The Present and the Past
🌌“Every night landscape holds an eternity.” The mountain in front of me is the present. The sky behind it is
I’ve planned shots that clouds erased in minutes. I’ve driven 700 kilometers from Hungary to stand on a mountain in the dark — only to pack up and go home empty-handed.
I’ve waited years for the right moon phase, the right season, the right window of clear sky above the right peak.
But the images I’m most proud of? They came when I stopped following the plan and started reading the moment.
“If I can see the possibilities of the moment, despite or in spite of my forethought, it can often result in images that are even better than what I dreamed.”
That’s the Dolomites speaking. I just pressed the shutter.
When taking landscape photos, my approach is the same. Natural landscapes that are often difficult to reach are part of a great journey.
Of course, when humans are also present in the natural landscape, either by their presence or by their work that transforms the landscape, then the emphasis shifts slightly, and the local culture, human behavior, and emotions take on an important role.
If I can see the possibilities of the moment, despite or in spite of my forethought, it can often result in images that are even better than what I dreamed.
Thank you to everyone who followed along with this series.
I’m curious to hear about your experiences! Are they similar and memorable?
Gábor Takács — Hungary
All content of this series:
Global Lens Award 2025 winner interview (Travel)
Original shorter interview published in https://globallensawards.com/interview/2025/gabor-takacs/
About the Photo series:
My favorite branch of photography is landscape photography and nightscapes in particular. I first went to the Dolomites about ten years ago, and I was captivated by their jagged peaks. If I can’t explore every location by daylight, however, the weather is quite variable, so it often happens I can only cover that spot for night photography. On daytime hikes, whenever I find a spot that looks promising for night shots later, I mark it. This series selection of my favorite ones.
About the Panoramic Photo:
At the end of March I had the opportunity to travel to Madeira. I used Google Earth to explore the possibilities, where the Santo Laurenco Peninsula’s sea stacks and the ocean are framed by the spring Milky Way. On the first day, I walked around the peninsula and found the point. However, the weather was only favorable on the last night. This is a series of pictures taken with a vertical camera, which I stitched together into a single panoramic image.
🌌“Every night landscape holds an eternity.” The mountain in front of me is the present. The sky behind it is
🔭“The biggest challenge in night photography? Seeing the invisible.” You hike back to your scouted spot in the dark. You
⏳“4 visits. Several years. One image.” I first spotted this location on the edge of a marshy shore during a