A few years ago, I had the chance to visit the largest island of the Açores, São Miguel. It was a wonderful trip, as the island is beautiful and offers almost endless opportunities for trekking or simply enjoying nature. From ancient volcanic calderas and active volcanoes with hot springs to inviting beaches, this island has it all. This photo was taken at the end of a picturesque trail in the municipality of Faial da Terra, in the eastern part of São Miguel.
It is a short trail that meanders along the side of a hill bordering a green valley. Along the way, surrounded by the sounds of the forest, you can admire many species of trees. After a few kilometres, you will reach a small lake that is fed by a lovely waterfall. It’s a great opportunity to refresh yourself and go for a swim, or simply enjoy the scenery.
I had carried my camera with a wide-angle lens, allowing me to frame the lake, the waterfall, and the surrounding green forest. I also had with me my trusty tripod and a neutral density filter. After finding a good position from which I could frame my shot, I set up the camera on the tripod and added the filter to the lens. I was looking for an exposure time greater than 1 second to blur the falling water. To achieve this, I stopped down the lens to f/16 and took several shots. For the final image, I cropped a little bit of the foreground to achieve a better balance in the composition.
