Shooting in Petropolis: first impressions

I came to my parent's home, in my home country, on a 30-day vacation. I thought this time away from work might come in handy to practice my photography, so I brought all I possess: my Nikon D3100 with a kit lens, a 35 mm prime, and a 55-200mm zoom. All cheap stuff, really. I also managed to buy a used tripod on e-bay, one that is portable, to bring inside my check in luggage.

I have photographed this place many times over the last ten years during my vacations, but this is the first time I am using a DSLR. I have a fairly good idea of the compositions I want to capture again, and I am committed to doing my best.

But life is often a reminder that good intentions only go so far. This morning, during my long walk on the hills of Itaipava, it occurred to me that everything seems to comply against my desire to take good pictures. Losing the pin that attaches the camera to the tripod's head was a definitive signal. I spent a good amount of money on a used Manfrotto and left the pin attached to the camera to avoid losing it. On the first day I used the tripod, the pin got mysteriously detached from the camera and I have not found it since. After two days looking for it, I decided to find something in my fathers' garage to replace the pin. It is not a perfect fit, but it works in keeping the camera steady.

UV scattered by humidity, bush in front of view
target mountains in the distance
35 mm prime, 8:00 a.m., ISO 400, f/14, 1/320

While walking this morning and thinking about my medicre pictures, I noticed for the first time that the light around here never seems to fall evenly on anything. My parents live on a hillside surrounded by Atlantic forest remnants, near the Serra dos Órgaos National Park. When I walk in the neighborhoods' dirt roads I sometimes see stupendous views that are partly lit and partly in the dark. The part that is lit is very bright, whereas the dark parts are really dark. These views, most often than not, are also partly obscured by electricity poles, trees, fences, bamboos and the like. Then there is the fog, and even when the fog goes away, the humidity in the air scatters the light around, giving everything in the distance a fuzzy outlook. 

Street on the hill showing dark versus light and view in the distance
35 mmm prime, 7:50 a.m. , ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/200