This photo was taken about 2 years ago in a place that I like to visit, the Santa Clara-a-Velha Lake Dam, in the municipality of Odemira, in Alentejo, Portugal. Inaugurated in 1969, this dam was, for many years, the largest in the country. It is a very important water source for a vast region for domestic and agricultural uses.
During the summer, it is a popular destination, but it is never crowded, so it provides a bit of tranquillity compared to the busier coastal beaches. As a result of the scarcity of rainfall that has persisted in the last few years, the water level has dropped considerably, and the dam's capacity has been hovering at around 40%. Due to this, several trees that had been underwater started to emerge again, providing interesting photographic subjects.
With this idea in mind, I planned a visit in the late afternoon, hoping to have a higher quality of light over the landscape. The conditions were good, with a constant wind creating ripples in the water and some wispy clouds in the blue sky.
I walked around the margins of the lake and saw a few trees standing out of the water; I tried several angles and ended up selecting this composition, which isolates one of the trees.
I mounted the camera on my tripod and took the shot. The bare branches seem to reach for the sky, while the use of a 10-stop neutral density filter smoothed the surface of the water, helping to focus the viewer on the tree itself.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor