Portfolio
Behind the image: “The Magical Forest”
Autumn is usually the best season for photographing forests and waterfalls: the rivers begin to carry more water, and autumn colours start to appear…
By Julio Castro5 min read PLANNING
Autumn is usually the best season for photographing forests and waterfalls: the rivers begin to carry more water, and autumn colours start to appear in the woods.
In the province of A Coruña, perhaps the best-known woodland location for autumn photography is Fragas do Eume Natural Park.
Over the centuries, the River Eume has carved an impressive canyon with slopes rising more than 300 metres, covered by dense vegetation and many kinds of trees and plants.
The medieval monastery of Caaveiro is the best-known landmark and the heart of the park. For photography, though, the most interesting location is nearby: the ruined mill on the River Sesín and the medieval Caaveiro bridge.
Access varies with the season. In summer, heavy visitor numbers mean the road near the monastery is closed to prevent congestion. The usual options are to park at the Fragas do Eume visitor centre and walk approximately 8 kilometres to the monastery, or take one of the park’s buses to save the long walk—although the route is well worth exploring on foot.
Where to park in summer
For the rest of the year, the road is open and you can drive towards the monastery; parking is usually straightforward.
Winter parking and the summer bus stop
As my visit was in October, I had no trouble parking near the monastery. It was also a good time for photography: the first autumn colours were appearing and water was flowing again after the summer drought.
That morning I went with Carlos Caraglia and Gonzalo Pulido to record a promotional video for Kase Filters and 3DPi , brands for which all three of us are ambassadors. We went straight to the ruined mill on the River Sesín to begin filming and take photographs.
The video we recorded here for Kase
PHOTO LOCATION
TAKING THE PHOTOGRAPH
This location offers many possibilities thanks to its lush vegetation and the River Sesín’s numerous cascades as it descends towards the Eume. Its star attraction is undoubtedly the medieval Caaveiro bridge, with the river flowing beneath it.
For my photograph, I wanted the strongest possible composition, so I chose a waterfall emerging from an opening in the old mill, with the water curving towards the bridge.
As it was impossible to fit everything into one frame, I shot a five-frame vertical panorama. I used a three-stop Kase ND filter to lengthen the exposure enough to create a silky water effect I liked.
I also lowered the ISO to 50 and stopped down to f/11 for a correct exposure, as it was mid-morning and already quite bright.
POST-PROCESSING
After stitching the panorama, I first restored its proportions by compressing it horizontally so it would not look stretched. The stitching had also distorted the top of the bridge, so I corrected it with Puppet Warp.
During editing, I emphasised the areas where the light was strongest, adding brightness and warmth. I darkened the unlit areas and gave them cooler colours to create a pleasing balance of colour and light.
For the finishing touches, I enhanced detail selectively and applied the Orton effect to the background and river to give the image a more dreamlike appearance.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN THE EDITING TECHNIQUES I USED FOR THIS IMAGE, HERE ARE MY DAYTIME PHOTOGRAPHY EDITING TUTORIALS:
