Salvador Beach Boys

Local boy battles his way out of the fierce shorebreak in Porto da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Canon 5D Mark II camera and Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM lens. Exposure Details: 1/1250 second @ f3.5 ISO 100.

Follow @camcopephoto
Hey guys here’s another post coming to you from Bahia in Northern Brazil. I took this photo down on the beach at Porto de Barra in Salvador. It is a seriously hectic urban beach on a Sunday, packed with families kicking back drinking beer, eating moqueca, listening to music through old school ghetto blasters and playing soccer. Meanwhile the kids hurl themselves fearlessly into an epic shorebreak (big waves that dump only on the shoreline) that rolls through in sets every few minutes.

Getting the camera out here was at first a bit intimidating because it was such a different scene from anything else I’d been around in South America. I honestly felt like I was in Africa there were so few Europeans on the beach! Also not being a Portuguese speaker I felt a little less secure about myself than in Spanish speaking countries where I can speak to people freely. But after a few minutes I recalled my own saying that I never brought my camera to keep it hidden away in security lockers. In anycase as usual people were super friendly and as it also often does, having my camera out turned out to be a great way to meet people and interact with these kids.

Don’t forget to check out my photography on Facebook, and stay tuned for more coming soon from way down in Rio de Janeiro =D

Cam.

Bonito Brazil

A local strolls along the beach in the late afternoon sun in Boipeba, an island in Bahia, Brazil. Canon 5D Mark II camera and Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM lens. Exposure Details: 1/500 seconds @ f4 ISO 100.

Hi guys here’s a shot I nabbed in Bahia in northern Brazil.

I took this shot on one of the most chilled out, beautiful islands I’ve ever visited. It goes by the name Boipeba and sits about a 3 hour ferry ride from Bahia’s capital, Salvador. The gritty tropical hustle of Salvador (that has the vibe of a heaving mega-city despite being of a population under 3 million) is left far behind, literally in your wake when you arrive here. I spent a casual 3 days exploring the island’s many beaches and hanging out in the sleepy town centre. I dined on delicious local delicacies and met some awesomely friendly locals in my unfortunately brief stay there.

This photo I snapped with my telephoto lens late one afternoon after a hike. There was not too much planning going into this shot which is why I say I ‘snapped’ it. I just spotted a nice backlit scene with a local going for an afternoon stroll. The moment was not there for long, I simply dropped to one knee to get some perspective happening with the beach and tried to squeeze as much of the palms as I could into the composition. I think it definitely captures the relaxed tropical atmosphere present on the island. Muito Bonito.

Hope you like and more to come soon from Brazil.

Cam.

Follow @camcopephoto

A new year in Valparaíso

Camila Barreau celebrates the 2011 near year on the beach in Valparaíso, Chile. Canon 5D Mark II camera and Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM lens. Exposure Details: 1/3200 second @ f3.5 ISO 320.

Hi guys here’s a quick summer fun snap I took on new year’s day 2011.

This is of a friend of a friend, Camila, playing that weird seemingly pointless bat and ball game that Europeans and South Americans are crazy about. I’m sorry but how is it a game if nobody can win? …please someone explain to me, is the point just meant to be ‘have fun’? If so it just doesn’t qualify as a sport!

It was a beautiful afternoon, great lighting and a great moment with the shorebreak sending a flash of water up the steep beach just as Camila struck the ball in my direction with a big smile. Click. It also gave off a vibe to me of some distant nostalgic summer memory so I put a light split tone through the image warming the highlights and cooling the shadows, creating the slight vintage effect of the image. Being a square crop also added to this effect.

Let me know if you enjoy, more to come soon.

Cam.