Portugal

As soon as I saw the light, I loved it; my eyes embracing it like some long lost son. The light is completely different in the South; less harsh, warmer and softer. The air smells fresher, too. Most buildings are painted white, but there are exceptions and these are usually swathed in lurid primary colours. For a guy who is primarily a monochrome devotee, this might be problematic. Arghh, colour!

But the vibrancy of the colours is wonderful. And don't forget the light casts wonderfully deep shadows that create interesting graphic images suitable for rich black and white shots, too. Over the next few days I'll post up a selection of photo's from my week in the Algarve. Nothing terribly special, just snaps as I wandered around.

The above pictures were taken in the late afternoon, the streets all but empty as the low sun threw up wonderful textures everywhere. The two ladies in the street stopped their animated conversation in a deserted alleyway bathed in warm, reflected sunlight when they saw me aim my camera. I wanted to photograph the woman on the right close up, but she was too shy. The middle shot is just a wall and window that I liked the look of, and, in the bottom shot the ruined building provided a suitable frame for an old git to lean against.  

Leica M9 + 35mmF2 Summicron.