Balos Lagoon

The Balos Lagoon off the Cretan coast

In the Balos Lagoon, light sandy areas combine several shades of turquoise to form a wide, flat zone. Behind it, a rocky landform stands out clearly from the sea. From a greater height, the overall shape of the lagoon remains visible, while closer shots show the changing edges of the sandbanks.

Sand and water in the lagoon

At Balos, the light sand zone forms a link between the lagoon and open water. Anyone who shows them together with the neighboring landforms can explain the coastal area in an understandable way.

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 narrow zone between land and water

From a low angle, a beach often looks like a narrow, light fringe. The bird's eye view reveals its actual shape and shows where it widens or ends at a protrusion. In addition, connections to the hinterland emerge. The section where a path or buildings reach the beach can be particularly interesting for a townscape. There the location can be specifically named and the individual motif can be found within a longer stretch of coast.

The outer contour of the island

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.

The distribution of blue tones

Among the 31 photos in the gallery, shot 28 and shot 20 provide a good starting point for the 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 captured October 10, 2020 for shot 1 and shot 31. The time interval between these two views is approximately 12 minutes. The exposure time was 1/800 second for the first of the images mentioned and 1/1250 second for the second.

In the Aerial Videos section there are 4 clips for this article. An example is “Balos Lagoon on Crete from the air”. Its preview leads directly to the video in the aerial photographer's Adobe Stock portfolio.

Show the proportions of the landscape

It is easy to overestimate the size of a shape in a landscape painting. A bright spot may be a small open area or show an extensive portion of the terrain. When selecting images, a comprehensible reference point is therefore more important than the most dramatic perspective possible. If present in the motif, a path or a clearly recognizable shoreline can take on this task. An aerial photographer can also relate an overview and a single view. Readers are then given an idea of ​​the location before viewing the surface up close.

More aerial photos for comparison

Two further articles invite comparison. In the first, Potamos Beach – Crete, a different detail is in the foreground. At Potamos Beach in Crete, light sand creates a curved edge around the shallow water. Then Fortress Spinalonga – Crete is a good option. Spinalonga can be seen as an entire island from the air.