from which direction you approach it and which visible reference points connect the narrow piece of land with its surroundings.

Watercolors and flat edges

In a lagoon, the color differences in the water are clearly visible from above. Light and dark areas can be related to the background, the lighting or the depth. Without additional measurement, the color initially remains an observation. It can be described particularly well at a clear boundary line, for example at the transition to sand or rock. For a sequence of images, it is worth looking at the entire water surface and then at such a transition in a narrower section.

The coastline as orientation

At the sea, the direction of view changes the picture even over a short distance. If you look almost parallel to the coast, you will see ledges and bays one behind the other. From a steeper view, the actual contour of the bank is easier to follow. A piece of open water can deliberately remain in the cutout. It gives the land a recognizable outer edge and creates distance between two shapes extending into the sea. In a publication, an indication of the location together with the name of the visible stretch of coast helps to classify this view more precisely.

The distribution of blue tones

If you browse through the 615 aerial photos, you can stay at shot 17 and shot 149 for a comparison. In the first excerpt, shades of blue play a smaller role. In the second shot, blue areas take up more space. Blue can extend over a large contiguous area or only appear in individual parts. What also counts for the effect is whether these areas extend to the edge of the picture or surround the main subject.

The camera data for shot 308 says April 23, 2019, and that for shot 615 says April 26, 2019. The gallery combines images from different days. Differences in lighting or visibility can be better classified against this background. The exposure time was 1/640 second for the first of the images mentioned and 1/500 second for the second.

In the Aerial Videos section there are 296 clips for this article. An example is “Furnas - Sao Miguel from the air”. Its preview leads directly to the video in the aerial photographer's Adobe Stock portfolio.

Select the coastal view for a photo series

In a coastal view, water is both a motif and an open space. Whether a large piece of sea remains in the picture depends on the story. When reporting on the shoreline, it holds different landforms together. For a portrait of a coastal town, the development may need more space. An aerial photographer can take this difference into account when choosing the angle of the image. When publishing, it's worth taking a final look at the final format so that a headland or riverside path at the edge isn't accidentally cut off.

Related motifs in the aerial photo archive

If you are looking for related motifs, you can start with Balos Lagoon. In the Balos Lagoon, light sandy areas combine several shades of turquoise to form a wide, flat zone. It's worth taking a second look at Volcano Vesuvius. At Vesuvius, the steep view over the edge captures the depth of the crater and its shape in one shot.