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St. Johann Church in the Dolomites, Italy



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My daughter and I spent a day traveling across the beautiful Italian countryside to find this amazing little chapel nestled in the foothills of the majestic Dol...
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My daughter and I spent a day traveling across the beautiful Italian countryside to find this amazing little chapel nestled in the foothills of the majestic Dolomite mountains, in northern Italy.

Was such a pleasure to sit an meditate in this heavenly place.
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12 Comments | Report
DorisSeybold
 
DorisSeybold November 08, 2015
Brilliant!!!
Pamelabole PRO
 
Pamelabole August 17, 2016
Beautiful....and congrats on your contest award!! : )
null_and_void
 
null_and_void August 18, 2016
A wonderful shot!
estercastillo08
 
estercastillo08 August 18, 2016
beautiful !! Congratulations !!
jeffgauthier
 
jeffgauthier August 18, 2016
Simply stunning! I can't believe the pictures I am seeing since I started being a member a month ago. This could be a painting! Definitely needs framed and hung on someone's walls. Fantastic shot!!!!!
Tommyshot
 
Tommyshot August 19, 2016
Breathtaking shot...
jbowen
jbowen September 20, 2016
Thanks a lot. It's an amazing place.
JDLifeshots
 
JDLifeshots September 16, 2016
Awesome capture! Congrats.
jbowen
jbowen September 20, 2016
Thanks JD
cherylsummerscreech
 
cherylsummerscreech September 17, 2016
This is a beautiful art. You managed to capture this breathtaking scene for all to enjoy. Certainly a great place for Meditation!
jbowen
jbowen September 20, 2016
Thanks Cheryl.
JAYMILO
 
JAYMILO September 17, 2016
what wonderful memories this shot brought back. A beautiful shot of a magical spot. thank you
cindiwalters_7260 PRO+
 
cindiwalters_7260 September 17, 2016
It is certainly beautiful!
jbowen
jbowen September 20, 2016
Yeah. Great place!
nina050
 
nina050 September 17, 2016
Gorgeous! Congrats!
jbowen
jbowen September 20, 2016
Thanks Nina!
stachelpferdchen
 
stachelpferdchen September 18, 2016
absolutely awesome light and beautiful composition!
jbowen
jbowen September 20, 2016
Thanks much!
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Behind The Lens

Location

This is the St Johann Church, Ranui, Val di Funes, in the Dolomite mountains of Italy.

Time

This shot was taken in the early evening as the sun was setting behind us. Earlier that day, my 14 year old daughter and I had spent a few hours on a twisty, winding road in search of this magnificent view. We passed through beautiful ravines, small quaint hillside towns (with cobble stone roads only inches wider than our car), a beautiful forest, and then finally we rounded the last corner to discover this location. It was truly a magical day!

Lighting

The sun was setting behind us and to the right, behind some clouds. Some golden light was breaking through and painting some of the peaks, the trees, the church, and some of the grassy field. The light was relatively flat though, because it was mostly being diffused by the clouds, as you can see in the image. Instead of pushing the contrast in post, I tried to maintain the soft light feeling.

Equipment

This was shot with my Nikon D800, 24-70 mm f/2.8 @ 48mm, ƒ/11, ISO 100. Using a Really Right Stuff TVC-33 tripod.

Inspiration

I love landscape photography, especially shots that tell a story or convey some kind of drama. When I first saw this location (in someone else's photo) I was immediately captivated by the contrast. This tiny little church in the middle of a majestic landscape tells such a compelling story. I had to find that location. I had to be there, be enveloped by the surroundings and see and feel what the original church builders saw and felt as they built their little chapel. It's such a tranquil location. My journey to find this little chapel with my daughter was an experience I'll never forget.

Editing

I spend a fair amount of time on this photo bringing up details that were slightly buried in the dark areas. The light was very soft in the original scene so I tried to capture that in my edit (less contrast than I'd normally apply). I pushed the white balance temperature warmer for effect.

In my camera bag

I normally carry the following equipment in my Think Tank Streetwalker Harddrive backpack: Nikon D800, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, some LEE filters, etc.

Feedback

The Dolomite mountains in Northern Italy are magical. Getting the right light, sky, and weather can be challenging. I'd love to spend at least a few weeks in the Dolomites so I can recreate this shot and perhaps capture more dramatic lighting and sky.

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