Adelino Marques was taking his usual morning walk along the coastline near his vacation home in Moledo, located in northwestern Portugal, when he captured what would become his best smartphone photograph. The image showcases a remarkable stone formation that serves as an unofficial guide for pilgrims traveling the famous Camino de Santiago route.
Moledo boasts the distinction of being Portugal's northernmost beach and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful coastal areas in the country. According to Marques, this stunning location features two particularly unique characteristics that set it apart from other Portuguese beaches. The first is a historic fort positioned in the middle of the sea, which served as a crucial defense structure against various military attacks throughout the centuries and now stands as a protected national monument.
The second distinctive feature visible in Marques's photograph is the hill that dominates the background of the image - Monte de Santa Tecla. Interestingly, this prominent landmark actually sits across the border in neighboring Spain, yet it has become an iconic symbol associated with this Portuguese beach. The geographical proximity between the two countries creates a unique visual connection that enhances the area's scenic appeal.
The focal point of Marques's photograph is a striking rock formation in the foreground that mirrors the shape of the distant Spanish hill. What makes this natural sculpture particularly remarkable is a stone that appears to be impossibly balanced on top of the rock formation. This area sees a steady stream of pilgrims passing through daily as they make their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, embarking on a spiritual journey that spans approximately 500 miles (805 kilometers) and typically takes about a month to complete.
Marques explains the symbolic significance of the stone formation, noting that "the stone is like a sign, like a small mound pointing as if to say 'That way.'" This natural landmark has become an unofficial waymarker for the countless pilgrims who traverse this coastal path as part of their spiritual journey to one of Christianity's most important pilgrimage destinations.
The photographer's artistic approach to the image reflects his decades of experience in traditional film photography. Since the 1970s, Marques has been developing his own film negatives in a personal darkroom at his home in Gondomar, a town situated just outside central Porto. This extensive background in analog photography has shaped his aesthetic preferences, leading him to favor black-and-white images regardless of the medium used to create them.
For this particular smartphone photograph, Marques utilized the Hipstamatic app on his iPhone to apply a monochrome filter to the original color image. He explains his artistic reasoning: "It allows me to better contrast the light and shapes. Color can be distracting." The photographer believes that this black-and-white treatment was essential to properly convey the deeper meaning of the scene, adding that "this filter helped to convey the serenity and resilience of the pilgrims who pass this way."
