"You should walk up the path to Mandelberg, it's just across the street!" My enthusiastic Airbnb host said as I met him in the parking lot 90 minutes before sunset.
I had planned to walk about the village of Mittelwihr, where I was staying, and to capture life as is during the golden hour. But my host was very convincing. I took his advice on the spot and walked up the slope past the Mandelberg Hotel to the hilltop of Mandelberg, which translates to 'almond tree hill'.
It is named as such due to the almond trees lining the top of the hill along the vineyards, which bloom a bright pink in early spring.
Being October, the almond trees were bare but it was the season for the vineyards to shine bright gold in their dying moments.
Mandelberg did not disappoint. It provided amazing views to the vineyards surrounding Mittelwihr and to other villages in the distance. And at golden hour the atmosphere was simply surreal.
While walking through the vineyards I noticed a man on horseback trotting through the fields. It was a decisive moment in perfect golden lighting and I knew I HAD to capture this moment, which may never occur again.
The surrounding vines were relatively bare, as most of the yellow leaves had fallen. But in the setting sun and gentle mist, they looked like specks of gold floating in the air - like a resplendent gathering of fireflies.
Attributes
Artist: Sanqueira
Edition: 1/1
Collection: An Autumn in Alsace
Year: 2022
Location: Mittelwihr, France
Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 18 - 135 mm
ISO: 100
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter speed: 1/500 s
Focal length: 135 mm.
License: NFT can be used in advertising, private displays and in exhibitions by the NFT holder, as long as artist is credited. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution or derivative works. The artist holds the Copyright.