During my latest interview I tell the story behind one of my iconic shots, as well some photography tips to do in such light conditions.

Enjoy!

Picture Perfect

Leo Domingos

Picture Perfect: Leo Domingos

Already  into making videos of free running, Leo Domingos (24) started to take  photography more serious after recovering from an intestinal tumour in  2015: “Spending a month in hospital after the surgery had a huge impact.  I felt like I had been given a second chance, so from then I wanted to  follow my passion in life: outdoor photography.”
Inspired  by his example, landscape photographer Max Rive, also nearly all of  Leo’s pictures are taken in natural areas. “I try to create more  environmental awareness with my photos,” he explains. “By showing  beautiful sceneries, I want to make people realise that, yes, they  should visit these places, but, even more important, they should  preserve and protect them.” Leo’s aim is to tell a story with his  pictures. “Therefore, instead of the popular golden hour, I prefer the  blue hour as it creates a bit more drama and an artistic style.”
Leo  about the Algarve: “Its landscape is very different from the rest of  Portugal. Last year, I spent three weeks adventuring in the Sagres and  Lagos area, which is great for photography: typical cliffs, outdoor,  wild, west coast. The Costa Vicentina nature reserve truly is one of the  most beautiful natural parks in the entire country!”

Blue hour photography:

This  month’s Picture Perfect shows a Landrover on the cliff of Cordorama,  with a friend of Leo on top. “My friend’s van broke down so we got a  Landrover to help us. Nicole climbed on top and all the colours were  awesome; it just happened.” It was taken in September 2017 with a Canon  600D camera. Settings: f/2.2, 1/120sec, ISO: 100.

Like this pic? See more on Leo’s Instagram page. Want to try and make a perfect picture like this one as well? Here are Leo’s top three tips: 

1. Experiment

Don’t  be afraid to try out new things and settings. Try for example a lower  shutter speed. Even if this makes the photo a bit grainy, the overall  effect can be really nice. 

2. Go for softer colours

Contrary  to the golden hour (the hour after sunrise and before sunset), the blue  hour is the hour before sunrise and after sunset. You’ll get the best  and softest colours in the lightest 20 to 30 minutes of the blue hour  (the latest half in the morning and the earliest half in the evening). 

3. Create a story

Photographs  have the potential to tell a story. To achieve this, think of a  storyline and add people. A car is just a car, but a human presence  creates a scenario. Showing a person in your nature picture also makes  for a connection. If your audience can relate to the photo in a personal  way, this may generate more awareness for the planet. 

 Cheers, Leo

 www.leodomingos.com