The Boa Nova lighthouse, located a few kilometres north of Oporto, is the second-largest lighthouse in the country. It is 47 meters high and came into operation in 1926. The location was chosen considering the dangerousness of the coast in that area – the existence of numerous boulders close to the beach that, submerged at high tide, can escape observation by sailors. It emits groups of three white flashes, with a period of 14 seconds and a luminous range of 52 kilometres.

While walking yesterday near the lighthouse on a magnificent late spring afternoon (with summer temperatures), with a completely clear sky and a slight breeze from the north, I was delighted by the powerful light rays emitted by the lighthouse contrasting with the deep blue of the sky.

The lighthouse came into operation after sunset (around 6:45 p.m.). Still, I had to wait for it to become dark enough so the light rays could be clearly observable and recorded with my digital camera. I used a high ISO (1600) and a not-too-low shutter speed (1/6) to record the light beams.