Cypress trees and chapel in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia by Edwin Mooijaart

Same location in the Val d'Orcia, but now with the cypress trees taking the lead. These tall, slender trees are the symbol of the Tuscan landscape, and on a spring morning they stood upright like sentinels on both sides of my camera. In the distance, on a green hill at the centre of the frame, the Cappella di Vitaleta stands white and small, surrounded by its own cypresses. The rolling hills between are covered in young green grass and the typical plough lines of Tuscan farming, which give the landscape a graphic structure. A light morning mist still lingered in the valleys, making the more distant hills softly fade to a blue-grey silhouette. The overcast sky provided a soft, even light without harsh shadows, ideal for letting the spring greens show their full richness. I chose a longer focal length to compress the cypress trees in the foreground and still bring the chapel clearly into the frame. This is the kind of image you cannot plan for, but only find when you are there early enough. This work suits a dining room, living room or hallway with a warm or Mediterranean interior. The spring greens and classic Tuscan atmosphere bring la dolce vita right into your home.