We have had the pleasure to visit Old San Juan, Puerto Rico many times. Castillo San Felipe del Morro, most commonly known as El Morro, is a colossal large fortress and citadel in the historic district of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Commissioned by King Charles I of Spain in 1539, it was first built as a fortified tower in honor of King Philip II, who oversaw its expansion into a horn work fort by 1595. Over the next 200 years, especially in the reign of King Charles III, El Morro continued to be developed to reach its current form in 1787. Rising 140 ft from the Atlantic shoreline with 18 to 25 ft thick walls, the six-leveled edifice stands on a steep, rocky headland promontory on San Juan Islet guarding the entry to San Juan Bay, the harbor of Old San Juan.
Shot with a Nikon D300S, Manual Mode, Speed 1/320th of a sec, Focal Length 70mm, ISO-200, F/6.3, Lens was an Nikkor 70-300mm.
3 comments posted
Michele Borgarelli
Tom this is an excellent image documenting this outstanding fortress. I think you have done a great work in the composition. My eyes go from the upper border on the left down following a diagonal of the building,then following the horizontal line of the wall in the lower part of the image. There is a little bit of the ocean so I know this is a place located over the sea. The two churches stand out well and add balance to the image. The clouds are the icing on the cake. The image is somewhere "pixeled" but I guess this is because the low resolution required for uploading.
Best wishes
Michele Posted: 05/06/2025 12:17:35
Tom Buckard
Michele, thank you for your comments. It was an image taken many cameras back with a low mega pixels. I thought it was pixilated also but still like it. Have been there many times and one time I was able to get an abbreviated tour access to the tunnels that run from El Morro to Castillo San Cristóbal underground. The Spanish were able to move troops from on fort to they other as needed. Posted: 05/06/2025 12:54:34
John Zhu
This is a good portrait of fortress. I like the composition. I don't if it feels better with soft tone and less contrast. Good work. Posted: 05/09/2025 23:22:16
