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.

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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.

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The Kolufossar Waterfall and Kolugljúfur Canyon area is among the deadliest places in Iceland, and after visiting I understand why. The waterfall is very accessible, and in addition, the cliffs are very sheer. Many small ledges allow the visitors to get closer and closer, and it's hard to realize when you've gone too far. Furthermore, the intensely powerful waterfall generates a lot of mist, keeping the rocks perpetually moist and slippery. And of Iceland's many powerful waterfalls, to me this is the one where the power is most "in your face." At most of the other waterfalls, you're either viewing the falls from above or below. Here, you can get face-to-face with the rushing water, and it's truly mesmerizing. On this sunny day in late winter/early spring, you could feel the snow melting underfoot. All this snow melt supercharged Kolufossar, turning it into a hypnotizing display of power.

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Godafoss is certainly one of the most spectacular waterfalls, and sights in general, that I saw in Iceland. Clearly I'm not the only one who has thought so, as the name (Goðafoss in Icelandic) means "Waterfall of the Gods." Maybe it gets this name for its spectacular grandeur. Or perhaps from the myth that Iceland's parliament threw idols of their Norse gods over this waterfall when they switched to Christianity. Whatever the reason for the name, it certainly felt apt. While the waterfall is awe-inspiring when viewed from below, I fell more in love with this view from above. It's less photographed and less dramatic, but to me, this is how the gods see it.

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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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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 6667x3802). 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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The Stokksnes peninsula and beach were high on my list of places to visit in Iceland. It's a common photography spot, since the stunning mountains descend right to the beach. However, when I got there, there was nothing to photograph. A storm was firmly socked in, with lots of snowfall and virtually no visibility. Sadly, I moved on. However, after driving around a few fjords, I saw the mountains of Stokksnes appear in my rear view mirror. I pulled over and soaked it in. From this less-common side of the mountains, the storm made for a rather beautiful scene.

Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 6540x3557). 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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The Dubrovnik city walls are world famous, in part because they are the filming location for King's Landing in the hit show Game of Thrones. But if one imagines Croatia's Dalmatian Coast to feel anything like the show, they couldn't be more mistaken. In the show, the location is often somber and ominous. But Dubrovnik is anything but. It is bright, vivid, friendly and delightful. And instead of some treacherous impassible ocean, this shoreline of the Adriatic Sea is beautiful and inviting, with both locals and tourists happily jumping in to cool off.

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The town of Perast, Montenegro, was a very wealthy town full of prosperous merchants and shipbuilders in medieval times. It's location on the Dalmatian Coast was perfect, right at the center of many thriving trade routes. The protection of Kotor Bay and the Dinaric Alps meant fewer attacks from the many nearby pirates and competing empires. However, Perast eventually fell into poverty due to two things: the industrial revolution, and the discovery of the New World. The industrial revolution all but eliminated traditional ship building, which was Perast's strength. Furthermore, as trading shifted to the New World, Perast was no longer at the center of lucrative routes. At one point, it was so deserted that it became known to locals in the region as the "town of closed windows." But now, thanks to an increased global tourism (and the town's natural and historic beauty), Perast is reviving. However, residents seem to feel that the resurgence is a fragile one, as tourism is the one and only industry keeping the town afloat.

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The dramatic waterfalls of Krka National Park, Croatia, cascade down a travertine canyon – the largest such formation in Europe. The beautiful formations you can see under the water look like rocks or moss, but are actually tufa. Tufa is an iconic part of some mineral springs, like Mono Lake, but also forms in some rivers. When a river lacks organic content and has supersaturation in calcite, the turbulence of the waterfall can trigger precipitation onto moss or algae. It is said to be a good building material, but the tufa in Krka is now protected from removal. I'm glad for that, because it sure did add a beautiful uniqueness to this famous waterfall.

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