Porto Alegre, Brazil - Abandoned pier
Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. It has a pier in downtown that has been abandoned for several decades since a new pier was ins...
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Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. It has a pier in downtown that has been abandoned for several decades since a new pier was installed up in the lake nearby the highway.
Several cranes and warehouses remain unused in this site which is closed to the public.
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Several cranes and warehouses remain unused in this site which is closed to the public.
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Apr, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The Mauá pier is an abandoned pier by the lake in Porto Alegre downtown. What you can see today is very close to what it was when founded in 1927. There are 18 warehouses and 22 electric cranes. This pier was abandoned when two others were built in 1951. The new piers were more modern, deeper and cheaper to operate. Porto Alegre population awaits anxiously to see these warehouses converted into shops, restaurants and cafes where the public can enjoy the beautiful sunset by Guaiba lake.Time
I arrived one hour before the sunset trying to get to a good spot and analyze the scene. I saw that the sky was a little clouded which is great because all those shades and colors would form a wonderful atmosphere. I took various shots of different angles but this one was singular. When I saw the lens flare and all that bright yellow through the warehouses matching the reflection of the weeds and the clouds I realized that I had a special shot. Later on that same day the clouds turned red and the sky turned green. It was warmer and more vibrant, but this shot has a pastel color scheme that really touched me.Lighting
Blue skies are boring. To me they are worse than grey skies. You know, grey skies you can adjust the highlights and get something nice out of it. Blue is just blue. Clouds have been a good element I have learned to play with, we should always use the beautiful clouded skies to enrich our shots.Equipment
Canon 6D, EF 25-105mm IS USM f4 @ 35mm, tripod.Inspiration
To watch the sunset by this lake is a passion for some locals who dare to trespass the protection walls. This lake shores at least half of the city but after many floods and lost of lives they built dams and walls that prevent the water of flooding the city again. They say the people turned their backs to the lake like it was cursed or a damned thing. Funny enough since the containment system was built in 1940 the Guaiba lake never had another flood and the city still lives with walls separating the people from the lake. Several projects have been discussed, nothing really being done to "make peace" with the lake.Editing
I did some post processing, poped the colors and sharpness. I am not a big fan of modifications but I am always up for minor improvements to highlight the good qualities of a picture. By the way the Lens flare indeed happened, it was not photoshopped there.In my camera bag
Canon 6D Canon EF 25-105mm IS USM f4 Canon EF 75-300mm IS f4/5.6 Canon EF 50mm f1.8 prime ND filters, polarizers Tripod extra batteries, extra SD's Speedlight Notebook A picture of my yorkshire terrier - I don't like that picture, it has poor photograph quality but nobody can resist to like a fluffy dog picture. - I always compare my shots with that and I think: "would that win when compared to my fluffy dog?"Feedback
You have to know the place. The history, habits, the why's and what's. All my shots that I think are great I took just after doing some research and spending some time at the place. Then plan, what shot can I take that translates this people's history, habits and lives? You would be very surprised on how the time spent on research pays off. It's intangible and true.
