Icaraí Sunset

— When in Fortaleza (Brazil), sunset worshipping is a way of living. People flock to the beaches to enjoy the Atlantic warm currents and also to wait for the sun to set, especially in locations such as Icaraí and Cumbuco, just west of downtown Fortaleza.

These particular shots were made when we were driving around on a dune buggy back on Christmas Eve in 2006. Can you imagine Christmas in the summer? That is the tradition I grew up with in the northeast of Brazil. One of my brothers has a lake house not too far from this location. It’s the best of both worlds: a lake in your backyard (Lagoa do Banana) and the beach just minutes away. If you look carefully on the right-hand side of the photo above, you can a mountain range in the countryside. The beach is behind me, as I made this photo.

It is fascinating to experience the change of light at sunrise and sunset. These two photos here are just minutes apart, and yet you can see the change in color on the dunes as the sun is setting.