Tarifa

Tarifa's transition from land to sea

In Tarifa, a narrow strip of land extends into the open sea. On the outskirts of the city, the bright coastline meets the densely built-up area and fortifications. There are three motifs right next to each other, which can be shown individually or as a continuous transition in the aerial photograph.

Where the city meets the water

In Tarifa there is only a short transition between the fortified city and the open sea. If you leave the coastal edge in the picture, the city view has a clearly recognizable direction.

At the sea, the direction of view changes the picture even over a short distance. If you look almost parallel to the coast, you will see ledges and bays one behind the other. From a steeper view, the actual contour of the bank is easier to follow. A piece of open water can deliberately remain in the cutout. It gives the land a recognizable outer edge and creates distance between two shapes extending into the sea. In a publication, an indication of the location together with the name of the visible stretch of coast helps to classify this view more precisely.

The narrow zone between land and water

From a low angle, a beach often looks like a narrow, light fringe. The bird's eye view reveals its actual shape and shows where it widens or ends at a protrusion. In addition, connections to the hinterland emerge. The section where a path or buildings reach the beach can be particularly interesting for a townscape. There the location can be specifically named and the individual motif can be found within a longer stretch of coast.

Follow the course of the border

You can usually only see the next side of a wall on the ground. From the air, several changes of direction are visible at the same time. The transition from a straight stretch to a corner or goal area is particularly revealing. It gives the image a tangible reference point. If you want to show the outer contour, leave some space in front of and behind the border in addition to the wall. This makes it clear which areas belong together and where the view extends into the adjacent terrain.

The distribution of blue tones

To switch between two of the 31 aerial photos, shot 21 and shot 1 can be called up directly in the gallery. In the first excerpt, shades of blue play a smaller role. In the second shot, blue areas take up more space. Blue can extend over a large contiguous area or only appear in individual parts. What also counts for the effect is whether these areas extend to the edge of the picture or surround the main subject.

Shot 1 and Shot 31 are among the views from January 28, 2021. According to the camera's time information, there are approximately 14 minutes between the two images. ISO 100 and an exposure time of 1/320 second are recorded for both files.

In the Aerial Videos section there are 7 clips for this article. An example is “Aerial photos of the sea near Tarifa”. Its preview leads directly to the video in the aerial photographer's Adobe Stock portfolio.

Select the coastal view for a photo series

In a coastal view, water is both a motif and an open space. Whether a large piece of sea remains in the picture depends on the story. When reporting on the shoreline, it holds different landforms together. For a portrait of a coastal town, the development may need more space. An aerial photographer can take this difference into account when choosing the angle of the image. When publishing, it's worth taking a final look at the final format so that a headland or riverside path at the edge isn't accidentally cut off.

Related motifs in the aerial photo archive

Two additional views can be used in the archive for comparison. The first can be found under Spain – Cadiz. In Cádiz, bright roof terraces and fortress walls directly adjoin the water surface. The second belongs to the article Italy – Spiaggia di Punta Penna. At the Spiaggia di Punta Penna, the bright beach forms a flat arc in front of the open sea.