Photo of the Day – Praia da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When most people think about Rio beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana are all that come to mind. Those are both truly impressive fields of sand, but they are certainly not the only beaches in Rio. Take a short 15-minute drive west of Ipanema and you will discover the home of many of the upper-class Cariocas (people of Rio) – Barra de Tijuca. Right out of their doorsteps sits the largest beach in Rio – Praia da Barra.

With over 10 miles of beach you would think finding a place for you to lay out your towel would be a breeze. From the picture below you can tell that a few other friends might also share your plans for a day at the beach!

Two days ago I mentioned a creative photo effect called compression distortion. You can see this effect at work in this picture as well. I shot this image at 170mm which helps make the beach look far more crowded than it actually is.