LuigiSonnifero

BREATH OF THE EARTH | Val d'Orcia (Tuscany), Italy

The famous farmhouse Podere Belvedere opens the view to the rolling hills of Val d'Orcia, Tuscany, during the sunrise as the soft morning mist creates depth and...
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The famous farmhouse Podere Belvedere opens the view to the rolling hills of Val d'Orcia, Tuscany, during the sunrise as the soft morning mist creates depth and makes it seems as if the earth is breathing.

Shot on Fujifilm X-T3 and the Fujinon 55-200mm at 74mm.
Post-Processing on Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop of 2 RAW files: one for the sunrise and one for the sky, taken a little earlier before sunrise.
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Oct, 2021

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in the rolling hills of Val d'Orcia, Tuscany. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Italy. The farmhouse in the foreground is called "Podere Belvedere" and opens the view to the spectacular Tuscan landscape. I choose to shoot it in autumn for the brown color of the hills, which I really like.

Time

I chose this location to shoot at sunrise to have the sun casting light by the side of the hills. Also, at sunrise there's more chance to have low ground fog. So I woke up at about 6.20 for 4 mornings in a row, and at 6:40 I was on location in the dark of the early blue hour, waiting for the sun to come out.

Lighting

I waited until the first light of the sun came over the hill and illuminated the scene. The image, anyway, is made by blending two images: one was taken early before the sun came up and there were still nice colors in the sky. By the time the sun came up, the sunrise colors were already gone. Since I didn't move the camera from the tripod, I was able to blend both the colors and the light in the same image and create a unique scenery. I shot this location 4 sunrises in a row, because I wanted both beautiful colors in the sky and some low ground fog between the rolling hills, in order to have more depth and separation.

Equipment

I shot this image with a Fujifilm X-T3 and the Fujinon 55-200 at 74mm. I used a Benro Mach3 tripod. I love this setup for the image quality, the color science, and since I travel a lot, the overall lightweight!

Inspiration

I love creating images that are unique, images that you cannot see with naked eyes but are the memory of the "sunrise experience". It's my way to see things! Also, I love Tuscan wine, so I take any chance to travel to these places ;)

Editing

First things first, I manually blended two RAW files to combine the colors in the sky and the sunrise light. Then, I just did some global adjustments with Camera Raw and some local adjustments to enhance the fog between the rolling hills. This time it was a pretty easy post-processing!

In my camera bag

I usually bring with me two cameras, a Fujifilm X-T3 and an X-T2. My lenses are the Fujinons 10-24mm, 16-55mm, and 55-200mm. These three lenses cover every focal length I need. I use a Benro Mach3 as a tripod. I also have a DJI Mini 2 drone which I usually use for videos, but I take photos sometimes. I carry this gear in a ThinkTank Airport Essential backpack. And last but not least, my car, which even if it doesn't fit in my bag I consider to be one of the most important pieces of equipment for creating my images: a Citroen C3 Aircross, which took me all around Italy :)

Feedback

Always be patient! Once you find a location and a composition you like, be patient until the light is at the right place :) and if you fail, or if the conditions do not live up to expectations, just return and try again. You will not regret!

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LuigiSonnifero

LuigiSonnifero

BREATH OF THE EARTH | Val d'Orcia (Tuscany), Italy

The famous farmhouse Podere Belvedere opens the view to the rolling hills of Val d'Orcia, Tuscany, during the sunrise as the soft morning mist creates depth and... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow LuigiSonnifero

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The famous farmhouse Podere Belvedere opens the view to the rolling hills of Val d'Orcia, Tuscany, during the sunrise as the soft morning mist creates depth and...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.