I had forgotten how magnificent Tuscany is, till I decided to go back there for just a few days. Tuscany is a land that not only grants extraordinary food, wines, incredibly rich culture and warm and fun people, but also offers some of the most beautiful landscapes that you can find in Italy and in the world.
Some weeks ago I decided to take some days off to recharge my batteries. The project I'm working on it's quite demanding and I was in need of some time away from the office. I went to Val D'Orcia with a friend of mine, to indulge in some landscape photography.
Hasselblad X1D2 + 90mm f/11
Wavy hills, ancient villages, vineyards and towers. This is a very special, magnificent land, a corner of the Sienese countryside where nature and man's work have come together in perfect harmony, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
For a photography enthusiast it is impossible to cross Val D'Orcia without stopping every 500 meters to take some photos. The landscapes that surround the streets that cross the Val d'Orcia offer views that look like paintings, and the hills and the grass that cover them look like a sea in motion.
Hasselblad X1D2 + 90mm f/11
Being on the paths higher up in the valleys is like standing on a terrace that opens onto the heart of the Val d'Orcia, in front of a landscape that seems to have come out of a fantastic tale. The light of dawn, or sunset, illuminates the hills as far as the horizon and paints a series of surreal shades and plays of light.
Hasselblad X1D2 +90mm at f/11 at sunrise
My personal suggestion, if you love photography, is to bring with you not only a wide-angle lens, which should never be missing in your backpack, but also a nice telephoto. I went with a 90mm medium format but I would more than willingly go back with a 135mm with 2X teleconverter.
This place is so magnificent, it is clear that it is a treasure chest that continues to donate different rewards at every season. I hope with all my heart to be able to return soon.