I took this photo in Durres, Albania, just half an hour drive away from the capital city of Tirana. It was early summer, which explains the lack of crowds there. The focal point here is the tree, as it breaks the otherwise peaceful, if not dull, imagery and it provides for a place for the eye to rest. Another thing to remember is that horizons should never be sloping, but should almost always be horizontal. This photo is best enjoyed when having Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" playing in the background, while imagining an inadequately clothed Helena Christensen look-alike dancing around. Imagination, it's a good thing.

Here's a photo taken in Dhermi, Albania. Travelling and getting out in nature to capture some of the amazing beauty that you see is one of my favorite things to do and photograph. Being able to afford to travel and to find the time to get out is a different story. (Subtle hint: Click on the ads to the right.) It also comes down to being lucky while scoping out different locations, as oftentimes they are rarely the magical places that you expect them to be after hearing your grandparents fondly describing them as such with tears rolling down their wrinkly, tubby, smelling-like-freshly-baked-cookies cheeks. Mmmm. Freshly baked cookies.