F4LUFTBILDER
Stavros Beach and its sheltered bay
At Stavros Beach on Crete there is a surprisingly closed area of water behind the curved beach line. A narrow passage connects it to the open coast. From above, the shape of the bay can be traced to the first houses and the rising slopes.
A bay with a narrow exit
Stavros Beach gets its shape from the alternation of sheltered bay and towering terrain. The two elements are easier to tell apart in an oblique aerial photo than in a narrow beach detail.
The two sides of a bay do not have to take up the same amount of space in an aerial photo. Often the closer headland obscures part of the opposite bank. A higher view opens up the space in between and shows the transition to open water. This makes a second view particularly valuable for depicting the location. While one image explains the location on the coast, the other can show the sheltered interior area, where the course of the shore and the use of the land are more clearly visible.
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 slope of a landscape
It is difficult to estimate how steep a slope is from a top view alone. A street that rises in curves or the staggering of neighboring buildings gives the eye additional clues. The relief becomes even more vivid if part of the valley floor or the bank remains in the picture. Anyone who selects a recording for a location description can pay attention to this connection. It helps to understand the position of individual subjects without having to estimate height differences from the apparent distance in the image.
The distribution of blue tones
For a direct image comparison, use shot 4 and shot 2 from the gallery with 8 aerial photos. 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.
According to camera data, Shot 1 and Shot 8 were taken on October 14, 2020. There is a gap of around 10 minutes between the two pictures. The exposure time was 1/500 second for the first of the images mentioned and 1/800 second for the second.
A moving view is also available. The clip “Stavros Beach in Greece” can be found under Aerial Videos. The linked preview leads to inclusion in the aerial photographer's portfolio on Adobe Stock.
Select the coastal view for a photo series
When telling a story about a coast, the order of the images counts. A further look first explains the course of the bank. A closer view can then show the transition from land to water. If an image series begins with a narrow section, readers usually need an additional location reference. The planned size is also important for the aerial photographer. A small indentation can be a clear reference point on a double page spread and almost disappear completely in a narrow column. The caption should match the actual section used.
Related motifs in the aerial photo archive
The article Ligaria – Crete offers another perspective. In the aerial photos, the bay of Ligaria is framed by an almost closed semicircle of buildings and rising terrain. In the gallery Plakas – Crete there is a different focus. At Plakas there is only a narrow populated strip between the barren slope and the water.