Cork oaks reflections, a photo from Portalegre, South

Photographer's Note

Another winter view of the green fields of Alentejo and, of course, the inevitable cork oaks.

I wish that the definition was better and the sky more blue, but even so, I like it enough to post it and see if that is only for sentimental reasons.

I hesitated posting another one that I put on a WS.

This land is used mainly to graze sheep and goats. The region is famous for its cheese made with the milk of those animals, which eat mostly, if not exclusively, grass and not those artificial food so widely used these days. Every 8 to 10 years, the owners of the land earn a considerable sum of money (at least compared with their average) by selling cork, which is the rind of those trees (cork oaks) that are seen on the photo.

I'll be away this weekend, so please don't get upset by not retribute your critiques. :-) I haven't done much critiques on these last days, so I have to see if I catch up next week. :-)

siolaw, sarahnatalie, maloutim, ribeiroantonio, riclopes, rakeshgupta, jwmunro, balatrek, cobbydale, maltese, jmcl, pboehringer, zeca, axiotea, lucasgalodoido, Wanda1, flory, JCG, sufi, xuaxo, paura ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

atlantida (2323) 2007-03-09 21:22

Hi Jose,
The reflection almost looks like a mirror, it's amazing how still is the water, great clear photo, excellent.
Best,
Gordana

MIG13 (0) 2007-03-09 21:43

Reflexos fantásticos, José, que só fazem multiplicar as cores dessa excelente foto. Bom trabalho! Abraço! Miguel.

RAIDER74 (11) 2007-03-09 22:10 [Comment]

Show Comment

batalay (41261) 2007-03-09 22:16

Hello José,

We're just back from Florida, and what a superb image to return to — your panoramic shot of cork trees. This is a perfect shot from conception to implimentation, featuring superb light, vivid colors, excellent perspective -- and all of it reflected in the water, giving us two photos for the price of one.

Warm regards,

Bulent

siolaw (38294) 2007-03-09 22:51

Ola Jose,
Wonderful compo with these crystal clear reflections, excellent light and colors and super sharpness... POV and framing are excellent too...
Very beautiful
Laurent

sothy81 (9646) 2007-03-09 22:56

HI Jose, this is a wonderful photo. Quite original with the reflection and sharpness. The lighting, colors and reflection are superb here. Well done. Sothy

sarahnatalie (697) 2007-03-09 23:09

I think this photo is one of your nicest. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. The soft colours are effective here and I think the definition is just fine. It's a beautiful scene. Thank you for sharing it here.
Sarah

maloutim (13617) 2007-03-10 1:05

Bonjour Jose!
Encore ces chênes-lièges si typiques du Portugal et que j'affectionne beaucoup.
La photo est magnifique et les reflets sont impeccables. Les jeux d'ombre et de lumière, en longueur, sont très élégants; on a vraiment envie d'y être.
J'aime également le WS, mais tu as bien fait de poster cette photo-ci en envoi principal.
La note est aussi très intéressante, et je comprends que les paysans se fassent pas mal d'argent avec le liège dont les prix augmentent sérieusement ces temps-ci! A tel point que les viticulteurs ne l'utilisent plus que pour les bouchons de leurs vins haut-de-gamme; pour les autres, ils utilisent malheureusement des bouchons en plastique désormais.
J'espère que tu passes un bon weekend.
Marie Louise.
Merci de ta sympathie lors de mon dernier envoi.

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2007-03-10 1:38

Muito curiosa esta tua foto, porque mostra mais árvores no reflexo do que na parte superior. Gosto muito da ilusão criada por este PDV. E as cores são lindíssimas. O Alentejo está verde e por cá está tudo seco.
António

riclopes (35577) 2007-03-10 1:56

Olá José, isto não deve ser muito longe da zona do Alentejo que eu tenho andado a mostrar...e até me lembra a recente panorâmica que postei. Gosto muito do efeito de reflexo perfeito e apesar de o azul do céu não estar como gostamos mais, as cores estão bastante boas e o resultado agrada-me muito. Adoro estas árvores e recentemente descobri o prazer de andar de bicicleta por aqui.
Bom fim de semana,
Ricardo
p.s.- gosto mais desta do que da alternativa.

rakeshgupta (2672) 2007-03-10 2:18

Hi Jose,
The series of trees and sloping field are great. The reflections are very attractive here because shadows from the bottom part of the trees are greatly enhancing picture.
Good colors and contrast.
- Rakesh

Dpbours (222) 2007-03-10 2:47 [Comment]

Show Comment

feather (51130) 2007-03-10 4:28

I love reflections and these are perfect. I wish I knew why reflections in good light in still water always look clearer than the reality. I wonder if anyone would notice if you posted it upside down. I looked at your WS and agree you made the right choice with this one as the symmetry is better.
I was wondering about the blurring you mention, although it's not obvious, could it be to do with the narrow DOF you used. On this one the straight-on view would have most of the trees in the same plane and therefore in focus. In the WS the view is angled and maybe the farther trees on the left are just out of focus.
You and Ricardo should get together as you both love Alentejo so much :D
Enjoy your week-end away.
Kath

[2] +

UnTrained (0) 2007-03-10 4:33

Olá José,
very fine reflections, very beautiful shot. A change by horizontal line is only to be detected by the less brightness of the reflections. Your workshop is nice too, here is the line of the dam the addition. The technical quality of it as a panorama version must ge good, but I am not sure about the amopunt of different content for that.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

etiennejr (1022) 2007-03-10 5:16

Hi Jose,
It almost looks unreal, really have to look hard and see that this is not a PS trick. The reflection is just so perfect. The colors are ok, the framing is amazing. Very well done.
TFS
Etienne

rigoletto (34279) 2007-03-10 7:31

A mirror reflects the reality, can it reflect a dream too?

Sharp as a razor blade and calming as a lullaby...

bostankorkulugu (42866) 2007-03-10 7:32

this one is really good jose... the reflection is like on a mirror, not a pond... great job...

cheers

korkut

jwmunro (286) 2007-03-10 9:51

Hello Jose -

It looks like you really nailed this one. Well done!

The trees on the horizon do look to be slightly OOF and I am wondering if it is the DOF. I noticed you selected an aperture of f/4.7 which is rather shallow even with a wide angle lens. This may also be your problem with the WS image and is more noticeable since the composition is a diagonal. I think I would have shot this scene and the WS at f/11 and focused on the nearest point of land, even if it was out of the scene. Then everything would have been in focus.

Even with the shallow DOF I think you nailed this one. I would try printing it.

Thank you for sharing

John

balatrek (7455) 2007-03-10 10:14

Hola Jose,

Increíble efecto simétrico, se podría dudar de cual parte es la original y cual el reflejo, la luz y los colores poseen unos tonos muy cálidos, la posición del Sol favorece la iluminación de este trabajo creando interesantes sombras y texturas.

Saludos
José

vagabondtravels (6511) 2007-03-10 10:59

Hi Jose

Great reflection and color. You really split the frame with two beautifuyl scenes. Very well done.
Ben

ElAprendiz (30) 2007-03-10 12:26

Hello Jose
Beautiful reflections in a clean, pure atmosphere. The showy tonalities, recreate a beautiful scene within the composition. The very appropriate horizontal format for a perfect frame.
Excellent work. Congratulations.
John

cobbydale (1958) 2007-03-10 13:36

Great shot Jose - the reflections are perfect. The sky is a little lacking in colour, as you say, but not a problem as the overall shot is so good.
TFS. Leon.

Cara (2059) 2007-03-10 14:57

Olá José,
Reflexo perfeito, quase que dá para duvidar se está na posição em que a tirás-te :)
Boas cores de fim de tarde, bom trabalho.
Daniel

maltese (22909) 2007-03-10 16:29

Hello José
De très belles couleurs pour cette magnifique composition, des reflets de toute beauté ave cette lumière bien captée.
Une très belle photo!!
Amicalement
Hervé

jmcl (14535) 2007-03-10 16:37

Hi José

.. this is wonderful .. the reflection is so crisp .. the way the light hits the ground and trees is really great. .. a cou de gras to your cork oak theme ... oh wait you haven't done a cork oak theme .. grumble ..

.. you could crop it even a bit more narrowly to trim off some that sky .

have a wonderful weekend you dastardly non retributor ; )

take care,

John

pboehringer (770) 2007-03-10 20:41

Oi Jose,
deixa essa conversa de retribuicao ao lado. Isto e papo furado! Espero que tenha um final de semana bastante legal e com muitas novas fotos.
Que bom que vc se decidiu a colocar esta imagem como a principal e nao o WS. Esta daqui ta demais!!! O reflexo esta tao perfeito que eu relamente nao sei qual lado e o verdadeiro. Vc inverteu esta daqui para cacoar da gente? Eu nao tenho absolutamente nada a critizar aqui. Ta demais! Deste jeito eu vou voltar com algumas fotos de arvore tambem.
Abracos, Peter

adores (46979) 2007-03-10 21:16

Olá José!
Está muito bem! O reflexo, as cores, a luz do pôr-do-sol sobre os sobreiros. Está perfeita!
Gosto da que está no workshop mas fizeste bem em optar por esta, acho que está melhor!
Anabela

jonathan_hart (21276) 2007-03-10 21:36

hello
nice POV, excellent colors, light, perfect reflection, truly better than the other one in the WS especially because of the light...
good job
best regards
jo

vincz (19113) 2007-03-11 3:57

Wonderful picture José! The late afternoon light is beautiful resulting in wonderful colours on the land and on the trees. The long shadows work very well. And... should I even comment on how beautiful, how perfect the reflections are. really perfect. Right in my favorites.

zeca (19762) 2007-03-11 9:38

Oi José!
Que lugar cheio de paz! Os reflexos são muito bonitos e o sol por entre as árvores é um detalhe lindíssimo!
Abraço,
Zeca

axiotea (21651) 2007-03-11 10:02

Hello José,
A fine compo with great light/shade contrasts and colors. Beautiful reflection of the oak trees, colors naturally well rendered.
Cheers,
Marilyn

RADEEH (2802) 2007-03-11 10:44

Hi Jose
Which is the reflection here?? Amazing capture of this wonderful place.The stillness of the water is very well felt.Your composition of this place is very temppting.
Great shot.
Regards
Radeeh

ahmetgedikli (25609) 2007-03-12 2:44

Ola Jose,
Beautiful composition. Perfect POV with reflections and light. Good work!
Ahmet

anesugur (18789) 2007-03-12 3:33

Ola Jose,
Very beautiful view!
Great colors, very good composition with POV. Excellent work!
Have a nice day. Uğur

ohe (2334) 2007-03-12 4:52

Dear Jose,
Very nice view. Reflection is perfectly rendered.
Colors are really nice.
Thanks for sharing,
- Olivier -

sacavem (18620) 2007-03-12 8:03

bom dia José Pires,

grande foto com um reflexo fantástico, um perfeito "clone" de sobreiros.ainda bem que o nosso Alentejo tem muita água para a agricultura e para se poder fotografar com sucesso.Luminosidade e cor muito boas.
um abraço,
filipe

fanch (0) 2007-03-12 8:30

Salut José ,

Composition nette et équilibrée , c'est une très belle image qui mérite son grand succès !

Amitiés ,

Bluejeans (64251) 2007-03-12 15:02

Ola Jose esta tua foto está fabulosa, um autentico espelho , parabens!!!
Um abarço Gonçalo

lucasgalodoido (27698) 2007-03-12 22:05

Olá José!
Ambas as imagens ficaram muito bonitas, embora eu tenha preferido essa! A nitidez do reflexo é tão boa quanto a original, impressionante, é sem dúvida a foto mais bonita de imagem refletida que já vi aqui no TE!
Parabéns e Abraço!

Wanda1 (15142) 2007-03-12 23:37

Hi Jose,
This is a great reflection shot, you have captured a perfect mirror image. Lovely light and sharpness.
Regards
Wanda

Yar (793) 2007-03-13 14:51

Hello Jose,
this is a very sharp and colourfull image. Also, nice compo. The trees are aranged just perfectly. Excellent.

capthaddock (28790) 2007-03-14 21:42

Hi Jose - this is clearly the BEST cork shot yet, the light is optimal to begin with, the perfect mirror reflections double the delight.

flory (4848) 2007-03-15 1:10

ciao Jose,
lovely reflections here,natural colors and good light..the reflects are so good in the water when is clear and in this way the colors becomes more intensify...like this scene,very calm.
nice day,
flory

Graal (103040) 2007-03-16 3:00

Hi Jose,
good captured place and theme. Great reflections. I like the colours and composition also. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

JCG (35153) 2007-03-18 5:40

Hi José,

Cheer for this splendid photograph. The light of end day gives superb colors to all these trees and in particular those on the left of the image. I appreciate much clearness and it is all the more pleasant on the level of this superb and limpid reflection. Still cheer and thank you for the WS which would deserve a plublication with it all alone.

With my all frienships and a good sunday,

Jean-Charles

sufi (9588) 2007-03-19 7:57

Merhaba Jose, my friend...
It's a beutiful point of view and perfect reflection on the water... The colors, the light and the clarity are also perfect... Well-done my friend...
TFS...
Stay well..
Salim.

izmirli (3989) 2007-04-27 20:39

merhaba dear jose
wonderful trees and wonderful reflections.beautiful composition.well done.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

Stepan (27210) 2007-05-21 14:47

La réflection est parfaite et j'aurais peut être serré un peu le haut du cadre, pour que les volumes soient strictement identiques. Quoi qu'il en soit c'est d'une belle beauté troublante.
Stéphane

fkokol (1636) 2007-07-09 14:30

What a great shot. Wonderful colours, light and sharpness. I like this amazing reflection also.
greetings,
fgien

nataliya (51) 2007-08-09 6:45

WOW!
Amazing!
Nice image!
Perfert!
Best regards!
thanks!
nataliya

xuaxo (6854) 2007-09-25 14:19

Olá José,
Não sou muito de fotos de reflexos na água, mas este ficou espectacular. Os sobreiros na água estão ainda mais bonitos que em cima.
Um abraço. F

fserajian (2299) 2008-11-10 21:55 [Comment]

Show Comment

paura (25802) 2009-01-10 9:00

José,
Aqui buscavas a simetria perfeita... Parece uma bandeira de uma pequena república caribenha ...

Abraço

Paulo