Atlantic Sirens

You do not have to be a Ulysses, tied to the mast of your ship in order to fall victim to the beauty of these Sirens. German photographer Stefan Soell takes us on a photographic excursion to Portugals southern Atlantic coast, together with eight models of exceptionally striking and distinctive looks. These Sirens are portrayed frolicking in the foaming surf, and playing in the winds and sands of this wild coastline, and this enhances their natural eroticism. Stefan Soell is a master at capturing their joyful but provocative and enticing play. The photographs for this book were taken over a period of five years, during long stays in the far South Western area of Portugal. The lonely, undeveloped Costa Vicentina in the west, the Cabo de São Vicente in the east, and the rugged cliffs of the Algarve are one of the last sections of natural coastline in Europe. Stefan Soell chose the late autumn of October and November as the season best suited to these photo sessions. In these months, the sun is already very low and gives off a warm, soft light. The models spent a long time in the area, which enabled Stefan Soell to take pictures in the best possible weather and lighting conditions. For the optimal interaction of sun, cloud and tide, the ideal window of opportunity was often only very short. Due to the strong fluctuations in the tides, some locations could only be reached on a few days in a month. Stefan Soell used a Canon EOS 1DX MKII, with 24-70 mm and 70-200 mm lenses, and a Sony Alpha 6300 with a Zeiss 16-70 mm lens. Usually, the locations could only be reached on foot, which can take a long time, so having light, portable equipment was important, as it enabled longer coastal expeditions to succeed, and allowed maximum flexibility when taking pictures. All photos were taken exclusively with natural light, without additional brighteners or reflectors. German photographer Stefan Soell began to take photos at the age of 15, and soon landscape and portrait photography had become his favourite subjects. In addition to his astonishing talent at choosing the ideal background and selecting key details, he also has the rare knack of capturing ideal lighting conditions.