Sicily in April

[Hans Kruse]

I'm currently in Sicily for the third time. Here are some pictures from the Eastern side of Sicily. Etna is angry at the moment so not approachable  

I have placed links before each photo that will show the picture a much larger version and choose full screen if you like to see it the best possible way.

Aci Trezza at first morning rays from the rising sun

http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/i-GzVpHMw/A



Huge lenticular cloud over Taormina and Isola Bella at early morning at the first light.

http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/i-fgMKzVv/A



Sunset over Etna seen from a landscape West of Etna.

http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/i-fnT4vJr/A



Flowers and dramatic weather inside Sicily

http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/i-jxZqzkj/A
http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/i-jxZqzkj/0/L/_B3A6209-L.jpg


Winding road in landscape

http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/i-CGdnSgk/A

[Chairman Bill]

I've been trying to convince my wife that we should visit Sicily; hopefully these might help in the persuasion process

[langier]

Looks nice, Hans!

[PeterAit]

Lovely, makes me want to go back (I was there once about 15 years ago). The photos are a bit over-processed for my tastes, a bit too dramatic, but that's always been my preference.

[Dave Pluimer]

#2 and #4 are the strongest of the set. I think there's room in #2 to bring the hills up in exposure a bit - it would give more life to the image. Lovely scenes in all of the images.

[Hans Kruse]

I've been trying to convince my wife that we should visit Sicily; hopefully these might help in the persuasion process

You can see more pictures from Sicily here http://www.hanskrusephotography.com/Landscapes/Sicily/

They are from January, March and April. Etna is roaring at the moment, so I have not been up to the craters. A slight warning, though: Sicily has many beautiful spots when you select them carefully. There are also so many places where you can the beauty, but you have to filter a lot! There is so much junk and garbage around and ugly modern constructions. This is also the case in Tuscany but to a much lesser degree. But if you plan on photographing it is not as easy as you have to select carefully the places to avoid all the ugly things. Also the pictures are taken at the extremes of the day and it does not at all look like this in the middle of the day.

[Hans Kruse]

Lovely, makes me want to go back (I was there once about 15 years ago). The photos are a bit over-processed for my tastes, a bit too dramatic, but that's always been my preference.

Thanks Peter and are they over processed? Not in my opinion as I see them on my MacBook Pro retina screen while I'm traveling, but will recheck them back home on my big monitor. The processing I'm doing it done to create the mood and feeling that makes the pictures speak to the viewer. I shoot almost entirely in the early mornings and late afternoons close to or at sunset. Some days I can shoot from mid afternoon if the are a lot of clouds, but otherwise the Sicilian sun is very strong in the day. There is a lot to photograph here but it takes a lot of time to find the spots.

[Hans Kruse]

#2 and #4 are the strongest of the set. I think there's room in #2 to bring the hills up in exposure a bit - it would give more life to the image. Lovely scenes in all of the images.

Thanks Dave. In #2 I deliberately did not want to make exposure higher in post processing since the level was done to create the feeling of early morning. But it could be brought up, of course, if I wanted to. Even with a 5D mkIII 

[francois]

Excellent work, as usual… Italy is a treasure trove for photographers and you prove it once again with your galleries.

[Hans Kruse]

Excellent work, as usual… Italy is a treasure trove for photographers and you prove it once again with your galleries.

Thanks Francois, I have given in to Italy. I simply love Italy for not only the wonderful nature and natural landscapes but all the landscapes sculpted by humans over thousands of years and all the history the earth is breathing. There is for several life times of photography in Italy 

[francois]

…There is for several life times of photography in Italy 

I can only agree with you!

[Paulo Bizarro]

Wonderful photos.

[Walt Roycraft]

Hans, fantastic photographs. I really enjoy your work, a fest for the eyes and soul

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Nice photos. The Winding Road is indeed a luminous landscape!

[Jeremy Roussak]

#2 and #4 are the strongest of the set. I think there's room in #2 to bring the hills up in exposure a bit - it would give more life to the image. Lovely scenes in all of the images.

I thought that too, initially. Then I found that the more I looked at #2, the less I liked it. #4, on the other hand, just gets more wonderful.

Jeremy

[Hans Kruse]

Thanks for responses and feedback. Good to know.

[astroworks]

This is awesome view.

[luxborealis]

Hans,

We can always count on you for finding the dramatic light. I hope everyone looking at these understand that, for the most part, one must get up pretty early to get this kind of light. Great light sometimes "just happens", but more often than not, we have the photographer to thank for thinking ahead and planning to be "there" when the light is most exciting.

Lately we've been seeing too many grand landscapes shot at the "convenient" time between 10am and 2pm. While one can get dramatic lighting at that time (if the weather gods are on your side), it just doesn't happen very often.

Thanks Hans for a great lesson on working to be in the right place a the right time.

[Hans Kruse]

Thanks Terry,

I sometimes meet photographers arrive on a spot when I leave for going back to the hotel for breakfast 
Many days I experience amazing light around sunrise to see this disappear sometimes as short as 15 minutes after. I experienced this on todays morning in Tuscany where great colors in the sky was there until sunrise time and sun never came out. I agree not all pictures has to be shot at the extremes of the day and cloudy day can give opportunites as long as the sun is not too high up so there are shadows that sculpts the landscape and gives it some character.

[PeterAit]

Thanks Peter and are they over processed? Not in my opinion as I see them on my MacBook Pro retina screen while I'm traveling, but will recheck them back home on my big monitor. The processing I'm doing it done to create the mood and feeling that makes the pictures speak to the viewer. I shoot almost entirely in the early mornings and late afternoons close to or at sunset. Some days I can shoot from mid afternoon if the are a lot of clouds, but otherwise the Sicilian sun is very strong in the day. There is a lot to photograph here but it takes a lot of time to find the spots.

I think this is a matter of personal taste. You must process your photos as you like them, but for me they would be more effective if not quite so dramatic. But, that's me. It was a pleasure to see these photos, thanks!