The Mystical Blue Forest of Beligum

 The Hallerbos is a public forest in Belgium, mainly situated in the municipality of Halle, in Flemish Brabant. It is situated about 15 kilometers south of Brussels. You’d never imagine how the forest beautiful is? The forest is a lovely place for a stroll at any time of the year, but for limited weeks in spring, it is something really special. Hallerbos, also famous as The Blue Forest, is carpeted with a sea of blue flowers. The Common Bluebell is a spring-flowering bulbous perpetual plant with flowers shaped like tiny bells. They thrive under the beech trees of the Hallerbos in late April. If you’re a photographer then it is a perfect place for amazing photography. But photographing the Hallerbos can be challenging. First, you must get your timing right, and visit too early in the season, the bluebells will be sparse. If you get late, the flowers will be spent and the forest returned to typical woodland. As the season changes every year, depending on the weather, it can take several visits to the Hallerbos before you see the blue carpet it all its glory. 

The other challenge is the genuine fact that everyone wants to visit the Hallerbos at this time of year. Having tourists and other photographers in your photo can detract from the scene. The forest has other riches. In spring season it is full of birds blackcap warblers, wrens and nuthatches are the loudest. There’re red squirrels amongst the pines, buzzards in the clearings and tadpoles in the ponds. Halle's Wood was once part of the Sonian Forest, Europe's largest beech forest, stretching over the southern part of Brussels. In the First World War, the original Hallerbos was destroyed by the occupying forces, though some ancient oak and beech trees lasted the devastation and can still be seen these days. After the world war, in somewhere between the 1930s and 1950s, key replanting efforts took place reintroducing the native beech and oak trees. 

The wild bluebell hyacinths, though, are all natural and have been for centuries. Aside from bluebells, one can spot tiny wood sorrel, with its cup-shaped flowers and clover-like leaves, and the star-shaped white flowers of ramsons or wild garlic, which can be smelled before they can be seen. Therefore; the Hallerbos is a busy park at the best of times. There’re trails not only for walkers, but also for cycling and horseback riding as well. As with all outdoor camerawork, the best light occurs in Hallerbos early and late. With great patience you can accomplish lovely lighting filtering through the leaves of the trees. If you’re searching for macro images of the bluebells, you can take advantage of the fact that Belgium is often overcast for a nice even light. Whether you visit the Hallerbos with your camera or just you’re walking shoes, it is well worth a visit in the springtime to see this magical occasion.

Bluebell Forest - Hallerbos Belgium from Boris Godfroid on Vimeo.

Breathtaking Odle Dolomites Mountain Range of Italy

Dolomites Mountains are a magical place where days go by in peace, where you always view the brightness of the Pale Mountains. More than centuries a lot of words have been used to describe the beauty of these mountains, but of a thing I’m certain: the Dolomites Mountains are true natural heaven, a rich show of the environment with rocks, woods and pastures. 

It high in the Italian Alps, within the famous mountain range called the Dolomites, separating the Funes valley from the Gardena valley, sit the breathtaking Odle Mountains. Between all the mountains of the alpine chain, and the rest of the world, Dolomites are unique for their beauty and form. 

The breathtaking Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August 2009, and have been called some of the most good-looking mountain landscapes found anywhere in the world with its sheer cliffs, vertical walls and deep valleys. One writer descriptively called the mountains, "flames frozen in stone."

Strolling on the Dolomites is an exclusive experience in and of itself, as you get a 360-degree view of rocks that have been transformed over thousands of years. There’re a number of different trails, from the easy, well-graded paths to the more challenging ones. They provide to hikers of all abilities. Here’re some remarkable shots of the Odle mountain group taken by various photographers. Notice that spectacularly sheer cliff.

Old Man of Storr in the Isle of Skye

The Old Man of Storr is located on the north of Skye in the area known as ‘Trotternish’. Here’re breathtaking photos of the Old Man of Storr in the Isle of Skye, Scotland There's a reason why this is one of the most snapped landscapes in the world. The Old Man Storr is a remarkable pinnacle of rock on the Ise of Skye in Scotland that's surrounded by fabulous views. Think rocky hills next to striking green grassy slopes and then visions of water beyond. The place is relatively easy walk and the hike to the pinnacle's foot is just 1 mile, especially for such a tremendous experience. Most day-trippers are content simply to meander around the Sanctuary, admiring the pinnacles and gazing up at The Storr's eastern cliffs. But the question is how did the rocky pinnacles form? 

The weight of basalt lava on sedimentary rocks of the earlier Jurassic age is the main reason of massive landslides. The hills are made of horizontal flows of the basaltic lava, built on top of each other. What's it like standing there? "The Isle of Skye is packed of magical places and this might be one of the most magical places for photographers. The pinnacles of rock are far more gigantic than this photograph conveys in low resolution. The full resolution shot reveals a head-high sign on the path and it is totally dwarfed by the Old Man’s gargantuan size. 

Walking between those titans is like living in a fantasy novel or more recently, a sci-fi film - one of the opening scenes from Prometheus was filmed here. It’s quite a place as well. For those of us who have yet to visit, here are some of dramatic photos of famous Old Man of Storr. Love how the otherworldly landscape takes on such a different feel as the seasons change. Hiking on this place is a great activity in Skye if the weather is good enough. The walk to the top is steep, and requires good shoes as it can be boggy in parts, but the view from the top is magnificent, so well worth it. Great walk for the dog however there are wild sheep roaming so keep pooches on a lead. The best sights are from the top of the cliffs to the east of the summit, from which you can look down on the tortured landslide topography where you left the crowds behind you half an hour ago.