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Posted on Nov 26, 2013 in Blog, Places | 0 comments

Autumn River Flow

Autumn River Flow

We recently took a late autumn walk between La Pesanca and la Foz de Moñacos in Piloña.  The colder temperatures provided the peaks around Vizcares with a sprinkling of snow.  Winter is coming.  I wanted to get some close water shots of the Río Infierno (Hell River) with a real autumn feel of Asturias.  This area is very damp, heavily forested and covered in deep green moss and lichens.  The autumn leaves add a magical element. One image I was happy with, after spending some time searching for a suitable areas.  There are many potential opportunities along the route, and only restricted by the need to negotiate some fairly steep drops and slippery rocks – if you want to get to the river’s edge.  f16, ISO 100,  1/6 sec at 14mm, some editing in Lightroom 5. We set camera up at 4 or 5 points along the river. Nikon D7000, Tokina 12-24, Manfrotto 322RC2. Belinda trying to dislodge an annoying branch, that literally floated into the shot as we...

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Posted on Sep 18, 2013 in Blog, Places | 0 comments

Asturian Seascape: Castro de las Gaviotas

Asturian Seascape: Castro de las Gaviotas

07.25am – Day 3 Last weekend we began a new longer term project – that should see us through until the end of the year.  We started at the islet of ‘Castro de las GaviotasCastro de las Gaviotas’ near Hontoria. The first morning was somewhat disappointing – a thick band of cloud on the horizon blocked out the sun until well beyond official sunrise. But it was a good experience and gave us chance to become familiar with the area in the dawn light.  We also saw a flock of 12 Egrets flying above ours heads at 7am, which was a first! Normally we make excursions on the spur of the moment, a quick check of the weather forecast, map ready and off we go.  Here planning is the key – deciding on your positioning during a daytime visit can reduce stress when arriving in the dark.  Clambering over rocks on cliff edges in the dark with the light changing fast isn’t an ideal scenario. Obviously, it’s difficult to...

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Posted on Sep 8, 2013 in Blog, Places | 0 comments

Asturian Landscapes in Slow motion

Asturian Landscapes in Slow motion

Sunset – Shooting towards the Asturian coastline in the area of Colunga. The beaches of Espasa and La Isla in the foreground.   El Mirador del Fito – is an excellent viewpoint for the coastline of Ribadesella & Colunga, as well as the landscapes of Picos de Europa. It’s the starting point for many walks over the El Sueve mountain range or a good place to simply stand and stare. We visit quite often and have experienced some marvelous sunrises and sunsets. Previous post here – Early Morning Light in Asturias – Part I Early Morning Light in Asturias – Part II Over the past week we have been “experimenting” with some new techniques to capture these views – more abstract, combining longer shutter speeds with intentional camera movement (in the photos below, panning from left to right). As a result I’ve learnt about the workings of the camera as well the creative process.   Sunset – This time slightly inland encompassing the low slopes of El Sueve mountain range....

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Posted on Apr 28, 2013 in Blog, Places | 0 comments

Hidden Gems of Asturias III – Playa de Gueirúa

Hidden Gems of Asturias III – Playa de Gueirúa

Our last post from a long weekend visiting the coastline in western Asturias. We chose 5 sites and in the end managed to have good sessions at 3. All were special but I think the Playa de Gueirúa came out on top, if only for the variety of photographic opportunities. Dramatic rocks formations, high cliffs, strong seas and fascinating rock pools. Beyond Gueirúa is the Playa de Silencio, another superb beach and definitely worthy of a trip. We were a little unlucky with a virtually cloudless sky at sunset and being first time visitors we didn’t know quite what to expect. It’s certainly a race against time with the fading light and as always, you need to prioritise. I’m looking forward to a return trip. We decided to check out the area in the morning rather than arrive unprepared. Looked exciting. Beautiful beach with a waterfall, what more could you ask for? I was glad to have opted to wear walking boots. Balancing on wet rocks can be tricky....

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Posted on Apr 27, 2013 in Blog, Places | 1 comment

Hidden Gems of Asturias II – Playa de Campiecho

Hidden Gems of Asturias II – Playa de Campiecho

We were racing against the tide whilst visiting this fantastic rock formation on the Playa de Campiecho that accessible from the village of Cadavedo.  The challenge of a rising tide against the best evening light proved a little too much.  A good excuse to return for a future sunrise or sunset. Only the back of the rock is visible from the main beach.  If looking north, head west down the beach and climb over the rocks for another inlet to appear. An cave provides interesting composition when using a wide angle lens, in this case a Tokina 12-24mm One last shot before we were forced to retreat and head back to the car All Rights Reserved – © John Shackleton Share...

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Posted on Apr 24, 2013 in Blog, Places | 6 comments

Hidden Gems of Asturias I – Playa de Portizuelo

Hidden Gems of Asturias I – Playa de Portizuelo

We’ve recently drawn up a new action plan, a mission to visit the hidden corners of Asturias, all those places we’ve been meaning to visit but have never quite made it happen. At times the biggest challenge is simply to find these places. Often there is a lack of signs and due to remote locations not even many people to ask directions! You need to plan ahead and be persistent. We checked out many places beforehand, during the daytime, with no expectations of taking any decent pictures but to be fully prepared when returning at dawn or dusk. We planned a 3 night camping trip in western of Asturias, with a list of new sites to explore and hopefully photograph. Although we’ve explored this region many times, the area between Luarca and Cudillero has somehow escaped us. First was the Playa de Portizuelo and fortunately only a 10 minute walk from the campsite. We set an early alarm, staggered out the of tent equipped with head-torches, camera and tripod,...

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