Fuerteventura – The Great Adventure

Clouds are more than welcomed to bring life and drama to a landscape scene. When clear blue skies are abundant as they always are on the Canary Islands it seems to be a happy sight at least for a landscape photographer to find some white patches and dashes of nebula above.

The equipment I was using for this trip of one week to Feurte included just one camera, one lens and a tripod. The plan was simple walk and discover and walk some more. I carried along the robust Fujifilm GFX 50s (Digital Medium Format). The glass in question was the ƒ/4 32mm-64mm lens (25mm-51mm in 35mm equivalent). The tripod was my old bashed up carbon Manfrotto.

While the weather was regarded poor and cold when I had small talked the locals who lived and worked on Fuerteventura. They were unhappy and bit unsettled because of it.  I suppose their minds must be set on tourism. As I could not comprehend or even see the problem or the issue with this. In fact I rejoiced in such a gift of bad weather. It goes to say that landscape photographers tend to view their environmental conditions a little different. Details in the foreground and background make images. They can be used to illustrate the scene especially with clouds too. It enhances the  mood and promotes grandeur.

As the big pillows were rolling across the vast screen of the sky to emphasis the sheer size of heavens and the surrounding landscape beneath.  I had four days of this. Four marvellous days of awesome display.

The Video

Fuerteventura is the oldest of all of the Canary Islands. This isle offers many a complete vista encompassed in all directions. Even by spinning ones head all the way around I could not find a flaw. Everything was nature, no manmade structures dominating the skyline. There were either earth, rock, sea or sky. In the forms of towering cliffs,  fearful waves,  maddening tides, definitive rock structures and rugged ground. All these elements harmoniously layered and placed. This is Fuerteventura.  Check out the video below I made which demonstrates the landscape of Fuerteventura.

El Cotillo

I was based in the North of Island in a small harbour town called El Cotillo. Each day I’d equip myself with a crunchy fresh roll from the french bakery with some local goat’s cheese and naturally Spanish Serrano ham too.

Wondering in the north from El Cotillo I would come close to the lighthouse. But I kept at a distance as the sea, sand and dark rock in encapsulated my inspiration much more so. The waters were of two colours; turquoises and deep green. The clearer of these colours are pools and rock enclosed coves known locally as ‘Lakes’. They’re good for and recommended for swimming.

I of course managed to do exactly this, an afternoon swim most days after a morning full of photography. In these pools the sea has calmed and settled allowing the heat of the sun to warm up the water. These ‘Lakes’ are protected from the larger waves of the Atlantic.

Coto de Maria Diaz

Eventually I would turn to the west and walk along the northern coast of the island, Coto de Maria Diaz. Here the sands and black lava rock shared the ground. There were beautiful strands of fine sands and more coves engulfed in volcanic remnants of the past.

I had the company of someones dog as she came for a short spell as I rested and lunched while watching the ocean in front of us.

The ubiquitous self portrait of yours truly felt appropriate at this point. (In case anyone would require proof of my visit! I am masked in the picture just enough to support any conspiracies or mysterious that might prevail in the future!)

Hidden Gems

The island is also very much a holder of untouched nature. Known by the islanders as secrets. These of course would be my stories told in picture. My first few days were really only the veneer. There was literally more to the surface and beneath to be discovered and photographed as I would find out on my days on Fuerte.