Coastline – Matt Tilghman Photography

Golden Rays Over Bellagio – Lake Como Italy

Matt Tilg — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:13:16 +0000

The sun breaks through on a cloudy day, bathing Bellagio briefly in golden dusk sunlight.

Bellagio is one of the most famous towns in Lake Como, perhaps because of its location. It juts out into the middle of Lake Como on a thin peninsula. While the peninsula is made of gentle hills, it affords stunning views of the towering mountains that border the lake. From on the lake, its easy to forget that these mountain features are similar to a valley, except that the area retains water. The way the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the mountains reminded me that each of Lake Como’s three legs is long and narrow, almost like a tunnel. And the channeled golden rays seemed to end squarely on Bellagio, almost like the pot of gold at the end. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 9227×3667). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Lake Como at Dawn – Gem of Lombardy

Matt Tilg — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 20:16:52 +0000

Lake Como, Italy, wakes up under a beautiful cotton-candy sky at sunrise.

Lake Como is sometimes referred to as “The Gem of Lombardy,” and it’s easy to see why. The location is truly a rare and unique combination of natural and cultural beauty. There are other places in the world where stunning mountains steeply descend to beautiful pristine lakes. There are other places in the world with quaint small towns, each replete with ancient history and hidden treasures. But there’s not many other places in the world that combine the two so perfectly. It’s also a location that seamlessly combines the dramatic with the tranquil. On this peaceful morning, the tranquil side of Lake Como shown through most. I’ve often heard the term “cotton candy sky,” but never really felt like it applied until I witnessed this sunrise. It felt like a symbol for all the many various types of beauty that this unique location embodies. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 7302×3818). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Summertime Sadness – Sunset From Windy Hill, California

Matt Tilg — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:08:22 +0000

Staring westward from the top of Windy Hill, California… the sun sets over an endless fog-covered Pacific Ocean.

I often title my photos based on feelings or emotions evoked while I was there. Not this one. In fact, I don’t believe I even took this photo in summer. Furthermore, I didn’t even post-process and publish this photo until about ten years after I took it. Nothing about it really struck me at the time. But now, almost a decade later, it strikes me deeply. I think the title “Summertime Sadness” fits from an aesthetic standpoint… the bright sun and clear sky, the lens flares, the overall sepia hue. But for the, the title fits even better from an emotional standpoint. To me, this photo perfectly embodies an afternoon in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A place where I spent many hours of my time (Windy Hill and Russian Ridge in particular). Rediscovering this photo after so many years have passed, and having since moved away from California, it is soaked with nostalgia and, in a way, sadness. Not a deep lingering sadness. That phase of life had run its course and is full of happy memories, not regrets. Rather just a fleeting sadness of good times gone past. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 4359×2893). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Tidal Patterns In Biscayne Bay – Miami, Florida

Matt Tilg — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:05:54 +0000

At sunset, low tide reveals beautiful wave patterns in the sand. Located in Biscayne Bay, right outside of Miami, Florida.

Low tide on tidal sand-flats such as this can be hit or miss. Sometimes, the tide simply reveals bugs and foul smells. But other times, low tide reveals fantastic patterns in the sand, which have been slowly forming all day underwater. And a nice thing about South Florida: unlike California, you are free to explore the land that low tide reveals without concern, because if the tide rushes back in on you, your greatest risk is probably returning home with a wet pair of shoes. The seas are friendlier here, which is both a good and bad thing. It makes exploring and immersing oneself in nature more safe and carefree. But it does this for everyone. In Biscayne Bay, sandbars like this have become quite difficult to explore in peace. They have instead become havens for aquatic party-goers. But if you look hard enough, and have a little insider knowledge about where to look, solitude can still be found on these sandbars. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 4160×2773). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Golden Hour Off Florida Coast – Dawn in Fort Lauderdale

Matt Tilg — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 23:25:09 +0000

Off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, moments before sunrise the dawn lights up the sky a deep gold.

I’ve seen a lot of sunrises, in my pursuit of landscape photography. But sometimes, it’s my wife’s idea. This was one of those times. She wanted to wake up early and watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, something we don’t do often enough despite living minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s beach. Every time we plan a sunrise, she asks what time we should get there… five, ten minutes before sunrise? No way! At least an hour, I say. Sunrise is great, but I prefer the moments before. The way the light changes, slowly at first, then building into a crescendo as the sun gets closer to the horizon. And the way this crescendo is mimicked by the increasing activity, both human and wild, as the world wakes up… it’s just a beautiful time to be awake Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 4513×2519). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing. For some of my photographs, I record and post the entire Photoshop editing process from start to finish. This is one of those photos, and you can see watch the recording here: “Golden Hour Off Florida Coast” editing procedure on Youtube.

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Dawn over Las Olas – Fort Lauderdale Sunrise

Matt Tilg — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:50:22 +0000

Beautiful Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A beautiful tranquil sunrise brings dawn to South Florida. This location is right off the coast of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Despite its proximity to the city, this is actually Las Olas Beach, with Fort Lauderdale Beach being further north. The term “Las Olas” tends to bring to mind the iconic strip of restaurants and shops, not the beach. However I chose to use it in the title to pay homage to what the words actually mean: “the waves”. As I sat on the quiet beach waiting for the sun to rise, clouds and sky ever changing, the only constant was the persistent drum of the waves lapping the sand. It made for a beautiful morning that appealed to all the senses. Usually a bustling tourist attraction, at this hour there are only a few people on the beach, and a few ships dotting the Atlantic Ocean. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 5846×2910). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Calanque D’en Vau – Cassis, France

Matt Tilg — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:35:54 +0000

Photograph from the stunning Massif des Calanques National Park, near Cassis, France.

I never knew France had landscapes like this. When I think of French landscapes, I think of gentle rolling green hills. Or maybe the inland Alps, or the more iconic coastline stretches of the French Riviera. When I visited Cassis, my relatives had planned a tour of “The Calanques.” I usually do a ton of preparation before any trip, but hadn’t been able to do so this time. Well, the Calanques caught me very off guard. What a stunning place! The Massif des Calanques, as it is officially known, is a National Park just west of Cassis. I think technically this makes it not part of the French Riviera, but it’s close. These sheer-cliffed inlets have been formed over millions of years, both by river erosion, as well as the collapse of internal cave structures. Pictured here is the Calanque d’En Vau, one of the few with a beach at the end. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 7109×3870). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Waterfront at Dusk in Hvammstangi, Iceland

Matt Tilg — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 22:14:30 +0000

The beautiful small town of Hvammstangi, Iceland, on a clear March day at sunset.

This lovely sunset was unfortunately the only clear sunset that I got to witness in Iceland during my 8 day stay. It’s okay, I got to see the Northern Lights twice, so I consider that a fair trade. And if I had to pick a night to have a great sunset, this might have been it. The town of Hvammstangi, with its small but beautiful waterfront, was the perfect setting to setup the tripod and soak it in. FYI, this image is the exact same image as my photograph “Hvammstangi Harbor at Sunset”, just cropped differently. I figured that some buyers might prefer this aspect ratio over the original one.

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Hvammstangi Harbor at Sunset, Iceland

Matt Tilg — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 21:57:32 +0000

The waterfront of Hvammstangi’s harbor lights up opposite the setting sun, on Iceland’s north coast.

This is the single lone sunset photograph I got from my trip to Iceland. When they say that March is the month with the most precipitation, they mean it. There are are plenty of perks to visiting Iceland in March. For instance, the twelve hours of daylight but still a chance to see the Northern Lights. But I didn’t get many sunsets. I tried hard to appreciate this one, but it was difficult. The tiny coastal village of Hvammstangi looked truly beautiful as it basked in the glow of the clear sunset, but I could barely concentrate. While I tried to soak in the beautiful moment, my mind was instead focused on the great chance of seeing the Aurora that this clear evening would provide. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 6198×3475). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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Storm’s Return – Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland

Matt Tilg — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 23:09:05 +0000

Iceland’s black sand Reynisfjara Beach, as seen from Dyrhólaey, takes on an ominous feel as a winter storm approaches.

Before our trip to Iceland, we were anxiously watching the weather reports. We knew how bad the winter storms can be, and I’m not exactly a seasoned winter veteran. The week before we left, the weather was perfect. But I didn’t put much stock in it, because the locals constantly talk about how fast the weather can change, and that the weather report isn’t accurate more than two or three days out. Well, they were right. When I took off from New York, the weather reports looked decent. When I landed in Reykjavik, it looked markedly worse. I opened it up and the ominous headline read: “The Storms Return.” Great. The first day was fine, but this photograph is about when it started to turn. Our time at the iconic Reynisfjara black sand beach was not the stuff of fairy tales that most travel blogs would have you believe. 75 mph gusts of wind saturated with entrained sand painfully blasted any exposed skin. I didn’t even take out my camera, out of fear the sand would scratch the lens. This photograph is taken from the elevated lookout at Dyrhólaey, where the winds were even worse but at least there was less sand. The white-out blizzard hadn’t arrived yet… that was to come tomorrow. Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 6667×3802). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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