2014 moments #6

December 31, 2014July 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

I would like to share my 10 most memorable photographs of the year over the coming days with you. These are shots that I am particularly proud of, while each evokes a sense of place and meaning from 2014.

GHOST FACTORY

On a tiny island in the Atlantic off Africa, the remains of a pottery factory have been swallowed up by the sand dunes. Only the chimney remains. While the Cape Verdean isle of Boa Vista has bold seas, glorious sunsets and rustic architecture, this ghostly monochrome image is one of my favourites from a memorable trip in 2014.

Dune walk

November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 19 Comments

Boa Vista in Cape Verde seems like a chip of the Sahara that floated out into the Atlantic Ocean. On the west coast, the lush beaches are fringed with sand dunes, ripe for exploration but not too large to get lost in.

In one direction, you’ll suddenly find the chimney stack of an old pottery factory, long since lost to the sand. An old look-out sits on top of a dune, equally abandoned, while the vast Riu Touareg hotel emerges from the desert like a palatial oasis.

Venture south, and you’re only likely to encounter scuttling sandpipers. The prize at the end of the trek is a lovely view of the entire west coast. Worth leaving your sunbed to see…

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The dunes

June 1, 2013June 2, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

This is an unmissable stop on a trip to the island of Fuerteventura.

It’s like a slither of the Sahara Desert has broken away from the might of Africa and drifted off into the Atlantic Ocean. Tall, honey-coloured sand dunes sit just a short distance away from the sea. They shift silently and create beautiful landscapes and patterns.

Its small scale means holidaymakers amble about this natural playground. The two vast hotels in the area barely peep above the sand from certain vantage points, while the strong light reflecting off the sand creates some unusual photographic opportunities.