A long weekend in Menorca

By PA Team

27 June 2011 17:29

Practical Photography's Editor-in-Chief Andrew James blogs about a weekend's shooting in Menorca and how it's possible to enjoy your photography and keep your other half happy while on holiday.

On the scrubby hillside above the car park I can see the tower (Torre De Fornells) we’ve come to look at. Built by the British for coastal defence in the 19th century it looks more like a giant water tank glistening in the mid-morning Menorcan sunshine. I throw my hefty camera bag over my right shoulder and start the hike up. The closer we get, the larger the tower looms and the more impressive it appears.

Sightseeing first though! I’m juggling photography with keeping the better half happy. Impossible, I hear you say. Well, I don’t think so, not if you’re clever/devious/organised (delete as appropriate).

“Do you mind if I do a couple of quick shots?” I ask the boss. She nods. The sunshine makes people more patient so I take advantage. I like the sky. It has a black & white feel to it so my brain switches into mono mode. The path up contrasts with the scrub and the tower looms large beneath a deep blue sky scattered with whispy cloud. With an ND grad filter on the sky I can retain all that interesting sky detail. It needs a sense of scale. She obliges. If you look carefully you can see her tiny figure to the left of the tower staring out to sea. Job done and it’s only our first venture out into the Menorcan countryside. I’m going to enjoy my weekend in Menorca.

Torre De Fornells
(Canon EOS 5D, 17-40mm f4 L USM @ 20mm, f/22, 1/2 sec, ISO 50)

Two hours later and the beach has lured us. They sunbathe naked over here and it’s not always a pretty sight or the place to wander about with a camera. I am fairly sure I’ll get some highly suspicious looks if I do. I swim. She sunbathes. She swims. I’m bored. So while she’s dozing in the sun again I sneak off away from the beach to the sand dunes behind. I’m immediately attracted to the wooden boardwalk. My brain is still in mono mode so I can see potential in the patterns and the contrast. Checking there are no naked bodies in view, I shoot a series of images. It’s too bright to really gauge whether they’re working via the LCD so head back to the beach for another swim. This is the life!

Sand dune boardwalk
(Canon EOS 5D, 17-40mm L USM @ 17mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec, ISO 50)

Morning of day two brings us to the pretty Menorcan town of Ciutadella. It’s no hardship to wander the streets, gaze into the shops and stop for a drink in a busy café. I snap as I go. We’re both happy. I love the warmth, faded colours and textures found in Mediterranean climes. Around every corner there’s a picture. I start snap happy, then calm down, picking my shots more carefully. The sweeping steps of a local church look great with a little wide-angle distortion. It’s my favourite shot of the day so far.

Ciutadella street
(Canon EOS 5D, 17-40mm L USM @ 20mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO 100)

After a leisurely lunch we visit the nearby Quarries of Lithica. This place sounds and looks like an episode from Dr Who! It’s an ancient limestone quarry chiseled out over centuries. I could spend a week here exploring and still only scratch the surface. There’s nobody else about and it has a sense of quiet that’s rather soothing. I’m struggling with its scale though. This place is vast and cathedral-like. But after several hours of head scratching and snapping, I have a few images I am happy with. But I think there’s better to be had. I just don’t have time to find them on this visit.

Quarries of Lithica 
(Canon EOS 5D, 17-40mm f4 L USM @ 17mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO 100)

It’s 5am on the last day. It’s been too short. Menorca has endless landscape potential. The early start is to capture the sun rising behind a lighthouse called Cap de Favaritx. It’s just a short drive from my hotel. The black igneous rock of this coast is jagged and otherworldy. It feels and looks like an alien landscape. The dark rock and lighter pool reflecting the lighthouse are the ingredients I need to construct an image. The ND grads are out again and I’m pleased I took the trouble to bring a tripod. Images taken, I pause briefly to say good morning to the only other person I see – a fellow Englishman who has turned up to balance rocks! 15 minutes later and I’m back at the hotel. Everyone is still asleep. They’ve missed the best part of the day. I feel privileged.

Cap de Favaritx
(Canon EOS 5D, 17-40mm f4 L USM @ 20mm, f/22, 1/13 sec, ISO 50)

For more information on Menorca visit www.menorca.es, the official site of the Menorca Tourist Board.