The rocks of Dyrhólaey are located near the town of Vik in the very south of Iceland. They offer interesting geological features and fantastic views in all directions. There were impressive clouds that evening, but the storm was so strong that it was impossible to use a tripod. So I took this panoramic shot handheld, despite the difficulty of holding the camera steady. The image consists of several shots with a 17mm wide-angle lens in vertical format, stitched together in Lightroom.

Tags:   Vík í Mýrdal Suðurland Island Dyrhólaey landscape coastline clouds storm dramatic evening panorama weather Nikon Z 9 Iceland

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The photo was taken from a platform built on rocks, which is presumably a very popular place to take pictures of the coastal town of Ponte do Sol. It was a very stormy evening and waves repeatedly washed over the platform, threatening to soak the photographers and their cameras. You had to watch the sea closely in order to escape in time. I was lucky to stand in the right spot and stay dry.

Tags:   Madeira Portugal Ponta do Sol landscape seascape water stormy waves evening twilight weather dramatic romantic long-time exposure Nikon Z9

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We drove by car through the Tuscan countryside near Siena. The sky was densely cloudy, but suddenly, as we drove past the small town of Torri, the sun broke through a gap in the clouds and cast a light - like a stage spotlight - right on the village, while the surrounding landscape remained in shadow. I was just able to take this one photo in time, the next moment the magic light had disappeared again.

Tags:   Sovicille Provinz Siena Italien Torri village hamlet light spotlight landscape sunspot trees houses meadow flowers

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It's spring time in Tuscany near Siena, Italy. The Castelnuovo Tancredi is a luxury wine estate in the center of a large agricultural property. It has medieval origins and the construction of a first tower for defensive purposes dates back to the year 1000. An important Sienese family, the Tancredi, converted the castle into a big fortified villa. Since 1897, the Estate is owned by the Venturini Del Greco family.

Tags:   Buonconvento Provinz Siena Italien Tuscany Siena villa castle flowers landscape trees cypress

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I would like to wish all my friends on Flickr “Frohe Festtage” (German for “Happy Holidays”). You'll be happy if you can forget for a few days about the mess people have made elsewhere in the world. With that in mind, this Christmas card from a quiet and remote region (Lofoten in northern Norway) is perhaps appropriate.

Tags:   Gimsøy Nordland Norwegen Season's Greetings Frohe Festtage Happy Holidays Christmas-card Weihnachtskarte Feiertage holidays holiday season evening church dusk water frost hoarfrost ice twilight

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