Nice result!

Beautiful! We seem to have similar styles.

Thanks Joka and Roberta.

Roberta, I just received my copy of Michael Orton's Creative Landscapes. He was just mythology to me before I had contact with you. He's a real, breathing, living person with a great creative vision. Thanks for your tip in the forum!

You're welcome. I think he's required reading for anyone that's ready to take photography to another level. So is Freeman Patterson's Photo Impressionism and Photography and the Art of Seeing (and all his books really).

This is an HDR shot, meaning that I bracketed exposition by 2IL, with the middle shot being "correctly" exposed in matrix mode.
It should be done with a tripod but I didn't have one at that moment, so hand-held. It can work pretty well if focal length is short and speed high. Having a quick camera of course helps (it's a Nikon D50 here, so can probably be better). My point being, it's much better to do it with a tripod but not having one should never be a reason to miss a good HDR opportunity.
The HDR itself was processed in photomatix, with some tone mapping to add the effect. It was further enhanced in photoshop with simple layers & masks to get more contrast in the lower part while not burning the sky.

It was shot in the lovely city of Cividale del Friuli, in Italy, close to Trieste and Venice.

Very nice work Alexandre. I am pretty new to digital photography and really unsure of a lot of things - could you tell me what "bracketed exposition by 2IL" means?

Thanks Sher. Bracketing means taking several times the same picture with different parameters. Here the exposition is changed (actually the speed, because if aperture is modified, so is depth of field, which we don't want). So in this case, three photos were taken: one normally exposed, one with -2IL compensation, and one with +2IL compensation. It is an option of most DSLRs, and perhaps also some high-end compact cameras.
HDR then works by merging all the shots and keeping only the parts that are interesting. This is why I managed to have the sun almost in the frame while still keeping details of the sky and having a correctly exposed foreground.

I hope that helps, don't hesitate to ask if something is still unclear.

I've not tried HDR yet but your image makes the anxious to get out and give it a try.

A wonderful composition in light and form.

The soft glow diffusion works wonderful here. Nicely done:)

Terrific shot and processing Arne.

Thanks - this was shot on Ilford Delta 100 pushed to 400 and overdeveloped a further stop beyond that - no post processing to speak of. I used a crappy old Canon AV-1 that i bought on Craigslist for $20.

Kim, let me be the first to compliment you on this remarkable piece of art. The composition is flawless. Don't let the others critize you on the blown out highlights. The colors, tones and texture are beautiful.

Ditto on the comment about the highlights...in fact I don't even notice them. There's so much great detail to look at and the comp is right on. Well done:)

Thank you Ron and Jo. I did a little work on the highlights a while ago when I first took this shot. There's just way too much sun here in the Mediterranean. :o) Plus, it was mid-day, but I just couldn't pass this entrance up without snappping away at it.

A moody, emotive image, Roberta. Well done.

LOL....Thanks Ron:))

The voting will show if you are right or wrong. Personally, I like it...very Pulp Fiction.

Thanks very much:) How does one vote for an image?

Very nostalgic looking shot. Nice sun; and I think it suits the category.

Thank you:) It was taken at a local classic car show.

Is there anything you don't photograph well?

Very nice. Looks like a good use of fill flash for the flowers.

Picture postcard perfect

Stunning capture. Should be a poster:)

I like how the light is filtering through

I'm a little surprised this is featured..., but stumbled upon the light shining through the trees in Muir Woods (north of San Francisco). Really pretty area to visit.

I really love the natural light and the framing.

Wonderful capture, Jason.

Thanks Jen and Ron.

A unique vision. It has emotional appeal.

thanks Ron, that's just what i want to transmit.

The house was centered on purpose to contribute to it's sense of isolation.