Pearl of the Atlantic, a photo from Guipuzcoa, Pais Vasco

Photographer's Note

San Sebastian viewed from the top of Mt Igueldo, I cloned out the roof of the luxury hotel in the lower left corner (Meridien or Mercure chain?) Taken around midday with 10mm focal length. I had to warp the perspective a bit to make the horizon straight for a 10mm lens, so the island got a little fat as a result.

From Wikipedia, YES, WIKIPEDIA! I did not type the following, and I'm too lazy and stupid to remember the specific details of every location I visit:

Donostia-San Sebastian (Basque: Donostia, Spanish: San Sebastián, known officially as Donostia-San Sebastián), is the capital city of the province of Gipuzkoa/Guipuscoa, in the Spanish autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its population is 182,930 (2005 estimate).
The city is located in the northeast of Spain, on the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay, close to the French border. San Sebastian's picturesque coastline makes it a popular beach resort.

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Critiques | Translate

peterinter (168) 2007-02-18 8:48

hi capthaddock very nice photo

maximage (15537) 2007-02-18 8:54

Bonjour Tan,
En effet, Une perle extraordinaire! je ne connaissais pas cet endroit magnifique.
Belles couleurs lumineuses et POV superbe!
Amicalement.
max

asajernigan (21427) 2007-02-18 8:54

Tan,
This is a great panorama of this beautiful bay. Your composition and POV are outstanding. The colors and lighting are great with good sharpness and DOF. A photo like this warms the soul on a cold winter day and makes you long for summer.
TFS,
Asa

amesian (541) 2007-02-18 8:56

Very beautiful bay and good capture!

ryno (6869) 2007-02-18 8:56

Hi Tan, this is a great panoramic view of a beautiful bay. Looks like an idyllic beach, and I like the low clouds and the far-off mountain ranges - they give the image great depth. Elinize sağlık!
Ryno

cmarino (2490) 2007-02-18 8:58

This one is fantastic, Tan !
Simply marvelous.. the sky, the color of the water... the place itself !
Congrats,

Celso

pedrocarmo (1295) 2007-02-18 9:02

Very Beautifull bay
Nice colours and POV

ahmetgedikli (25609) 2007-02-18 9:06

Merhaba,
Muhteşem bir panoramik manzara... Şehir, körfez, hava, netlik, renkler... hepsi muhteşem...
Selamlar. Ahmet

partha (14023) 2007-02-18 9:24

Hi Tan,
What a great shot. Nice ariel view with wonderful composition and nice visualisation.
Regards.
Partha

siolaw (38294) 2007-02-18 9:27

Hello Tan,
Such a great POV.. it looks like taken from a plane, and wide angle lens increase that effect.. colors and details are perfectly rendered here.. superb work.
Laurent

pat0500 (21561) 2007-02-18 9:35

Hi Tan,
True a postcard..!
Wonderful point of view and very nice place for the holidays.
Good sharpness and very nice perspective on the city.
Very good shot..!
Best regards,
Patrick

mesutilgim (0) 2007-02-18 10:41

Merhaba Tan,
Muhteşem bir kare. Renkler, kompozisyon herşey dörtdörtlük. Ellerine sağlık.
MESUT ILGIM

aslhann14 (203) 2007-02-18 10:46

Wouh! Amazing place.

MiguelP (14470) 2007-02-18 10:57

Yes, this is the best POV to realize the beauty of this city geographical settlement, and beside the light you get that day was very good (Was it windy? I remember so). The colors are great.
Next time I hope I can meet you Tan. Take care.

vero07 (1781) 2007-02-18 10:58

Hi Tan,
Excellent capture of this wonderful place.
It's a really good POV.
Amazing colour of the sky and water.
Very clean image.
A good work indeed.
v.

vedra (0) 2007-02-18 11:14

Hi Tan,
Amazing view with great depth of field.
You clearly had sunny and bright weather when shooting this, nevertheless from this point of view the number od details is incredible.
A curve of the bay is simply appealing and the waves look like some drawings on the ocean.
Vedrana

jmcl (14535) 2007-02-18 11:17

Hi Tan,

I love the vastness .. the sense of all this humanity huddled like ants in this big beautiful place .. Interesting parallels between the clouds and the surf .. I love the distortion ...

wonderful image.

take care,

John

Photo65Net (43144) 2007-02-18 11:27

Hello Tan,
A nice viewx over this beautiful bay.
Water color, and landscape depth are amazing.
I like too the super wide angle warped perspective
JB.

PJE (20758) 2007-02-18 11:43

Tan this is one very stunning view from this vantage point. I love the wide angle effect and the long view into the distance. Excellent shot!

rhizomes (15343) 2007-02-18 11:47

Hi Tan,
Impressive view ! I first thought it was taken by an airplane...Nice sharpness on the sea, the land and beautiful clouds !
Christophe

Angelillo (9374) 2007-02-18 11:56

Hi Tan,

Very nice shot, from an extraordinary POV. Donostia it's really beautiful, and from the Igueldo even more. You has framed very well the frame. Great shot! Thanks,

Angel.

leo61 (0) 2007-02-18 11:57

Hi Tan!
Fantastic view over this bay and the city.It rely looks like taken from a plane.Great color of the sea and great depth caused by the mountans in the distance.
REgards,Leo
ps:I`ve no problems with Wiki notes,they are better than no note.

carper (96) 2007-02-18 12:36

fantastic view Tan,
You have seen a lot of the world Tan. and you took a lot of good memories to us, good point of view, good photojob.
gr. jaap

guillaumejm (0) 2007-02-18 13:12

Hello tan,
What a beautifull panorama!. The sharpness is so perfect as the colours and contrast. Mountains in the distance are very nice too, with te clouds upon them.
Best regards
JMarc

sleon (9402) 2007-02-18 13:26

Hi Tan
A typical Captain's view here, and very nice it is too. Interested to hear about the warping to straighten the horizon - a common problem with sea shots which I can't seem to rectify with my software. You did a good job with the cloning as I can't see any trace, and the overall view is stunning.
Regards, Susanna

lestans (17258) 2007-02-18 13:45

Hi Tan!!

beautiful view!! we can see everything of this place!
I think that this beach must be safe and enjoyable.
And I like the mountains far, and the waves out of the cove, in the blue ocean.
Well captured!!

Livia

zumoduvas (2069) 2007-02-18 13:47

Hello Tan

Excellent picture, nice composition and colors.

Regards.
Jose Luis.

coco (30439) 2007-02-18 15:22

I see this photo I can see a wonderful view.

Hi Tan.

When I see this one I don't think of San Sebastián... but looks lovely, great.

Really a masterpiece with a great sky.

Regards.

gilou530 (34) 2007-02-18 15:28

salut tan
une vue en plongée d'une grande beauté avec des couleurs a couper le souffle, un pano des plus beau qui soit, bravo
amitiés
gilbert

sc07 (1292) 2007-02-18 15:44

Hi Tan,
Wonderful POV...I'd never imagined one could see San Sebastian from such a great POV. Stunning composition, with amazing colours and DOF. Nice framing too...I love so much this region (Basque country, both French and Spanish sides). Well done!!
Seb

tcht (7565) 2007-02-18 17:20

Hi Tan
great view from high-up. The details are great. I especially like those zig-zag white waves near the bottom, quite strange but beautiful. very well taken.
best wishes
CheukHin

noahsark (1092) 2007-02-18 17:30

Hi Tan,

This has fine colors and clarity beneath that appealing sky. All in all this is a very inviting scene.

composition*****
subject*****
colors and light*****
sharpness*****
overall aesthetics*****

well done!

Mahmut K.

peter1892 (1681) 2007-02-18 17:34

Evening Tan - what a wonderful seaside location this is, with a great viewpoint over the city. Wonderful colours & your pp work seems to have done the job for the horizon line (looks good to me). And I smiled at the Wikipedia reference too ;)

nika (0) 2007-02-18 17:38

A true gem , other more you offer us , but in this case with a little objection . That Sea is the Cantabric Sea (Mar Cantabrico) that has nothing to do with the Atlantic just colliding with this big Ocean near "Costa da Morte"(receiving that name for the dangerous streams, Death Coast, from both focus -Atlantic and Cantabric - and tides taking place there ) in Galicia if you travel crossing the North front of Spain towards the West . Awesome picture with such favorable weather conditions to get nice colours specially water ones with that foam
Best wishes

[2]

carmia (5482) 2007-02-18 17:43

hola Tan, solo decirte una cosa, espectacular !!! gracias por compartirla. Saludos.

rbcy1974 (20758) 2007-02-18 17:43

Hello Tan
Its a very nice view over the town. Its interesting that you posted this now as i was there this weekend.
Nice green colours,
very well done
regards
Daniel

Gerrit (62042) 2007-02-18 19:34

Hi Tan,
trmendous view over this attractive tow, The last time I was there the rain was falling so heavy, I didt reach trhe beach at all.
But what a perfect POV you found.
Regards, Gerrit

Cormac (26565) 2007-02-18 20:15

Another one of your beautiful panoramas - this looks almost too perfect! The sweeping curve of the bay is great, leading us right around the frame and around the town too. The islands and headlands seem perfectly placed. Great work!

jjcordier (79299) 2007-02-19 1:46

La photo aussi est une véritable perle....
Amicalement
JJ

Angshu (56760) 2007-02-19 4:11

Hi Tan
From the high POV, what a view! Superb colours of the sea as it curves in towards the shore with that arc of the beach. Superb colours & contrasts. Fantastic!
Regards
Angshu

Budapestman (82620) 2007-02-19 5:35

Dear Tan,
STUNNING view! Beautiful work, indeed. Spectacular details and beautiful colours. This is a fascinating place and perfect premier. Thank you for sharing, nice days
George

cimcim (3712) 2007-02-19 6:26

Hello Tan,
Mükemmel bir geniş açı, dalgaların ve bulutların hareketlerine bayıldım! Bakış açısınız olağanüstü, elinize sağlık.
Ayçin.

fayeulle (27827) 2007-02-19 6:53

Oh lazy and stupid boy ;-)
You got your informations from Wiki ? I never do this ;-)
Fantastic wide angle view from a great eagle nest POV. Very good colors as usual.
Cheers
JP

anesugur (18789) 2007-02-19 8:38

Merhaba Tan,
İnanılmaz güzellikte bir yer. Geniş açıyla daha da muhteşem görünüyor.
Bu güzellikleri sayende bizde görüyoruz.
Teşekkürler. Uğur

cherryripe (21033) 2007-02-19 8:46

Hi Tan
San Sebastien is a very pretty place with beautiful beaches which you have done justice to. The view is superb. The colour of the sea is so pretty and I like how the waves are breaking in odd places. Who cares if the island looks flat - it looks good.
Regards
Nikki

delkoo (68) 2007-02-19 11:53

hi tan
what can i say more thAn what it has been sayS?

PERFECT SHOT and thank WIKIPEDIA for the note....

amicalement
didier

ALIRIZA (16423) 2007-02-19 12:53

Merhaba Tan,
Güzel bir açıdan harika bir manzara. Yeşil ve mavi gözleri doyuracak kadar nefis. Ellerinize sağlık...
Selamlar...
Ali Rıza

plimrn (21344) 2007-02-19 12:58

Hi Tan,
Lovely photo; the mountain climb has allowed you to frame this stunning half-moon cove. The wave decorated sandy beach enhances its likeness to a moon. The line of points/island moving diagonally acroos the photo are very pleasing as are the waves breaking it the entrance to the cove. It actually reminds me a bit of a San Sebastion Cove in Baja, without the surrounding buildings; maybe this is the origin of its name. Of course it's been over ten years since we sailed into that cove populated only by a temporary fisherman's camp, so who knows what it's like now? HLJ, Pat

VeeJayCee (2410) 2007-02-19 16:34

An excellent view and composition of the curved bay and the coastline. The brilliant colours are perfect and the sharpness is so good we can even see the smallest boats.

hyasar (7775) 2007-02-19 17:14

Merhaba Tan,

cok etkileyici bir kadraj olmus. Tebrikler.

selamlar,
Hakan

Stepan (27210) 2007-02-19 18:00

Impressive depth, thanks to your lens. Makes the place beautiful, especially with that clear and pure light. Excellent.
Stéphane

alvaraalto (42804) 2007-02-19 18:10

Hi Tan,
Beautiful fisheye composition.
It is a very good illustration with your note. And if TE likes to learn us about the world I think it is very useful to copy from Wikipedia.
Better well copied than bad created.
Groet Rob

lilimih33 (9918) 2007-02-19 21:05

Hello Tan!
Wonderful place and great point of view!
Lovely colours, light and clarity!
Excellent done!
Lili

flory (4848) 2007-02-20 1:05

ciao Tan,
like in my dreams,a spectacular image ...lovely view over Donostia,fine details,really like that curve of the bay and nice tones of blue/green..
good day,
flory

sebinho342 (19329) 2007-02-20 11:06

Lol, reading your wikinote, lazy and stupid Tan lol ;)
A real clinic for this picture, warping, cropping out, 2 things i don't manage to do in PP ... the result is fantastic, excellent job "googleEarth Tan" ;)
I particularly like the entrance of that view, the rock catching those waves letting a perfect beach after, wow

Didi (61589) 2007-02-20 14:46

Güzaal !
Nice coloured composition with a good POV from high.
I went there once upon a time but I make a mistake to travel by tourist bus from Biarritz and no freedom to take some pictures in the favorite places.
Well done.
Salamat.

pady (4800) 2007-02-20 15:16

You really found a nice pov from this mountain. The view is incredible and show how beautiful this place is.
A very beautiful composition
Greetings
Pierre-André

singuanti (15250) 2007-02-20 22:49

Hi Tan. You must have done a good job of cloning it out as I don't see any hint of it all. A lot of times when you use a polarizer on a super wide-angle like that you only get a partial polarization of the sky but I see nothing here. I love the high POV too. Awesome shot Tan!

Ann75 (0) 2007-02-21 0:43

Hello Tan,

What a marvelous shot from above. Great colours, lighting, so many details and fantastic quality! I have no words for it, except that this is a fantastic shot! Great work, Tan!

Greetings,
Ann

sothy81 (9646) 2007-02-21 0:44

Hi Tan, this is beautiful. You make use of your wide angle excellently. Nothing to say beside "Excellent" work. Sothy

sanalytis (1634) 2007-02-21 1:41

Hi Tan,

Beautiful place and beautiful image.
Well done.

Spiros

john_c (24666) 2007-02-21 10:56

Hi Tan,
Well, any time I consier upgrading from my 20D to the 5D I just remind myself of your shots and resist the temptation...The wide angle really captures an amazing area here, with ideal light, clarity and varying layers of interest. The curving beach really makes the shot sing, with the city buildings seen in the distance and then on to the peaks and clouds. The depth is amazing. Well captured.
John

Paolo (41258) 2007-02-21 11:22

Hi Tan, i don't know how and why i've totally lost that one!
fantastic view, as everytime you found THE perfect POV.
excellent also the quality, the composition and the light.
thanks, ciao

stego (24132) 2007-02-21 12:10

Hi Tan,
Wow! What a pov, what a light and colors! Really amazing and wonderful!
Having been in S.Sebastian a couple of times, I see now what I have missed while not going to the place where you shot this one. Well, maybe not so, as I always got hazy and rainy weather...
By looking at your photo it is clear why that beach is called "La Concha" (The Sea Shell), as it surely looks like a sea shell.
TFS, Regards, José.

sarpedon (352) 2007-02-21 17:02

Merhaba Tan,

Ucaktan cekilmis bir manzara gibi. Renkler ve netlige hayran oldum.

Selamlar
Serhat

Tue (91700) 2007-02-22 9:02

Hej Tan,
You chose a great viewpoint for this photo over the city. We can very nicely see how the city is built around these bays. The sea has an appealing colour and I like the view of the waves too. Very nice work, well done!
Hilsen,
Lars

vascao (192) 2007-02-22 18:15

Hi, Tan.
There's nothing more to say after all that's been said. This is gorgeous, taken from a very good high POV and with juicy, nicely saturated colors. Very good job.
[]'s
Sergio

Scharan (14144) 2007-02-24 18:30

Mais uma belíssima fot Tan!
Uma foto fantástica; ótimo ponto de vista e cores fascinantes...parabéns!!!
Grande abraço,
Vera.

keribar (43841) 2007-02-26 15:52

Hello Tan,

What an aerial view it is really
" Wooooaaah ! " And although I knew where San Sebastian is it is the first time I see it and in a royal panoramic format . Great colors and clouds as usual. You are a champion.
Friendly regards - Izzet

ChrisJ (171392) 2007-02-28 3:37

Hi Tan

Wow! A breathtaking view of this very attractive harbor, with superb colour & sharpness. I like the 4 green capped hills on a diagonal axis. Tfs!

bakes888 (18499) 2007-03-09 13:38

Hi Tan. What no encyclopaedic memory? Just a photographic one!! Great photo. Excellent POV, and interesting sky for a backdrop. Well composed and processed. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

veronika (6058) 2007-03-10 16:23

Hey Tan!
What a splendid view here, i could have this as a poster:) Great one,
Vero

banyanman (7797) 2007-04-01 12:09

If there was a typical example of a CaptHaddock landscape, this is it, Tan - POV from the top of a hill with a bay in the middle distance, coastline stretching to the horizon, perfect exposure, a nicely polarised sky and well saturated colours - what more can I say? Cheers . . . David

donluicu (24741) 2007-05-03 13:18

hi Tan
what a superb image, very sharp, very nice colors...

i'm still wondering why you don't write a book with the images of all your trips...!!

regards

elmec (12210) 2007-09-08 6:32

Hello Tan!
Such a lovely beach!
I like the wide view, great exposed the interesting coast-line!
Best regards!

Mer1000 (738) 2007-11-03 11:23

Por algo llaman a esta playa La Concha...
Saludos
Mer

testmaniac (13508) 2007-11-03 23:00

Hi Tan, excellent job! Perfect view with great POV and colors. Just perfect photo! Congratulation and TFS,
Philip

sabin (0) 2008-01-08 4:55

Best view I've ever seen of La Concha. Congratularions and thanks for sharing!!

edmund_yung (188) 2009-04-30 22:50

Wow, very nice natural colour, great composition and photo! make me wanted to go there too...

mansour (62) 2009-12-02 21:10

Hi tan
It's great.I like color and DR of your shot, and I use wiki many times because English isn't my first language and I afraid of making mistakes.

kiks (12805) 2010-01-25 6:02

What a view!! The mountains and the color of the sea are amazing and contrast so well.
Best regadrs
KIKs

fds (9963) 2011-03-29 9:16

great very beautiful point of view over thesan sebastian beach
fantastic colors

baddori (20341) 2013-06-01 8:10

Spettacolare
Ney
Complimenti
GF