“In the quiet shelter of stone and sea, solitude becomes a companion—steady, vast, and deeply kind.” – Ed Lehming

This photo is a bit of a gem for me. Taken on vacation last September in Lagos, Portugal, on Praia dos Estudantes, the Beach of the Students. Usually a very busy place, but by late September, the air and sea have cooled and it’s less busy. It was still busy that day, but I had a brief moment, a quick snippet to myself where nobody was on the beach as I snapped the shot. I was given this fortunate moment, being able to capture this scene with no distractions. You can see footprints all over the sand as a testimony to activity, but I was offered this view for a few seconds.

I had no intention of being here, nor was I even aware that this visit existed until much later when I looked up the location. No, I had set out late that morning with the intention of spending some quiet time wandering the local seashore and exploring the harbor. It was mere chance and curiosity that put me here at this time.

I’d been exploring for about two hours, walking some 5-6 kilometers along the shore, through the harbor and towards the rocky bluffs that define the Portuguese coastline of the Algarve. I was hoping for some photos of the rocks and the seashore and came to realize that there are beaches among these tall rocks, including this one. There were lots of people on the beach and many tourists, like me, exploring. The beaches are all connected by tunnels or caves that run between the rocks. Some are manmade and some are natural. As I went from tunnel to tunnel, I took note of the view this one offered and determined to come back for a photo. It was sheer luck, and what started out as a walk seeking calm beauty offered me exactly that, but only for this brief moment, which I will cherish for a long time.

iPhone 14 Pro Max
Main Camera — 24 mm
1/5376 sec, ƒ/1.78 ISO 100