When I lost my mother to lung cancer, and my engagement ended in the same year, the world became colorless to me. I was convinced there wasn’t any magic left for me to feel anymore, and went through my days trying to survive with my children, instead of truly living.
When a friend convinced me to take a few days for myself to go backpacking for the first time, I was hesitant, because I had never done any outdoor activities before, and I had no interest in sleeping outside…I trusted him though.
We hiked up 6 miles to an alpine lake to where we setup camp for a night, and I was astonished! There was a moment on the hike, when I found a pond of white lilies just as the sun was setting, sending dozens of gold beams through a wall of skinny white trees. When I stopped in awe, a white butterfly flew by and sat down on my hip to flutter its wings for a few seconds. Before it flew away, I smiled down at it, and in that moment, I knew that I was wrong about the world.
If I continue to keep shooting and exploring, I would hope that my photos spread the same sense of hope and wonder that other landscape photos did for me a year ago when it led me to the outdoors. I especially hope that my photos are seen by those who also felt like I did a year ago, that the world is becoming colorless.
I hope my photos inspire those people to step outside to explore and find for themselves that when they leave the city and their comfort zones behind, they’ll find that there is still an abundance of magic left in the world to discover, and I hope that discovery makes them feel lucky and happy to be alive.
In this article, Massimo shares seven practical strategies, from embracing atmospheric haze to mastering complementary contrast, that transformed the way I approach golden hour.
Raised on film photography and shaped by years of architectural study at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Christian Stark brings a structural eye and a traveler’s instinct to everything he shoots. Now based in Sweden, he photographs the world from camper van roads across Europe to cold mountain summits in Germany — always with an open mind and often with just one camera.
Mehdi Tadlaoui is a visual storyteller blending cinematic precision with a refined sense of composition and emotion. Shaped by art, film, and a background in 3D and VFX, he uses photography to explore atmosphere and narrative. This foundation guides his fieldwork, where fleeting moments become carefully composed visual stories.
Driven by a desire to witness the world in its rawest states, Sebastian Tan pursues remote landscapes with patience and precision. Blending meticulous planning with resilience, his work transforms fleeting light into immersive fine art. Recognized internationally, Sebastian bridges the wild and familiar, inviting others to see through his lens.
Known for capturing nature’s raw intensity, Filip Breda creates atmospheric landscapes shaped by storm, fire, and light. Winner of the 6th ColorPro Awards for Thunderstorm, his work reflects years of persistence, exploration, and a deep emotional connection to the elements.
Toruń, set along the Vistula River in north-central Poland, is a UNESCO-listed gem where Gothic brick façades glow in the last light of day. Small and unhurried, it’s a city made for slow wandering, and for watching golden hour turn terracotta rooftops into crimson and gold.
