Los Canos de Meca
Just got back from a trip to the Costa del Luz, we found a fantastic location called Los Canos de Meca, a tiny village on the beach, our apartment was literally 50 metres from the waves.
The point of the trip was to celebrate a friend’s 60th birthday. A momentous occasion embraced with enthusiasm by the people who travelled from the uk to be part of it. They gathered in Vejer de la Frontera, a white village on top of a vertiginous hill with views across the plains. We spent a lot of time there eating, drinking, chatting and shopping. Great to see old friends and make new ones.
With all of the socialising there was little time for photography but I did break away a few times!
The first and best photograph of the trip was a bracketed shot of Faro de Trafalgar, the lighthouse at Los Canos de Meca. I walked eight miles there and back in the early evening. This is an iconic location, photographed to death! A lot of people around and a challenge to find a frame that hadn’t been shot before.
I elected to shoot at the beginning of golden hour, before the light got properly golden because I wanted a pastel palette in the photo. The second decision was to shoot into the sun from a position in the dunes, using some flowering sand loving plant as foreground and maximising the texture the low sun brought to the dunes. I used a 16mm lens and shot five bracketed shots using a tripod to ensure the five shots were identical frames.
There was a lot of post processing involved in this image. From removing a pylon to the right of the lighthouse to removing people walking through the dunes. I accentuated the sunlit area in the dunes leading from the front to the lighthouse.
The more I look at this shot, the better I like it, it’s not over saturated like so many sunset photographs and the color palette is just right.
The second shot was the product of experiment. When we set off, we had booked into a small farm at the base of Vejer de la Frontera. Sadly it turned out to be unsuitable, and we moved on the next morning, having been bled dry by mosquitos during the night. Fortunately we found Los Canos de Meca but I had omitted to bring any filters so when I decided to shoot the incoming tide, without a tripod, on the delightfully named Playa de Pequena Lulu with a slow shutter speed I was reliant on steady hands and even breathing to keep the image sharp whilst rendering the water slightly milky.
Turns out I could manage 1/20 second fairly easily.
I also visited the roman ruins at Bolonia, a spectacular location, very well preserved by the sea. The Romans built a salting factory there to salt fish, presumably to feed the troops. Naturally they also found time to build a temple to Isis and create statues and an elaborate market place to support the trading.
Bolonia also has one of the largest sand dunes in Europe…
So back in the Sierra Nevada, looking at the photographs, I’m quite happy with what I got in the time that I had to get it. Another trip is needed though, I’d like to shoot street life in Los Canos de Meca and El Parma, Vejer la Frontera is a different planet, much wealthier and more expensive, but also hotter, drier and I find myself drawn to the wilder frontiers, places on the beach with great photo opportunities!
