Rylie & Abby at Praia Formosa, Funchal

The wind picked up about ten minutes after we met at the rocks west of the main beach. By the time we walked down to the wet sand, gusts were coming straight off the Atlantic and the cloud bank to the south had gone from white to that strange pink that happens at Praia Formosa in late spring. Rylie and Abby flew in from Canada with a few days in Madeira before their trip moved on. We had golden hour, one location, and no plan to leave the water alone.

The Session

Most people booking a couples session ask about the weather. Wind on the south coast in May: usually fine, sometimes strong. This evening it was strong. Rylie and Abby did not flinch when the spray started reaching their feet.

About halfway in, a larger wave came over the rocks behind them and the foam pushed up the sand fast enough that they ran.

Later in the session another wave caught them properly.

Why Praia Formosa Works for Couples in Wind

Sea foam at Praia Formosa picks up sunset color in a way the rocks alone don’t. When the light is low and the surf is up, the foam reads warm pink under the cloud bank and cool blue in the shadows.

The volcanic boulders at the western end break the wind enough for slower frames, close portraits, hands, faces, the kind of work that needs them to stand still for two seconds. We moved between the two zones a few times across the hour.