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Photographing Magoito Beach in Portugal

Photographing Magoito Beach in Portugal

November 2021 · 3 min read · Lisbon

In the first article about Photographing Portugal, I showed you the beautiful town of Azenhas do Mar. Today I take you a few kilometers North to Praia do Magoito. Photographing Magoito Beach was another goal I had set for myself and after doing the scouting I knew exactly, which conditions I would need.

Unfortunately, during the 10 days I spent in the area, I did not get those. As I share in the video at the end of the first article, clouds would have been essential to create balance in any wide-angle photo I could have taken down at the beach. But we had clear blue skies for our complete stay, so photographing down at the beach was not an option.

Photographing Magoito Beach with a long lens

So, what to do, if there is no interest in the sky? Exclude as much of it as possible and the easiest way to do so is by using a telephoto lens like the Canon RF 70-200 f/4, for example. Below I show you three photos taken from the viewpoint up at the parking lot. Those photos were taken at noon, before sunset and during blue hour.

Photographing Magoito Beach at Noon
Photographing Magoito Beach at Noon

Photographing Magoito Beach at Sunset
Photographing Magoito Beach at Sunset

Photographing Magoito Beach at Blue Hour
Photographing Magoito Beach at Blue Hour

You can see how the light shapes the landscape and helps create very different atmospheres. You also see that with a long lens you can even photograph around midday if there's, for example, spray in the air. This creates beautiful depth in a photo.

When to photograph Magoito Beach

The example photos you see above were all taken close to low tide. During this period the rocks you see in the bottom of the photos are visible, while at high tide most of them are submerged. This would take away a lot of interest from the scene, which is why I recommend to photograph Magoito beach around low tide.

This is even more important, if you want to photograph down at the beach. Then you'll find plenty of foreground interest in those rocks and you can move far to the right with your camera to get a good view of Cabo da Roca lighthouse. During high tide you'd be confined to the sandy part of the beach close to the cliffs, which makes creating a balanced composition nearly impossible.

To check the tides for Magoito, you can head over to Tides4Fishing here.

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Behind the scenes


As with the first article, I also have a behind the scenes video to share with you for the photo shoot I did at Praia do Magoito. In it I also share tips on photographing with a long lens and I show you other spectacular views along the Sintra coastline.

Travel Resources for your trip to Portugal

Recommended by TravelFeed

Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Portugal.

Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in Portugal on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.

Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.

Transportation: Use 12go and Omio to find detailed bus and train schedules, making travel planning easier.

Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.

Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!

Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.

Tickets: Save on entrance fees in Portugal with Klook and Tiquets.

Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to Portugal. Chat now.

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