Reaching impossible heights, the buildings of Nature rise persistently, challenging the strength of the elements, conquering space to the ocean, in a tough battle of magma and fire.
We are privileged inhabitants of this absolutely incredible and unlikely place, which not only accepts with bravery the constant struggle of harboring its offspring, but is also still capable of offering us priceless sensations and visions, day after day.
Location: Ponta de São Lourenço, Madeira Island
This is without any doubt my favorite spot in Madeira Island, along with the Ribeira da Janela Beach. I had been dreaming for long to photograph this place, and naively thought this would be an easily accessible spot, located near the parking spot which leads to the Ponta de São Lourenço trail.
On my first scouting attempt during the afternoon, I searched the place and immediately assumed I had found the exact spot from where this famous image would be possible. After walking part of the main trail, I found a smaller rough path on the steep incline, that seemed to lead there. Well, after all these years I should have already learned that things are never too easy in landscape photography, so I soon found out that the supposed place was not the right place I was looking for, and I probably needed to go to all the way to the top of the hill, where a geodesic landmark was located. I started climbing once again, but was far from imagining that the trail would soon be almost invisible, with some climbing areas way beyond my comfort zone.
I finally reached the geodesic landmark and there it was, the scene I was looking for, so much more epic and vertigo inducing than I ever thought it was, overwhelming the senses and making me feel microscopic but whole. The shooting platform is small, with a 150 meter cliff right on the left, usually strong winds, and the power of the Atlantic Ocean crushing the cliffs on the left, contrasting with the calm waters on the right. I must say I was very satisfied for finally being there, but one thought quickly came to my mind: how am I going to do the same exact “pseudo”-trail during the night, with a lantern, before sunrise?
Fortunately the Universe sometimes gives us back for things we did in the past, expecting nothing in return, and so I had the precious help of fellow local Francisco Gonçalves, who gave me an alternative path, equally steep but definitely less insane in terms of technical difficulty.
During the Photo Trip in Madeira, I spent around 9 days sleeping in the Ponta de São Lourenço area, to make sure I would be able to get the best possible light on different spots of this area. I had an inner hope of being lucky and making it right at the first attempt, but I soon found out that this Island doesn’t offer itself easily. Along with other spots, which I had to visit multiple times at sunrise or sunset to get the best light, this place also needed four (!) visits, until I finally managed to shoot it under this unforgettable sunrise, right on the penultimate day of the trip, right on the day I was starting to feel ill and seriously questioned at 5 am if the effort of going there again would be worth it.
Technical data: even though I used the widest ultra-wide angle lens on the market right now, I still couldn’t fit all the elements I wanted in the composition so, after doing my base exposure, I did a second exposure right after, showing a bit more of the sky, and stitched the two images | Sony a7R + Laowa 10-18mm f4.5-f5.6 | Focal length: 10.5mm | Aperture: f11 | Shutter speed: 8 seconds | ISO: 50 | Manual Focus | 4 stops full ND Nisi, 3 stops Reverse ND Grad Nisi | FLM Tripod
All images are available for licensing, prints or NFTs. Contact me for more info.