Spikes and slivers

Spikes and slivers

“Spikes and slivers”. Masua, southwestern Sardinia. A striking contrast between natural elements, which generates a sort of symmetry whose plane is the horizon: in the foreground, the sharp and rugged rocks open onto a sea with a smooth and luminous surface. Above, a deep and clear sky, marked by white clouds whose shapes, generated by their movement, recall the spikes of the rocks. At the center is the lonely islet of Pan di Zucchero, symbol of this wild part of Sardinia swept by the wind and sea currents.

To obtain this image it was necessary to use ND filters: a 15-stop solid NiSi to extend the shutter speed to about a minute and a half, thus eliminating sea ripples, plus a 3-stop graduated ND to darken the upper portion of the sky. The latter effect was further emphasized with the use of a red filter in postptoduction.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal lenght: 10mm
Shutter time: 88 s
Aperture: F/8
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

This photograph is part of a series that has been awarded at the following international photography competition:
– Honorable Mention in the 2020-2021 edition of the FAPA Fine Art Photography Awards: “Pan di Zucchero” – Category Seascapes

 

Slits

Slits

“Slits”. Masua, southwestern Sardinia. A stretch of coast that shows the rugged and wild side of the island, where the rocks, compressed and pushed by the immense forces of the Earth’s crust, have emerged assuming elongated and oblique shapes. The gaps, partially filled by long waves, generate shiny mirrors that contrast with the twisted shapes and rough surfaces of the rocks. On the horizon stands the solitary islet of Pan di Zucchero, right in front of the barely visible building of Porto Flavia.

The composition of this shot highlights the shapes of the rocks in the foreground, which lead the eye to the islet of Pan di Zucchero; it follows that both planes must be sharp and detailed. To avoid the focus stacking technique, which would have required multiple shots with different focus points and subsequent editing in postproduction, it was sufficient to apply the hyperfocal technique: closing the diaphragm very much, but not so much as to incur in diffraction, it was enough to focus a few meters away from the foreground. By doing so, the entire scene is included into the depth of field, with the foreground in perfect focus and the elements in the background in sufficient focus. The long exposure was done with two ND filters, one solid 9 stops and one graduated 3 stops for the sky.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal lenght: 10mm
Shutter time: 30 s
Aperture: F/9
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

This photograph is part of a series that has been awarded at the following international photography competition:
– Honorable Mention in the 2020-2021 edition of the FAPA Fine Art Photography Awards: “Pan di Zucchero” – Category Seascapes

 

Fracture

Fracture

“Fracture”. Southern Sardinia. The stretch of rocky coast, on which stands the Pixinnì tower and the Punic quarry, is marked by large steps and deep crevices, through which the water flows incessantly. The feeling of being in an extraterrestrial landscape is amplified by the approach of a dense blanket of rain-laden clouds, which obscures the sky and makes one feel crushed between two powerful and impetuous natural elements.
This shot was taken during the last photographic trek with the students of La Bottega della Luce and, actually, the exposure time was interrupted at about 4 minutes because of the beginning of a strong downpour brought by those dark clouds. Two NiSi filters were used to take the long exposure: a 15-stop solid ND filter, plus a 3-stop graduated filter (rotated about 30 degrees counterclockwise from the horizon) to balance the dynamic range of the scene, containing in this way the bright lights in the upper left portion of the frame.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal lenght: 10mm
Shutter time: 249 s
Aperture: F/9
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

Floating pillars

Floating pillars

“Floating pillars”. Another shot taken on the beautiful island of Sant’Antioco, in Sardinia, to be precise at the stacks of the Nido dei Passeri. The magnificence of these rock formations and the time of day characterized by a high and intense light (about half past two in the afternoon) allowed me to create an image with strong contrasts. I therefore wanted to set the size and roughness of the stacks against the lightness and smoothness of the water.
To create this I made use of some technical and compositional choices: first of all, the use of black and white allowed to reduce the “information” to the essential, in order to concentrate on the important ones; in addition, the use of two ND filters (one solid 15 stops and one graduated 3 stops for the sky) allowed the extension of the shutter speed to 2 minutes, eliminating the waves and ripples of the sea and greatly reducing the structure of the clouds. The strong light of the scene made it possible to obtain an almost high-key effect with a chiaroscuro effective in increasing the visual contrast between the rock and the rest of the environment.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Pentax HD DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR
Focal lenght: 20mm
Shutter time: 120 s
Aperture: F/9
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

Emerging from the dream

Emerging from the dream

“Emerging from the dream”. Mangiabarche (“Boat-eater”) lighthouse, Sant’Antioco island, southwestern Sardinia. The purpose of this photograph is to create a “dreamlike condition” by altering reality. To turn the image of the lighthouse and the rocks into a sort of dream or memory, with its emotional content, I chose the minimalist key: through the use of an ND filter (and an adequate post-production) I physically removed some “disturbing” elements, such as sea waves and clouds, to reduce the scene to its essential elements. It is no coincidence that even the horizon is almost completely invisible: the lighthouse and the rocks on which it stands appear in a vision, disconnected from space and time, as in a sort of dream. The use of black and white allowed me to focus on the shapes and transitions of brightness, as well as on the alternation of areas rich in textures with others totally empty.
This is a fairly simple way of doing non-descriptive landscape photography.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Pentax K 200/2.5
Focal lenght: 200mm
Shutter time: 360 s
Aperture: F/8
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

Secret cove

Secret cove

“Secret cove”. Southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy. As a rainy and windy day comes to an end, the colors of the sunset paint the sky and the crystal clear water of an hidden cove with vivid and deep shades of blue and pink.

This shot required a 9-stop solid ND filter to extend the shutter speed to nearly 2 minutes, plus a 3-stop graduated ND filter to darken the sky and balance the overall brightness and contrast of the scene. In this way, emphasis was given to the fast movement of the clouds pushed by the wind and the transparency of the water of the cove.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal lenght: 10mm
Shutter time: 91 s
Aperture: F/8
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

Mangiabarche blue hour

Mangiabarche blue hour

“Mangiabarche blue hour”. “Boat-Eater” Lighthouse, Southwestern Sardinia, Italy. A fleeting and dreamy moment of stillness during the blue hour, in a place often lashed by strong winds and waves.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Pentax K 200/2.5
Focal lenght: 200mm
Shutter time: 1/15 s
Aperture: F/8
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

High Nest

High Nest

“High Nest”. Late afternoon’s light on the promontory of Capo Malfatano, Southern Sardinia. The diagonal side light of a cloudy day with a little haze colored the landscape with soft hues, giving it an almost dreamlike atmosphere. One of the most interesting things of this place is its diverse morphology: in this case I’ve found a high vantage point, taking the photograph from the edge of a sheer cliff. Doing so, I tried to replicate the point of view of a bird of prey from his nest, dominating the surrounding land.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal lenght: 10mm
Shutter time: 1/100 s
Aperture: F/5.6
Sensitivity: ISO100
 

 

Impact III

Impact III

“Impact III”. Western coast of Sardinia, Italy. A sea storm hits the coast; the waves, breaking on the rocks, rise into the air and fall, flowing in many small streams.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Pentax SMC DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED (IF) SDM
Focal lenght: 50mm
Shutter time: 1/320 s
Aperture: F/4
Sensitivity: ISO400
 

 

Impact II

Impact II

“Impact II”. Second shot of the “Impact” series. Western Sardinia; a storm hits the coast, creating walls of water that, pushed by the wind, disperse falling over the line of the rocks and bathing a green meadow studded with flowers.
What fascinated me about this scene is an aspect that I often find in the landscapes I photograph: the strength and majesty of very different natural elements, which apparently seem to collide as if to annihilate each other, but which are actually part of each other, in a perfect and delicate harmony.

From a technical point of view, to take the photos of this series, no particular precautions were necessary, except to use equipment with a high degree of tropicalization: the Pentax K-3 camera and the Pentax smc DA * 50-135mm f / 2.8 ED (IF) SDM lens are part of the “flagship” line of this brand’s offering and boast virtually unmatched levels of resistance to extreme weather conditions.
Moreover, to capture the scene it was sufficient to set a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the motion and splashes of the waves.

EXIF:
Camera: Pentax K-3
Lens: Pentax SMC DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 ED (IF) SDM
Focal lenght: 50mm
Shutter time: 1/200 s
Aperture: F/5.6
Sensitivity: ISO640
 

 

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