Golden Hour on Flekkerøy | Kristiansand, Norway by Kilometer 120 | René Metzinger

As if following a natural path, the water flows between the rocky shores of Flekkerøy out towards the setting sun. On the right, red and white wooden houses line the coastline, whilst small boats bob gently on the water. The low-hanging sun forms the radiant focal point of the scene, bringing the Norwegian summer evening to a close in warm golden hues.

In portrait format, the depth of the landscape takes on a special quality. The eye begins on the darker expanse of water in the foreground and follows the narrowing bay towards the bright horizon. Above it, the textured evening sky opens up, its clouds reflecting the last warm colours of the sunset. The visible sun star adds a distinct highlight.

The photograph was taken at 20 mm, f/16, ISO 100 and an exposure time of 0.4 seconds. The small aperture ensures a large depth of field whilst also creating the striking sun star. The deliberately chosen exposure time retains some movement and texture in the water, rather than smoothing it out completely.

Thanks to its portrait orientation, this image is particularly well-suited to narrower or taller wall spaces, such as in a hallway, stairwell, next to a window or between two doors. The strong vertical composition also works very well as a large single image. Together with the landscape version, it also forms a lovely pair showcasing two different perspectives of the same Norwegian summer evening.