“A Storm in Paradise” | Madeira Island, Northern Coast (Portugal)
Finally here it is, my first selected photo from the week spent in Madeira Island…
Ominous clouds, melting on endless mountains, feeding gigantic seas. A humbling lesson from the forces of Nature, on a stormy afternoon. The weather was extremely unstable on that day (which is usual there), and rain kept pouring with variable strength. As soon as it calmed down, it was a question of rushing to the chosen spot and start shooting. I used a 7 stop ND filter to achieve a long exposure of 30 seconds, with the addition of a 4 stop ND Grad for the sky. Also had to wait a bit for the wind to settle down, so that the foreground flowers kept still during the long exposure.
I feel blessed for the week spent in this island. I witnessed so much more than I expected, from the most incredible clouds to the most intense warm sunsets, from the deepest ancient forests to the highest mountain peaks. A true feast for the eyes and soul, where everything flowed towards the simple, yet powerful, contemplation of the raw power and beauty of nature.
Considering all the photographic material I have from this week, I was thinking of publishing a photographic book about the island, but that’s a project I’ll have to thoroughly think about, due to all the work it would involve.
One thing is for sure: I returned from Madeira one week ago, but there’s still a missing part inside of me which was probably kept there…
José Ramos ©
Technical: f/8, 30 second exposure, ISO 200, 10 stop ProStop IRND filter, 4 stop ND filter, tripod, remote shutter, manual focus.