Tag: Mediterranean

Cyprus’ Creative Beach Opportunities for Photographers

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Islands can’t help but make their visitors believe that summers are endless. This infinitely bright atmosphere can be credited to beaches, which gratefully embrace seas or oceans all year long. Even in the middle of December, a few eager tourists can be found diving into deep waters in hopes of having a brilliant and adrenaline-filled adventure. The site is fascinating and heartwarming. In general, living on a tropical island is an uplifting experience which leaves every citizen feeling occasional volcanic eruptions of butterflies in their stomach.

In this article, you’ll witness the beauty of Cyprus beaches. Cyprus is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, a region of gentle azure skies and incredibly scrumptious food. While summers there can be overwhelming due to intense heat waves, milder seasons are a joy to be a part of. Swarmed by tourists in the summers, Cyprus’ beaches can be enjoyed a little more fully in the autumn or spring. Once the hotter months are over, the sea is still warm enough to swim in, but not luxurious enough to attract a plethora of visitors. For those who enjoy photographing nature in tranquil places, the quieter seasons will prove to be satisfying.

Cyprus has many, many beaches. While a great percentage of those beaches is loved by tourists, there are lots of spots that aren’t dedicated to human relaxation. These places are surrounded by cliffs, sharp rocks, and a general atmosphere that reminds visitors of medieval castles and epic music. These slightly intimidating locations are particularly ideal for either admirer of edgy landscape photography or portrait/conceptual photographers who make the most of the complicated backdrops.

Other spots are more fitting for curious travelers; these are usually home to timid little stores where you can purchase interesting props for your shoots or just a delicious snack to enjoy during a break. If you venture into the fields nearby, you’ll encounter parks, stables, and great hiking trails. Thus, in addition to taking interesting photos of the beach, you’ll have an impressive amount of diverse locations to spend time in afterward.

The most common beaches are, quite, fortunately, located next to apartments, stores, and markets. In Limassol (a city located in the southern part of Cyprus), a welcoming beach is never too far away. Some people live right next to the sea, the beach is their daily morning view. Upon spending time in the sea, you’ll have access to cozy restaurants, calming cafés, and delicious drinks you’ll never forget. If you’re not in the mood for swimming on a particular day, you can still enjoy the smell of the sea by walking next to it. Almost every beach is decorated with smooth paths on which you can exercise, photograph, or simply take walks.

If you’re a nighttime photography enthusiast, these paths will provide you with many opportunities. Since there aren’t many people taking walks during this time, it’s possible to set up a tripod in a safe place and try out long exposure photography. The sea is never violent, so getting a perfectly composed shot of the beach won’t be an issue. If you go out a little earlier, you’re likely to catch a magnificent sunset. Even when covered by clouds, the island’s sunsets never cease to take one’s breath away. Photographing these natural phenomenon will not only give you amazing results but also provide you with an intense and fulfilling love for nature. You’ll leave the beach feeling beyond refreshed and inspired.

The aforementioned paths come in handy at night; this is when the daytime chaos of the popular island settles down. Despite the lack of light, however, safety isn’t something you have to fear. Cyprus can serve as a refuge for those who seek endless outdoor peace. Nighttime walks are a great time for meditation, inspiration, and general relaxation. If you’ve been shooting all day, you can refresh your creative mind by watching the stars from a bench or listening to the natural music of the sea. The soothing sounds of endless waves have the power to prepare you for another wonderful shooting day. Alternatively, they can make you feel grounded, calm, and completely alive.

Cyprus is adept at providing artists with picturesque locations and rejuvenation. Thanks to its many beaches, photographers have many locations they can visit and enjoy. The island preserves its beauty through nature all day long, all year long. This makes it one of an ideal spots for creative photographers of all kinds.

Cyprus throughout the seasons: Meeting a Paradise

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Cyprus is relatively warm and bright all year round. The brilliant sun lovingly showers the island with happiness and luxurious light more often than not. To photographers, this is paradise – the golden hour is present for a very long time during the year, leaving only during the winter months (but even then, the days are long). No matter what kind of photographer you are, Cyprus will provide you with spectacular things and people to document and cherish your whole life. Below is an exploration of each season in Cyprus.

Winter

While winters in countries like Russia are rarely welcome, Cyprus winters are embraced with open arms. It is in the winter when the island’s inhabitants finally get to wear another layer of clothing. It is also when seeking unoccupied shades under trees stops being a continuous hobby. Tourists, however, freely walk around in T-shirts and vests, sometimes diving, unperturbedly, into the chilly sea. Despite the slight drop in temperature, the sun continues to generously give out its light; this time, the only difference is the intensity of the heat itself. A lack of humidity allows for long walks on the beach or spontaneous visits to the mountains, where winter can be experienced on a very mild level. A harmless layer of snow temporarily resides in the mountains – if you’d like to take great snowy photographs without freezing, Cyprus is just the right place for you.

Spring

Spring arrives with the promise of mild humidity. While it can get unbearable in the summers, spring humidity is tolerable and almost enjoyable after months of dryness. This time of year is perfect for mountain hiking, cycling, and running on the beach. Though flowers rarely wilt to the point of leaving the island gray and bare, certain types do disappear for a while. They gracefully emerge in the spring, dipping the island in uplifting colors of royal purple, lilac, and periwinkle. Spotting watermelons in people’s backyards during this time is far from strange – in fact, it’s a pleasant and drool-worthy sight. Best of all, spring is a time of new kinds of fruit and vegetables on the island, all of which can be obtained at humble little markets. These locations are ideal for street photography enthusiasts as most of the locals are more than happy to have their photo taken. In addition to a striking photo, you’ll get a good deal and will get the chance to enjoy a wonderful and refreshing meal at home.

Summer

Cyprus summers are viewed from two very distinct and different perspectives. There are those who thoroughly enjoying swimming or eating in restaurants by the beach and those who prefer the cool comfort of home. The former find satisfaction in fresh underwater photos or in appealing phone snaps of food and landscapes. The latter enjoy the great indoor lighting conditions provided by the endless, generous sunshine. If visitors wish to escape the heat, they can find refuge in the cool mountains of Troodos; this place is comfortably chilly all year round, providing tourists with both picturesque locations and bearable weather conditions.

Autumn

This could be considered the dullest time of year due to the empty trees and fallen leaves. A feeling of neglect washes over the island when autumn arrives, leaving people feeling slightly disappointed. However, the sadness doesn’t last long thanks to the breathtaking sunsets; these remain loyal to the island no matter what kind of weather is present. Even if most of the trees look haunting, the promise of another perfect sky is worth it. Photographers who adore feeling cozy outdoors will thoroughly enjoy the beginning of fall, whereas those who enjoy spending time absorbing and photographing landscapes will find an abundance of creativity in the entire season.

The key to making the most of Cyprus all year round is knowing where to spend your time as the seasons blend into each other. Summers are perfect for camping in the mountains; the months of spring can be fully enjoying in friendly markets; autumn can be enjoyed with a hot cup of cocoa during the sunset, and winter can be fully enjoyed by the beach. The beauty of this homely island is the amazing creative opportunities it gives to every artist throughout the seasons. No matter when you visit Cyprus, you’ll find something there to call home.

Sitges: a Mediterranean photogenic town

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

If you like to take photos that show the Mediterranean essence, you mustn’t miss visiting Sitges. This town is a real Mediterranean jewel. It is located 38km south of Barcelona (Catalonia), on the coastline. You can come from Barcelona even by public transportation. By train it will take around 30-40 minutes. The town has wonderful beaches, churches, beautiful streets and great restaurants and clubs. Sitges combines the Mediterranean essence with an extremely lively atmosphere. Important cultural events happen in Sitges all over the year: The international Sitges film festival (renowned worldwide), the carnival, the Corpus Christi… the list is endless. In addition, the town’s night life is also pretty intense, especially in the summer. Sitges has some of the most well-known clubs in Spain such as Pacha or Atlatida. If you are an event photographer you should have a look at Sitges calendar before planning your trip.

Sitges: photographers' destination — Here you can see the tower of the Church of Sant Bartomeu & Santa Tecla, one of the most photographed places in Sitges. I edited this photo using Sleeklens’ Brick and Mortar workflow for Lightroom

Right now you can imagine how interesting Sitges is, photographically speaking. You can find a lot of practical information about the town in several websites. I recommend checking the tourism website in order to organize your trip and check a list of places to see in the city. If you do a Sitges google search and you focus on the images, you will probably find gorgeous photos showing one of the beaches of the town and the Church of Sant Bartomeu & Santa Tecla. This is by far the most common photo of the city. Don’t misunderstand me. I do think that these typical images of Sitges are beautiful and most of them are great technically and compositionally. You should definitely have a look at them. However, my intention in this article is to give some tips and ideas that might help you to get other perspective of Sitges.

Views from Colls-Miralpeix

Colls-Miralpeix is a natural area between Sitges and the town Vilanova i la Geltru which is located to the south. One of the way of access to the reservation is in Sitges, close to a famous and luxurious hotel called Dolce. Not so many tourists reach this area. For that reason you can enjoy hiking trails and viewpoints that show a much calmer side of Sitges. From Colls-Miralpeix you will be able to take photos from a not so common perspective.

Vinyet Sanctuary

Although the place where this small sanctuary is placed has been related with worship to the Holy Mother since the middle age, the most part of the actual building is from the 18th century. The legend says that a figure of the Holy Mother was found there by a Muslim slave that worked in the vineyards. Although he tried several times to bring the figure to the owner of the land, the Holy Mother kept coming back to the vineyards somehow. For that reason they decided to build the sanctuary in the vineyards and call it el Vinyet, that in fact means vineyard in catalan. Legends aside, this place is almost unknown by tourists. You can go inside and enjoy the images of the Holy Mother. I was surprised to find ship decorations hanging from the ceiling. If you want to take good photos inside, bring coins with you because the light of the sanctuary turns on thanks to kind donations. The light doesn’t last long, so you need to be quick with your photos (or have an assistant near the donation box…)! I didn’t have enough coins and for that reason I don’t have any good photo of the inside! Don’t repeat my mistake!

Focus on the details surrounding the Palau Maricel (old city)

The Palau Maricel (Maricel Palace) is a gorgeous museum close to the Church of Sant Bartomeu & Santa Tecla. Both the museum and the surroundings are one of the most visited places in town. I highly recommend you to visit it during the week days because in the weekends the place is full of people.

However, if you have no other option and you find yourself surrounded by a crowd, you can still take interesting photos of the multiple details you can find on the walls, windows and doors. You just need to look up to find many interesting decorative motifs that will give a new perspective to your photos from that area.

You can find lovely details all over the old town

Mediterranean style streets in the old town

Sitges main streets can be really busy in the sunny days. If you want to take photos without too many people around you will need to do it during the week days and early in the morning. You will have more chances to find empty streets in the low season (winter, autumn). But take into account that in sunny days of the low seasons Sitges will also be full. To this equation you have to add the different events going on. For example, during the International Sitges film festival the town is also pretty crowded (although taking photos of such an event has its own potential too!). But if you find yourself in Sitges on a crowded day, you can still take photos of lovely streets by avoiding the main ones. It is pretty amazing how tourists accumulate in just the few commercial streets. Have a look to the side streets and you will find beautiful photogenic corners.

Extra tip: if you are willing to venture out of Sitges in order to see something special, you must stop by Garraf and visit the “Platja de les casetes” (Beach of the little houses). Garraf is between Sitges and Barcelona. You can access to this beach either by car or by train (Garraf station). The peculiarity of this beach is that it has this line of little houses that belonged originally to fishermen. Houses have been kept in their original form, making this beach one of the most photogenic in the area.

Close up of the Little Houses (casetes) that belonged originally to fishermen

I hope my article will give you new ideas about photographing Sitges. Feel free to contact me with any question. I will be happy to tell you whatever I know (also about the more touristic or well-known areas of the town). I would like to thank Rafael Pino for guiding me around Sitges and showing me a different perspective of such a wonderful town. Have a happy shooting!!!