Ponta do Pargo lighthouse at dusk

Lighthouses are as old as seafaring. And although, nowadays, the evolution of the electronic methods of navigation is exponential and makes us think that the act of positioning a ship on a nautical chart is as easy as child's play, nothing will ever compare to the human ability of trusting in our own instincts and in our most primitive senses.

In a certain way, seeing is believing. And in the maritime world few things are truer than this Saint Thomas's idiom.

Several times at sea I questioned myself about the fiability of a GPS fix. So much things can happen with an electronic system, either at sea or in the space above us.

On the other hand, there will never, ever, be a question about a lighthouse information to the surrounding navigation. It's there, clearly identified, gives you a bearing, one that you can trust, and lights the darkness around you.

To all the lighthouse keepers around the world: thanks for your long lasting aid to the maritime community worldwide. Keep up the good work. Godspeed.

The Ponta do Pargo lighthouse, in the Westernmost point of Madeira island, at dusk.

Picture made with Nikon F100 and Nikkor 28-105 AF-D kit lens.

Manfrotto tripod and ball head.

Fujichrome Velvia ASA 50 scanned in Nikon Coolscan V ED and post-processed in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop CS3.