This week, Egidio hosts a challenge looking back to #31 in 2019. He writes in his challenge post, “Vast scenes, intimate landscapes, cloudscapes, and nightscapes are all fair game. It was challenging to limit the number of photos I wanted to include here. That is why we call it a challenge, right? Can you select only a few of your best landscape photographs?” You can read his entire challenge post here.

I’ve called myself a landscape photographer since I started writing this blog, but truth be told, I’m still learning the craft, and I still marvel at those whom I only dare to imitate. This year was a banner year for Lynn and me in travel. I’ve got so many examples from this year alone, I have limited my six images to those taken in 2025. My opening image, taken in the countryside of São Miguel, an island in the Portuguese archipelago known as the Azores, features a scene within the forest reserve. In the background, small volcanic cones known as “Picos” are set amid the lush green pastures and forests of this island paradise.

My second image is an experiment with Google’s Nano Banana. In a future post, I will share some images of our tour of Rotterdam. To open that post, I processed a photo taken with my Nikon Z7 II and then asked Google AI Studio to modify it in the style of several Dutch artists. My favorite image is the AI reimagining of my photo, as if it were a scene painted by Vincent Van Gogh.

One of our journeys this year was to our 50th state. We spent some time exploring Kauai. I took many photos from various parts of the island, but one of my favorites is this scenic pull-off between Kalaheo and Hanapepe. I took several pictures from this viewpoint in various weather conditions, but I will share only my favorite exposure here.

Landscapes don’t have to be natural, except maybe for the natural lighting that creates a unique exposure. We arrived in the port city of Lisbon on a cruise ship, and the sun was painting with a magical brush that morning. I focused on the largest building I could see and captured this slice of architecture in Lisbon. It was only when I returned home to process the photos that I discovered the building’s significance. The National Pantheon in Lisbon is a Baroque church that serves as the final resting place for many of Portugal’s most revered cultural and historical figures. Originally built as the Church of Santa Engrácia, it was designated the National Pantheon in 1916.

Traveling through Texas on US 90 in October, on our way east toward San Antonio, we crossed the Pecos River, where a rest area sign pointed to a road ascending toward a viewpoint high above the river. Our stop was rewarded with a beautiful view of the Pecos River Valley and a view of the highest bridge deck in the state. The steel arch, completed in 1957, soars 273 feet (82 m) above the river. The Pecos River cuts a steep and rugged canyon through the arid West Texas landscape. To maintain a relatively straight and efficient highway route, engineers needed to bridge the canyon at a high elevation rather than descending and then climbing back up.

Back in Fargo for the summer, my grandson and I wandered through Orchard Glen Park to work on some landscape photography. There, the Red River curves around one of the many twists and turns on its way to Canada. I noticed someone fishing, a pole resting on the bank, its line trailing into the water. Clearly, it was time for a nap. I created this black-and-white version just for Egidio’s challenge.

I could continue on with more landscape photos from 2025, but I’m following Egidio’s suggestion to keep the image count to six. That’s all for this week’s challenge. You can view all of these images in 2K HD on my Flickr site here. Last week, Tina hosted the challenge with Ephemeral. I really enjoyed all of the responses to capture those moments that happen and disappear so quickly. Next week, it’s my turn to host. My challenge will be posted at noon Eastern Time on Saturday, November 15.

John Steiner