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There are some special locations that seem to be chosen by
the sun to display its shining beauty in all its splendour. There are some
special locations where the light of our star reveals itself in dramatic shows
of different colors and moods.
One of these places is St. Vigilio Point, a tip of land
stretching into the Lake Garda where a mild microclimate favours the presence
of several Mediterranean plants, usually found at southern latitudes, such as
the olive tree and the agave. The sharp tops of
cypress trees seem like sentinels patrolling the limpid waters of the lake,
while ducks, seagulls and swans live undisturbed along the shore.
Considered as
the pearl of the lake for its glorious setting, St. Vigilio Point reaches its
deserved reputation mainly when the last rays of light cast a romantic
appearance to the west-oriented promontory. I’ve been visiting the place for
many years and I’m still captured by the stunning views across the lake when
the sun sets beyond the west bank skyline. When the sky is clear, a yellow
shiny fireball descending towards the horizon is one of the most attractive
shows that nature can offer.
The choice of a vertical composition with the sun as
central element on the top of the frame enhances the direction of light and
its red reflections on the water. Exposure was taken spot-metering a light
portion of the sky next to the sun and opening up ˝ stop, thus deliberately
underexposing a little bit to amplify the red tonality of the panorama. In
order to saturate the colors and highlight the warm hues, a polarizing filter
was used and Velvia film was chosen.
A long focal length of about 400mm was chosen for this telephoto landscape
shot, adding, in my opinion, impact and drama to the scene, and placing the
viewer in the middle of it.
A less technical
aspect, but certainly more important, is the emotion felt in front of such a
wonderful display of colors, where some moments are recorded forever.
The fame of this magnificence is emphasized by an epigraph
in the local small church, saying: “En somni explanatio”, a Latin sentence
that stands for “Here is the explanation of the dream”.
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