Alhambra Sunset, Fine Art Photograph

Albaicín district, Grenada, Spain

Alhambra Sunset: In some ways, Landscape photography is like sports and music.  Preparation and repetition are prerequisites for success. The 10,000 hours rule, popularized by author, Malcolm Gladwell applies to both. In the world of landscape photography, you will often find that the best portfolios from a given region are generally compiled by photographers that live in that region and have worked tirelessly there, perhaps for 10,000 hours. Those photographers had honed their skills and were prepared for the opportunities they encountered. Getting a great image from a location on a first visit is a matter of preparation and….Luck.  Will you find the perfect composition while golden light is fleeting? Will you enjoy wonderful clouds to add texture and color to an otherwise flat sky? Will your tripod hold steady in a brisk wind during long exposures? Will you adjust your exposure to accommodate the wind? Preparation is built and honed, while conditions are largely temporal.

During a recent family vacation, our little family spent time in Tuscany, and the Andalucia region of southern Spain. We thoroughly enjoyed the Medici Chapels in Florence as well as the elegant textures of the hilltop wine town of Montepulciano. We anticipated that one of the highlights of Andalucia would be Alhambra in the city of Grenada, Spain. Upon the urging of my little sister, we purchased tickets and arranged for a guide for Alhambra, well in advance. This historic Medina receives countless visitors, even in winter and tickets allow entrance during a precise 30 minute window. If you are not there during that window…. You lose your right of entrance.  In preparation, I did a fair amount of research regarding the majesty of Alhambra. Tripods are not allowed in Alhambra, so all of my captures would be hand-held. This was NOT my preference but in light of the numbers of visitors, it was understandable.

Albaicín Neighborhood, Grenada, Spain

We stayed at a home located in the historic AlbaicÍn neighborhood which has been inhabited since 6,500BC which was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.

My sister, had suggested this historic neighborhood as a good home base as it offered endless wandering and exploration through winding streets lined with white washed homes. From reading the description of the home online, I knew it had a rooftop deck. What I didn’t know was how epic the view was from the deck. After dropping our luggage in early evening of a sunny day, I immediately ventured to the deck to find a jaw-dropping view of Alhambra. I was mesmerized. As I stared in disbelief, clouds began to form over the ancient fortress walls. As I had no tripod on this trip, I scrambled to move a table and stack chairs onto the table to give me an elevated vantage point and an improved view. Clouds thickened, the sun fell and a magical Alhambra Sunset occurred. Was this image a result of 10,000 hours of preparation? Partially. I was prepared, mostly. I had no tripod which would have been a lot more effective but I improvised which was critical to capturing this stunning new fine art photograph of Alhambra. The clouds and the view were simply gifts from the photography gods. Thank to them! I’m ecstatic about this new fine art print. If you have marveled at the beauty of Alhambra and the whole city of Grenada and you are interested in a fine art photograph of this beautiful image, please feel free to call me at 541-610-4815.

After our adventure in Grenada, we thoroughly enjoyed the Roman Bridge of Cordoba,  the Cordoba Mosque Cathedral, the Puente Nuevo in Ronda Spain as well as La Giralda in Seville Spain.

To view my newest fine art print of interior details of the Nasrid Palace, arguably the crowing Jewel of Alhambra, visit, Alhambra Fine Art Print.