No Worries
Visitors float their cares away
Visitors float their cares away
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SONY ILCE-6000
Aperture f/6.3 ISO 100 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 2100/10 
Chaniá, Khania, GR
Sep, 2020Views
878
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Spring 21 Award
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Emotions
Impressed
Relaxed
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Behind The Lens
Location
I captured this image at Seitan Limania (Devil's Port) Beach of Stefanou, a small remote beach located on the northwest portion of the Greek island of Crete. This is on the Akrotiri peninsula in a rugged area of the beautiful Chania region but the turquoise blue seawater can be found throughout Crete. I was drawn to this scenic location after seeing images of the place on the Greek travel website www.greeka.com which is loaded with great and inspiring imagery of Greece and the Greek islands.Time
This was shot just before noon, in early September 2020. Certainly not an ideal time to shoot photos but anytime for photography is always better than no time. I had found some spare time that day and decided to make a quick visit to this beach that had been on my "want to shoot" list for some time and is only about a thirty-minute drive from my home.Lighting
I was forced to shoot this image in the harsh Mediterranean midday sunlight which is always a challenge. Even though the scene was beautiful to the naked eye, due to the lighting and the fact that I was shooting in auto landscape mode, I fully expected the colors in the resulting image to be washed out and have little detail in the shadows of the rocks.Equipment
I try to always have a camera with me wherever I go because you never know what photo opportunities might pop up. I was using my Sony a6000 with its 55-210mm kit lens with UV filter and shooting it handheld.Inspiration
My plan was to get some landscape shots of this impressive location from the high vantage points of the rugged hillsides surrounding Devil's Port. While shooting, I was carefully making my way around the steep and treacherous rocky hillside and I got to a cliff where I had a good view of the beach and crystal clear seawater. The wide-angle shots that I captured showed a busy beach area surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Cretan coastline. I could see areas in the water where some visitors had managed to escape to their own relative isolation by putting some distance between themselves and others. For this image, I wanted to zoom in as much as possible to capture the quiet moments being experienced while immersed in the natural beauty of the area.Editing
In post-processing I did use Google Nik filter Photoshop plugins to help restore some of the vibrance and saturation in the colors washed out by over exposure and get some detail back in the shadows of the rocks.In my camera bag
I carry a Domke F-8 small canvas shoulder bag for my Sony a6000 with 16-50mm and 55-210mm kit lenses. I also stuff my Olympus Tough TG-5 waterproof camera in a pocket of its own. Spare batteries with chargers, extra memory cards and a 40.5mm three filter set that includes UV, CPL, and ND-4 are also always along for the ride. I don't think any bag is complete without a small flashlight, notepad, pen, and sunblock. Last but certainly not least, I always have my Tilley T-3 canvas sunhat hooked to the side and I'm ready to go!Feedback
Wherever you go, whether it's close to home, off the beaten path, in your own backyard, or during your travels to faraway places take a camera with you and look around for interesting details that are everywhere and just waiting to be seen. Never stop looking for photo opportunities!
