The sun burns through a steel sky as it sets over the Norwegian Sea.
The view halfway along the Sommarøy bridge is of an archipelago and distant mountains completely covered in snow. With a mostly grey sky and the glare of the sun so bright that it simply bleached to white, it seemed as though the deepening cold had stolen the colour from the world around us.
It had been a long day of wandering through the snow and bitter cold. We were cold, wet, tired and hungry and we were looking for somewhere to get some food and get our core body temperatures back to something healthy.
Across this bridge we entered the tiny fishing hamlet of Sommarøy and found somewhere cozy serving delicious reindeer steak. We were dry, full and warm when we set out again, this time into a magical twilight. The skies had cleared and our chances of seeing the Northern Lights were rising.
This photo is a blend of two photos at different exposures to get tonal detail in the sky, sunbeams and tower.
Sommarøy, Northern Norway, 2013
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
Tags: Sommarøy norway square waterscape tower defences arctic snow sunburst hdr kvaløya trømso seascape Canon1740mm camera:canon_5d2
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The sun sets just off frame on the Ersfjorden in arctic Norway.
We visited this fjord on several occasions as we explored the island of Kvaløya in the far north of Norway. Although we didn't get to see it with the Northern Lights dancing in the skies above, we did manage to see it during this beautiful sunset.
Ersfjordbotn, the town at the base of this fjord was tiny but full of character.
It was difficult to drive around this region of Norway without being bombarded by scenic views from all sides. This photo was taken as we were driving out the the Atlantic coast on the island of Sommarøy.
Ersfjorden, Kvaløya, Norway, 2013
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
Tags: norway square fjord snow cottage hut house fjordside sunset Kvaloya Tromso f:ultrawide Ersfjorden Ersfjordbotn Canon1740mm camera:canon_5d2
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A young girl plays with a windfan by a small window in Bran Castle, Transylvania.
We spent the majority of the day walking around Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's castle. The link to the Dracula legend seemed rather tenuous to me, but the castle does a good job of making the link believable. There's far more to see here than the vampire-related lore with the spectacular setting and rich history of the region.
It was quite a contrast when I turned around from reading yet another morbid plaque about the terrible things Vlad III did to see this little girl. She was in a vivid red dress, leaning into a frustrum of light and giggling each time a breeze drifted up from the surrounding forest to tickle her winfdan into motion.
No matter the transgressions of our forefathers, our future -- our children -- ia a clean slate upon which we can sketch a new world. Our future is renewable.
Transylvania, Romania, 2012
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
Tags: ROU dracula bran castle vampires renewable wind power europe girl window light frustrum Canon1740mm camera:canon_5d2
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The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar dominates central Zaragoza in Spain and many of the best photos to be had here involve it in some way. This was taken from the north side of the Río Ebro shortly after midday.
According to legend, the church began in the first centry AD. A disheartened missionary (St James) was approached by Mary as he sat by the Río Ebro and tasked with building a church in her honour. Construction began in the first half of the first century but the missionary was executed in Jerusalem before it was completed. It was the first church to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Shortly after being constructed, this small chapel was demolished along with other Christian structures in the ares. The relics within were, however protected by the people of Zaragoza.
Over the centuries, many churches have been built on the site and, when they crumbled, have given way to larger and more elaborate structures. The present structure was built in the late 17th century in the Baroque style, took five years to build and is rather magnificent.
Zaragoza, Spain, 2012
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
Tags: Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar basilica church cathedarl catholic spain zaragoza saragossa baroque architecture square Ebro river río saint 'St James' Canon1740mm
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Another shot taken in the Romanian citadel town of Sighișoara. On the opposite side of all the grand fortresses and churches there are colourful streets where the people live.
We were on out way to visit the more photographed churches and towers of the citadel, but on passing the mouth of this street it caught my eye. The sun was in the right position to lighten the houses but not be in the frame. I liked how the colours and angular lines of the houses contrasted with the grey and rounded cobbles.
This is a manually despherized panorama of 13 frames shot at 17mm.
Sighișoara, Romania, 2012
Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
Tags: Romania ROU square sighișoara citadel streets colourful vanishing line panorama f:ultra_wide Canon1740mm camera:canon_5d2
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