The World of XPILAR - LANDSCAPE/SEASCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART CONTEST WEEK #176 | Mangrove Trees At Sunset

Wori is an area located in North Minahasa, bordering the city of Manado. This region is rich in natural tourist attractions, such as the Mangrove Forest.

That evening, I, along with three friends, planned to photograph the sunset in one of the villages in Wori. It was Low Tide, the best time for capturing the sunset at this location.

To reach the spot, we had to walk through the mangrove forest and a wide expanse of seaweed until we reached two mangrove trees quite far from the coastline. There were many small marine creatures as we passed. Unfortunately, I was wearing footwear that wasn't suitable for this location, and I nearly stepped on sea urchins with spines or transparent, tentacled sea creatures that clung firmly to the soles of my feet if stepped on.

One of my friends accidentally stepped into a sandy hole and slipped, luckily saving his camera from being submerged in seawater. However, his iPhone in his pocket got wet and soaked in seawater.

After a somewhat challenging journey, we arrived at this location, and here is the result. Fortunately, near this mangrove tree, I spotted a blue starfish, perfect as a foreground. I used a CPL (Circular Polarizer) filter to eliminate reflections on the water, making the starfish stand out. It was initially quite difficult because the water around us became murky at that time.

taken with canon 600D + 10-22 + hny filter

We didn't stay at this location for long because the tide was starting to rise, and we were about 45 minutes away from the shoreline. When we reached the shore, the seawater had reached our waists. If we had lingered at the photo spot, we might have had to swim back.

That's the story behind the photo I uploaded. I hope you like it. Thank you to @axeman and the wox community for this contest. May you always succeed in the future.

Regards @mytravelandscape"

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