Grand Canyon, a photo from Praia, Sotavento

Photographer's Note

"Grand Canyon" of Cape Verde

View from the Fortaleza Real de Sao Filipe on the island of Santiago. The pirate raids - particularly by Sir Francis Drake in 1585 - forced the Portuguese to move the trade to Praia. The remnants of the heyday are the ruins of the cathedral, built in 1693 and the pillory on the square in the old town, where the chained slaves were offered for sale. Most impressive, however, perhaps is the location of the city between the sea and the mouth of a canyon, which remains green thanks to the water even in the dry months. A beautiful view point is at the end of the footpath to the castle on the cliff, the Fortaleza Real de São Filipe.

Budapestman, dta, Buin, Juntas, Vasa, dip, ChrisJ, brano14, xuaxo, pierrefonds, belido, adores, jafadabret, riclopes, bukitgolfb301, danos, jlbrthnn, s_lush, Cricri, gunbud, adramad, pablominto has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mikolaj_kawa (0) 2009-12-10 1:43

Hello Achim! Wonderful landscape. Nice natural light and colours. Very good POV and exposure. Well done!

Budapestman (82620) 2009-12-10 2:02

Hi Achim,
Spectacular photo from this beautiful natural miracle. The mountains becoming higher beyond the steep wall awaken respect for the landscape likewise. Fantastic view with a superb overlook. Have a nice day!
George

dta (92764) 2009-12-10 2:03

Hello Achim ,
What a wonderful green valley ! It seems to be a little paradise , in this arid landscape . But i've ever seen that this year has been very rainy in Capoe Verde .
The POV is very well chosen .
Thanks for the share .

Buin (42580) 2009-12-10 2:11

Hallo Achim!
Eine eindrucksvolle und interessante Landschaft, die den Titel wirklich rechtfertigt. Da unten muss ja ein besonderes Mikroklima herrschen. Der Kamerastandort wurde gut gewählt und man meint fast, dort zu sein.
Grüße aus dem sehr nassen Westfalen!
Frank

Juntas (7960) 2009-12-10 2:14

Hi Achim. A very beautiful and well chosen pov from Cape Verde. Beautiful colors and good sharpness. Like Denis said, it seems a paradise and you caught it nicely. Well done. BEst regards. PAulo

Vasa (515) 2009-12-10 2:36

Interesting corner in Cape Verde, Achim, seen from optimal position. Your great witness. Without you I should not see it. Never. Many thanks, friend,

Branko

dip (23892) 2009-12-10 2:37

Hallo Achim,
eine eindrucksvolle Landschaft!
sehr guter Standpunkt und gut belichtet,
Grüße,
Dimitris.

ChrisJ (145260) 2009-12-10 4:23

Hi Achim

A good high vantage point overlooking the green canyon. Good sharpness, colour & framing. Well done!

john1 (4028) 2009-12-10 5:04

Hello Achim,

Excellent point of view of the Island, great colors and sharpness. Very beautifull canyon, the details of the rocks and amazing deph of field.
TFS.
John

brano14 (3178) 2009-12-10 5:04

Hello Achim,
Great view,well composed photo. The image is very clear with great details, beautiful colors. The frame is very original.
Thanks!
Brano

Gerrit (52989) 2009-12-10 5:25

Hi Achim,
beautiful landscape and fine composition with those diagonal lines and the foreground inclusion in the corner.
regards, Gerrit

xuaxo (6854) 2009-12-10 7:38

Hallo Achim,
Very good photo of the Ribeira Grande, which can be translated as "Grand River Valley", therefore the title of your post is very appropriated.
I notice that there is some green even outside the valley, because 2009 was a year of much rain in Cape Verde.
Greetings,
F.

pierrefonds (86906) 2009-12-10 7:45

Hi Achim,

The point of view takes my eye toward the mountains which is giving depth to the composition. Itt is also showing the details and colors of the Grand Canyon of Cape Verde. The colors are enhanced by the quality of the light. Have a nice day.

Pierre

Longroute (19600) 2009-12-10 7:51

A very fine and interesting composition, the green valley contrast with the aridity of the surroundings. Cape Verde Islands are not a very common travel destination (except few places where the tourists concentrate) and I'm seeing here they have a variety of landscapes I didn't suspected. This canyon formation is a very photogenic subject and thanks to the pov you chose the image has a good depth and perspective.
I like also the intense colours and the good clarity.
Really a very good reportage.

TFS,
Donato

sacimar (35543) 2009-12-10 9:25

Hi Achim,

beautiful place, I like the colours of the image, the perspective is also good showing this canyon, nice job,

Best regards

Sergio

belido (19934) 2009-12-10 9:39

Hi Achim,

so there is a grand canyon there in Cabo Verde as well. Very beautiful scenery, it reminds a bit of the american veersion but here it comes with the bonus of the green vegetation. Great point of advantage and superb definition. Great job!
Regards,
Carlos

Fis2 (133215) 2009-12-10 13:36

Witaj Achim!
A very curious place.
Beautiful landscape.
Good frame and super colors.
Very impressive picture.
Regards
Krzysztof

adores (46977) 2009-12-10 14:29

Hi Achim!
It may be a little similar, but here it's greener. I like the little houses and vegetable gardens in the valley. Very good pov to show such a landscape.Good dof and colours!

jafadabret (56501) 2009-12-10 23:26

Bonjour Achim.
Ce paysage est grandiose, de plus il se trouve que les lieux sont chargés d'histoire. Le rocher du premier plan laisse deviner le dénivelé du paysage qui se trouve au-delà.
Amicalement
Jacques

riclopes (35577) 2009-12-11 0:43

wow, fantastic view, Achim. I would never guess that this is from Cape Verde, from what I've been learning in Xuaxo's gallery. Makes me want to go there even more. Excellent shot.
best wishes,
ricardo

pajaran (84732) 2009-12-11 2:20

Dobar dan kod nas, sunce ali pocinje zima.
Mesto da te niko ne nadje, lepa priroda i kanjon.
Dobra fotografija, boje i postignuta dubina snimka, svidja mi se vas rad.
Puno pozdrava, Paja.

bukitgolfb301 (50515) 2009-12-11 2:46

Hello my dear Achim

This is an another great impressive shot!
Complete framework and well considered composition and color cordination are so admirable as usual.
Deep exposure makes so clear detail description.
Congratulation on your masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing and best regards,
Have a good Friday night!

Takero

diomed (13926) 2009-12-11 3:21

Hi Achim,
amazing view of this Canyon. Fantastic landscape, lovely colours, great sharp.
Nice Friday
Antonio

danos (110395) 2009-12-11 4:41

Hi Achim,
a nice and panoramic view of this "Grand Canyon" of Cape Verde,with the difference that this one is full of greenery.I like the perspective as the way that lead the eye on the far end of the scene.Well done.

Have a nice afternoon,Danos

jlbrthnn (76039) 2009-12-11 6:08

Hello Achim,
The point of view and framing are exemplary. The depth of the image is impressive. The canyon is described perfectly with its greenery and its meanders, and creates a strong contrast with the plateau. A work extremely well carried out and very interesting. Cheer.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

jmdias (85031) 2009-12-11 6:38

achim

it is really an amazing canyon and the strip of the greens in the middle of this arid place is fantastic because its contrast. nice job to show it

hugs

jorge

s_lush (16602) 2009-12-11 11:59

Hello Achim,
Surprisingly there are so many interesting places in this not very big country. This green canyon looks very picturesquely against the reddish rocks around. Excellent landscape photo!
Best regards,
Sergiy

emka (131472) 2009-12-11 14:41

Hi Achim, I haven't known that Cape Verde has its Grand Canyon. Maybe not so big like American one, but still looks impressive. Is there any river there. It shoud be but I can't see. interesting that there are building down there.

Regards

Malgorzata

mafegan (8626) 2009-12-12 13:03

Hello Achim
A very green 'grand canyon'! An informative photo giving us much idea of the landscape on this island. Pov is good and dof appropriate. Tfs, Marlene

mkamionka (49126) 2009-12-13 9:22

Hallo Achim,
beautiful and so interesting landscape here.
It would be a great, original and high quality postcard from this place I guess.
TFS
M

barrufeto_77 (28886) 2009-12-13 15:29

Hi Achim.

excellent view and depth! It should be a pleasure to spend the time there just walking.

My compliments!

jjanczyk (2579) 2009-12-14 3:44

Hello,
Magnificent view!
Great shot, impressive POV, lovely colors.
Nicely framed.
TFS

Cricri (150765) 2009-12-14 4:41

Hi Achim
Un paysage magnifique, mystérieux et d'une grande beauté, belle vue plongeante sur des couleurs naturels et belles
Good day
cricri

gunbud (34066) 2009-12-14 15:53

Hi Achim,
Very impressive lush green cannyon that contrast brilliantly with the hazy blue sky.
Lovely textures and lines to go with an informative historic note.
Regards, Tom

adramad (59680) 2009-12-14 16:20

Hello Achim.
Wonderful landscape the one that you show us in this composition, a great POV that of this photography with a good perspective and depth of image of this green canyon.
Regards.
Luis.

pablominto (53746) 2009-12-16 1:17

Hello Achim,

Interesting to find a nature's phenomenon like this on an island in the middle of the Atlantic!
A clear cut canyon with fertile soil in the bottom...
The point of view works well and gives a fine impression of the canyon winding through the landscape, beautiful colours!

Greetings,
Pablo -