Ticino, July 5th 2013

Canon EOS 5D MkIII, EF 17-40/4
1/2 second
ƒ/22

About these Pictures

The first shot on this page was taken in October, on a wonderful day with temperatures of about 20 °C. It was particularly mild for this time of the year and the height of 1500m. The scenery was stunningly beautiful, with the mountain torrent surrounded by the brightly colored larches, and the late sun casting the scenery in a warm and soft light. Composing the pictures wasn't easy, though. The torrent follows a very irregular path with many small waterfalls; finding a composition that properly includes it in the picture turned out to be quite a challenge. Even though taking photographs in such an environment was truly enjoyable, there was also a vague sense of melancholy to the scene. I knew that this was the year's last burst of beauty, and winter would be next. Autumn is also a sad season.

I came back to this beautiful location in early July, and took the second picture from the same spot as the first picture. I used a different lens; not the 24mm prime lens I had in autumn, but the 17-40/4 at a focal length of 20mm. While I like the summer picture very much, with its rich and vibrant green color and the bright red alp roses, I was surprised by how different the same location looks in summer than in autumn.