Ghost Mountains by ManuelMartin1972

I was on a hike in the Alps enjoying the fresh air and the few snow we had (better to have few snow than nothing lol) when I arrived at this point in the image! And what I really loved was how the mountains were disappearing and appearing all the time behind fog and low hanging clouds. We had changing weather conditions and a very strong wind … no wonder that I could be a viewer of this wonderful spectacle! I was so fascinated by this back and forth of having mountains in front of me and having nothing than only a white wall that I was afraid to lose this opportunity to capture only one scene of whatever! So, no time to look for a cool foreground! I just threw the backpack on the ground, grab my cam and my tripod and made so many shots as possible hoping to have something useful to show! Well, and this one here is the result and I hope you like it!

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Night is vanishing over the “Cresta-See” by ManuelMartin1972

After I walked through a beautiful and enchanted forest, I finally reached the lake „Cresta-See“. It really was still dark and everything was quiet and beautiful. And every now and then a cracking noise from left or right … noises, which approached me like floating sounds from the darkness. I could see nothing, but there was an atmosphere like those found only in storybooks. And suddenly this lake appeared out of the darkness. The first light of the morning fought their way through the darkness and revealed this beautiful spectacle of a steaming lake. I’ve visited this lake many times in the past, and I never ever was disappointed by the magic of this place. I hope you like it.

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Ferns in the Mist by ManuelMartin1972

We were during a week in the Swiss Alps to hike. Well, and the weather forecast predicted sunny weather for the entire week. Oh how cool this is he he he. And when we finally arrived at our house in the Alps the sun was shining and laughing 😉 I decided on the same day to make a walk because I simply had to go out. But I should have known it better. In the mountains, the weather can change at any time. And in fact, in the middle of a forest suddenly the weather really changed. Drizzling rain, fog, snow and a very bad visibility? What? … Damn, not again bad weather! My God, and so it remained throughout the entire week. When I read the weather forecast again there were suddenly only black clouds and snowflakes instead of small suns marked as pictographs. I now believe that the weather god is performing an experiment with me just to driving me crazy slowly he he he. Well, I always take what I get and made the best of this situation, and in addition my dog loves this weather … it is always too hot for him in his fur he he he. When I came to this place, the atmosphere was really very mystical and beautiful and I could not resist this temptation and made this photo here. I hope you like it.

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Sunset over the Volterraio and Portoferraio by ManuelMartin1972

What you see here is a view over the Volterraio Castle on the top of the hill in the foreground and the location of Portoferraio in the distance on the left. The Castle is the most ancient fortification on the Island of Elba.

Well, to find this place was not really easy and everything began some couple of days before I made this shot here! We were shopping and while I was waiting that my wife choose a dress, I was looking some nice postcards from the island! And then I saw one amazing shot … a sunset shot from the location above! I said to me … wow, this is amazing … I must find this place during my vacation here!!! In big letters there was also the name „Volterraio“! The next couples of hours I was saying to me all the time „Volterraio, Volterraio, Volterraio…“ till to the next restaurant where I said to the waiter of a restaurant „We want to have a Coke, water, lemonade and for me a beer … and … oh boy, what was the name of that location??? Cuchinaio, Abatraio … something with Aio … DAMN!!! The next few days I was asking everyone I met about an amazing location with a hill and a castle and the sea at sunset … well, all the stuff on the picture! And finally one evening in a restaurant … we wanted to have some pizzas … I found again this name „Volterraio“. The waiter wanted to know what we would like to have for dinner. I told him: „Good evening … well, good that you are here … I have a problem … I’m looking for a place with a hill, and an old castle and in the background there is a city by the sea and everything in a golden light at sunset … and you know … bla bla bla … and please, ask also in the kitchen if anyone knows this place and … bla bla bla … and … ohhhhh, by the way, we would like to have 2 small pizzas Margherita, 1 pizza Salame Piccante, 2 pizzas Prosciutto Crudo, 2 bottles of water and …“. My wife and my sister were watching only to the ground, because they were ashamed of my behavior he he he 🙂 But hey, the chef came out of the kitchen and told me: „My friend, you are very popular in this region with your questions! What you are looking for is Volterraio!“. And he laughed! I was so happy 🙂 I had again the name!

One day later I was in the tourist information office. Well, I got a map with the location market I was looking for. I must tell you that normally in Switzerland where I live I use military maps when I’m on a hike, but here on Elba and without any internet access and no time I had to find this place with a tourist map. You know, this sort of maps like the one of Disneyland, with a big Mickey Mouse on the top left and every famous showplace was market with a big picture on the map! My god, look at which point I have sunk to hike with a Mickey Mouse map!!!!! But I found it he he he 🙂 The hike to this point was also a bit an adventure, but I think I will tell you the story in my next photo of this place! In the meanwhile I hope you like this picture here.

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Traditional shot of the “Rheinfall” by ManuelMartin1972

In my last post I already showed you a different picture of the Rheinfall, apparently a picture from an angle not often seen on the Web. But as I already told you, I also made some ordinary and traditional shots of the cascade … how could it be otherwise he he he … the light was delicious and I was there … so why not! And traditional because it has already been done to thousands or perhaps millions of times. So I present you my picture … actually the tralala million and one photo of this place 😉

This cascade is located near the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, between the municipalities of „Neuhausen am Rheinfall“ and „Laufen-Uhwiesen“ and is actually the largest plain waterfall in Europe! The building in front is the „Laufen Castle“. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance overlooking the Rhine Falls. The first documented reference to the castle dates to the year 858 when it was the home of the Barons of Laufen, but today this castle serves as a tourist attraction. In the distance on the right you can see the „Wörth Castle“ where you can find a fine restaurant and a souvenir shop today!

I think that I will return to this place to make some other shots from different angles in Autumn, when the colours of the leaves change! And in the meantime I hope you like this picture here!

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Sunset from the tower Eschenbergturm by ManuelMartin1972

We have a 30 meter high steel tower on a mountain called „Eschenberg“ in Winterthur, the town where I live. Personally, I call it a hill and not a mountain because it is only 600 meters high he he he. But the view over the area from there is really fantastic. Well, and the weather forecast predicted some thunderstorms that evening, so I thought why not make some shots from the tower before the bad weather reaches our town! Nevertheless I had a strange feeling because the steel tower would not be the best place to make shots during a thunder storm he he he 🙂

It was too early when I reached the place and I had to wait more than one hour till the sunset, but fortunately I met a small group of couples who just made a fire to roast sausages and meat. And hey, one of the guys had the same camera like me. Can you imagine we both talking and talking about photography till the sunset. It was really wonderful and a great pleasure to meet such wonderful and fine persons 🙂 And 15 minutes before the sunset we went up the tower to make some shots. And then the sky burning came … what a spectacle we had over the forest in front of us. And every time we had taken a photo, the sky was even better and more spectacular. A never ending story making one shot after the other! That night I think I went to bed with a smile on my face!

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The Painkiller after Sunset by ManuelMartin1972

Well, the evening I made this shot here I had a small accident in the kitchen. I wanted to make a few sausages in the pan. But since I didn’t want to have a big mess in the kitchen, I put the pan in the oven. By the way … sausages made in the oven taste great 😉 Half an hour later, the sausages were good fried and I wanted to remove the pan from the oven. In my left hand I had the newspaper and was just reading an article and then it was clear what happened. I was distracted and took the pan by hand out of the oven. My wife just came home and found me in the kitchen. „What are you doing“ she asked! „Dancing Baby, I’m dancing!“ was my response. Do you remember the old movies of Tom and Jerry? Well, mentally at this moment I ran like a rocket to the next mountain, there I screamed so loud that I have certainly woken up the whole world, and then I ran back quite quickly he he he 😉 Of course I had a lot of pain and could therefore not sleep! in the meanwhile, everything is alright again, but just imagine how I was looking the next days when I went to the office. I had a bandage … damn, I was looking like Michael Jackson 😉

But that evening I didn’t know what to do! Pain, and too much time to wait till the next morning! So I took a frozen sausage and tied it around my hand. That was wonderful … a feeling like vacations! I took my backpack with the photo equipment and went into the woods with our dog Giorgio. The distraction in the woods was really wonderful. Well, and that evening I made this shot at the edge of the forest. I think this image here will always remind me to make less nonsense 😉

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