Ponta do Sinó, a photo from Sal, Barlavento

Photographer's Note

The ruin of the lighttower at Ponta do Sinó west of Santa Maria. You could find here an endless sand desert with a poor vegetation. Some salt plants, only a few birds and less insects.

from http://www.santamariacapeverde.com
Santa Maria is a fishing town on the island of Sal (Ilha do Sal) one of the nine islands in Cape Verde. Apparently, Diogo Gomes and Antonio da Noli, navigators in the service of the Portuguese Crown sighted Ilha do Sal in 1460. Although rejected by modern historians, it has been said that Moorish travellers had been familiar with Sal and the other Cape Verde islands long before the Portuguese happened upon them. Where, according to Jaime Cortesao, a Portuguese explorer, Arabs may have been visiting the island to collect salt. He conveyed a story in which Arabs had visited an island they referred to as “Aulil” or “Ulil” and extracted salt from “salinas”. Anyway, modern scientists refute this claiming that the island they were referring to had long sank. Even though Sal does show evidence of once being submerged in water by the fossil discoveries of a coral reef in the centre of Sal, we shall not argue with the experts. By the way “Sal” means salt in Portuguese.

besnard, Angshu, gervaso, paololg, Gerrit, pierrefonds, stego, Cricri, lucasgalodoido, bukitgolfb301, Charo, bobocortis, josepmarin, Didi, JCG, siolaw, adramad, emjleclercq, guitianmiranda, xuaxo, kiks, plimrn has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Bergenphotos (3288) 2009-10-22 0:50

Hi Achim.
A very nice sharpness and composition. You are very good to express the right mood in your images, which you also do here. It looks very lonely. Thanks for sharing it.

Rgerads, Fredrik.

nirvana73 (0) 2009-10-22 0:58

Hello Achim
great atmosphere
very interesting buildnig
good light,color and composition too
thanks for sharing
best regards
Ozhan

besnard (58978) 2009-10-22 2:03

Bonjour Achim
Elles ont l'air perdues ces ruines dans l'étendue de sable. C'est un cliché intéressant et bien réalisé.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

jafadabret (56501) 2009-10-22 3:41

Bonjour Achim.
J'aime beaucoup cette ambiance de bout du monde et de désolation faite par un bout de terre, un grand morceau de ciel et ce phare en ruine.
Amical salut !
Jacques

gervaso (24713) 2009-10-22 7:56

Hello, Achim!

The polarized sky is wonderful, making a beautiful contrast with this interesting square lighthouse! Very good lighting and division of the image! Beautiful job!

rodgerg (55767) 2009-10-22 9:41

Hello Achim,

Simple, very nice, impressive and efficience shot. The blue of the sky is superb and give a beautifukl contrats with the warm color of the sand. The ruin of the lighthouse is very well locatd in the image and give a good balalnce to the composition.
Best regards,
Roger

darek1978 (13361) 2009-10-22 11:41

Hi Achim,
A really a powerful capture with an impressive sky over a good composed picture with a motive, which impresses me. Very nice colours and a spendid work!
Thanks for sharing,
darek

paololg (31448) 2009-10-22 13:47

Ciao dear Achim,
unbelievable the beauty of this photo, seem to be on the moon! Very beautiful the effect of the side light with a superb depth of field. Compliments, dear friend, you have done an excellent work!
Ciao, have a nice Friday!
Paolo

mauro61 (53211) 2009-10-22 14:46

ciao Achim,
immagine che sembra colta su un altro pianeta talmente è forte e bella la resa cromatica.
Soggetto decentrato e grande spazio a cielo e terra, molto bello
saluti
maurizio

Gerrit (52989) 2009-10-22 16:25

Curious building and excellent composition.
Great view on this barreen landscape in excellent colours

pierrefonds (86906) 2009-10-22 16:50

Hi Achim,

The point of view is showi ng the details and the colors of the ruin of the lighttower, its also taking my eyes toward the horizon which is giving depth to the composition. There is a good contrast between the colors of the sky and the colors of the sand. Have a nice day.

Pierre

Angshu (56760) 2009-10-22 23:42

Hello Achim
The ruins of the lighthouse looks quite forlorn amidst the desert sands. The polariser works well with the sky and there's a fine contrast with the warm colours of the sand. Well composed off-centre. So Cape Verde was your latest destination! Well done!
Best Regards
Angshu

stego (24132) 2009-10-23 12:49

Hallo Achim,
On a stark landscape like this, the minimalist compo is quite effective. The big blue sky, with the tenuous clouds enhancing the depth makes a nice contrast with the reddish sand. I like it very much!
Grüße,
José

Cricri (150765) 2009-10-23 13:26

Bonsoir Achim
Un paysage désertique ou seul présence est ce vieux phare qui semble perdu dans cet immensité, beau contraste du sable et du bleu du ciel, intéressante note
Have a nice week end
cricri

Miha2ou7 (5162) 2009-10-23 13:51

Hey Achim,

The vastness in this photo can be immediately felt. It`s rough and it`s not friendly, but it makes a spectacular place to put a lighthouse, and a good place to tinker around and really make the most of this interesting composition. Well done here, although I think you somewhat overdid it with the frames. Also I feel it`s a bit grainy, but otherwise very nice. Thanks.

Best regards.

marietom (34611) 2009-10-23 14:23

hello Achim,

Jolie composition, avec ce bâtiment isolé sous ce superbe ciel bien bleu.
Bonne soirée
Marie

lucasgalodoido (25980) 2009-10-23 15:06

Hi Achim,
beautiful picture of the Francisco´s land (xuaxo). I´d like of this simply view. Great job, my friend.
Regards,
Lucas

bukitgolfb301 (50515) 2009-10-24 11:59

Hello my dear Achim

What an another amazing and impressive shot!
Well tight framework and calculated composition, sharp focusing and are marvelous and splendid as usual!
Color balance / management was not easy in this case, I guess! I can perceive rough and wild atmosphere from your work.
Congratulation on your masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing and best regards,
Have a nice Sunday!

Takero

Charo (51212) 2009-10-24 18:13

Hallo Achim,
Eine einfache und attraktive komposition. Ich mag das sanfte licht und farbe kontrast.
Mit besten grüßen,
Charo

bobocortis (16050) 2009-10-25 10:54

Hello Achim.
I see this shot a little bit underexposed, but anyway I like it.
The subject is well decentered and the old military building gives a fascinating mood to the shot.
Best regards.
Bobo.

Rafer (0) 2009-10-25 11:18

Original y atractiva composición...saludos

Didi (61503) 2009-10-26 11:09

Hello Mr President
Very nice composition with a wonderful sky.
It's possible to give less lights with a blue filter to create the American moonlight night.
best regards

JCG (35153) 2009-10-26 11:25

Hello Achim,

Really astonishing this ruin by headlight in this desert environment. It is almost surrealist. A place of desolation nicely put in image. I appreciate much contrasts. Interesting glance just like the note, thank you Achim.

With all my friendships and a very good evening,

Jean-Charles

josepmarin (59383) 2009-10-26 11:40

Hallo Achim,
The ruins of the lighthouse break the uniform beauty of this sand landscape and the blue sky.
It's an asymmetric composition well done, and with a good luminosity and beautiful colors.
A good work.
Friendly regards,
Josep

siolaw (38294) 2009-10-26 20:00

Hi Achim
A nice minimalistic composition with off centered ruin well placed.
Colors and sharpness are good.
It looks very dry!
Greetings
Laurent

adramad (59680) 2009-10-27 7:44

Hello Achim.
Amazing perspective.
Spectacular view.
Excellent color and luminosity.
Good capture.
Very good frame.
TFS!
Best regards.
Luis.

emjleclercq (15780) 2009-10-27 14:43

Excellent depth, but a rather desolate place. The sea seems to have gone far, far away form this place, and the light tower hs become complty useless.

All the best,

Emmanuel

Dyerco (10185) 2009-10-27 21:21

Hi Achim
The tower is well placed in the scene. There is a feeling of loneliness that you have captured in this scene. Well done.
Phil

Greg1949 (9011) 2009-10-28 6:04

Achim, nice shot, looks like a set from the movie Sahara. Great lighting and the starkness is very dramatic.

Greg

guitianmiranda (22) 2009-10-28 13:46

Without the light tower composition will be nothing, so well seen and done.

Best regards Achim.

mikolaj_kawa (0) 2009-10-29 0:18

Hello Achim! Mysterious beach, mysterious ruins. Good colours. Perfect minimalistic composition. Funny frame. Good luck!

kschanna (6) 2009-10-29 4:06

The lone tower in the big bad desert. I like the shot a lot with the minamilist composition unraveling its magic.

Thanks for sharing
Kamran

xuaxo (6854) 2009-10-31 5:06

Hallo Achim,
Very nice simple photo of the lighthouse in the desert landscape.
Maybe, if you want, you could correct the title and note. The name is Ponta do Sinó (you may see in the map: click here).
See also information about the lighthouse here.
Viele Grüße,
Francisco

kiks (12805) 2009-10-31 12:54

Hello Achim, i realy like this minimalistisc of center composition. Personaly i found the light a bit to dark. I think a littel correction would make the image much more stronger. Thank also for the useful note.
Best regards
KIKs

plimrn (21344) 2009-11-02 21:07

Hi Achim,
You framed a composition with perfect balance between the sand and sea with the ruined tower pointing like a giant hand toward the sky. The warm tonesd of the sand contrast well with cool blue sky with it lacework of clouds.
HLj, Pat

jmdias (85031) 2009-11-03 5:57

achim

wonderful view. I liked the way you positioned the "oblelisk" and the simplicity of the scenery, almos minimalis. beautiful pov, framing and sharpness. I stay flying over this island many times, going to europe, but I never visited it.

hugs

jorge