When I think back to when I started taking my first photos in 2019, I realize how much my vision of photography has changed over the years. Certainly, the experience I’ve gained has had a strong influence on my preparation before photographing, both technically and in terms of studying maps before heading to a new location. But what has changed the most in me is my perception of nature.
I clearly remember my first photographic outings, when I was mainly focused on creating an image at sunset or sunrise, when the sky and mountain peaks turn red in the presence of clouds and the light is softer — the famous golden hour.
Over time, I began visiting locations at times far from sunset, or lingering long after sunrise. Little by little, I started to appreciate nature as a whole and not only at sunrise or sunset. I realized that at any moment nature could give me a different emotion, and all I had to do was let myself be inspired by it.
In this regard, I vividly remember an episode that took place in 2021. After a three-hour hike with about 20 kg of gear on my shoulders, I arrived exhausted at a spot in central Switzerland. Even though the light was harsh and there were still several hours to go before sunset, the landscape before my eyes was exceptional. Clouds, moving quickly, hid and then revealed the mountain, creating incredible plays of light and shadow. I had just arrived and was already creating images, with a rush of emotions inside me. Nature was inspiring me.
One element that is fundamental to me in landscape photography is composition, and here too it is nature that inspires me with what it offers when I am on location.
Very often I am drawn to elements that lead the viewer’s eye toward the main subject — for example, a stream or river that seems to trace a path toward a mountain. In practice, these are natural leading lines, which can be any element found in nature: waterways, tree branches, flowers arranged in a certain way on the ground, rocks with distinctive shapes, and so on.
At other times, what catches my attention are natural frames or interesting foregrounds that help the viewer’s eye enter the scene and guide it toward the main subject.
The most obvious foreground choice — and one often seen on social media — is flowers, which frequently steal the scene from the main subject because they are emphasized more than the subject itself. I am not against using flowers in the foreground, as long as they do not overpower the subject.
In general, any natural element can be a good foreground or frame for a photograph: particular shapes on the ground after a snowfall, ice formed by low temperatures, air bubbles in a frozen lake, a tree trunk with an unusual shape that frames the subject, a cave, a rock with distinctive colors or interesting forms, plants of all kinds with their branches, and so on.
Another element that I consider extremely important in landscape photography is light. I mentioned earlier that a strong photograph can also be created at times far from sunset or sunrise. My focus remains the emotion that the scene evokes in me — and that I want to convey to others.
Thick fog that suddenly clears and allows light to spread through a forest, or light striking a mountain in front of us, can be truly unique spectacles to witness. In my images, I often seek this kind of contrast between light and shadow to make the subject stand out.
However, contrast between light and shadow is not the only kind I look for. Chromatic contrasts are also important to me. Complementary colors are the ones I prefer and that best allow me to achieve this type of contrast, but analogous colors, with their different shades, also interest me greatly, and I use them often.
I am deeply in love with contrasts, as they allow me to give greater depth to a scene. Their constant pursuit is certainly what most characterizes my photographic style and my post-processing.
In recent years, I have increasingly come to appreciate details and different perspectives of the landscape when I’m out photographing. For this reason, I now use my telephoto lens and drone much more frequently than I used to.
For me, photography must evoke emotion by conveying what I experienced in that moment, and a different perspective can certainly help in this sense.
A landscape seen from above is completely different from what we see from below. It may allow us to notice light, shadows, tones, and shapes that were not visible from the ground, completely changing the viewer’s state of mind.
The same applies to a distant detail that cannot be fully appreciated with a wide-angle lens and ends up being lost within the broader landscape.
For me, landscapes are never just postcards. Every image tells a story and conveys an atmosphere, playing with light, colors, and depth in a coherent way, always striving to pay close attention to composition and enhancing both vast spaces and the quietest details.
Post-processing should be measured. It should never be too invasive and must help make the image more powerful without distorting reality.
Sometimes it is enough simply to observe carefully and open your mind to nature. Other times, you need patience and must wait for hours before something happens — perhaps a ray of light that changes the atmosphere around you.
At the core of everything there must always be contemplation and respect for nature. There are no other rules besides these.
To conclude, I would like to emphasize once again how important it is to let yourself be inspired by nature and not become fixated on concepts seen in the work of others. Every day, every moment, and every place can offer something unique if we know how to observe.
