Week 41 - Seaside Noir

Seaside Noir

This image continues a theme touched on last week - the sea. Although, with a return to Portugal, a continent apart. Peniche is known for its rich maritime and fishing history.

What drew me to this scene is the Lighthouse of Cabo Carvoeiro. Of course, the purpose of a lighthouse is protection from perils at sea. So, similar to last week, the broader significance attracted me - isolation and danger.

Once we zero in on a subject, it becomes a question of mood. What are we trying to say, and how best to express it? Noir, a common theme in film and photography, is the French word for dark.

It is a style uniquely suited for rendering in black and white. As usual, our photographic influences come from other interests. A genre of mystery novels known as Nordic Noir instilled easily triggered visual impressions in me.

This image, intentionally under-exposed, conveys an underlying theme of 'noir' style - unease. With the lighthouse immediately behind me, this simple structure sat on a cliff's edge under a gray sky. The grass surrounding it is dark and foreboding. The dark expanse of sea lights briefly at the distant horizon. A lone seagull provides context.

As usual, black-and-white photography heightens our perception of light and shadow, detecting a touch of light on the land.

f8 1/1000 sec ISO 200 October 16, 2022