A high alpine mountain landscape: Majestically Rising

By Johan Peijnenburg

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I will be mostly offline in the coming weeks to relax a bit and to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Additionally, I will be out there hunting for high alpine mountain landscapes like this photograph titled Majestically Rising. So, wish me luck! 😉

I captured this one around this time last year, during a snowshoe hike in the Swiss canton of Valais near Orsières. To clarify, you are looking at France from Switzerland. In the back you see the majestic Mont Blanc massif rising above a thick layer of clouds. I went up to an altitude of 2,100 metres (7,000ft) pretty early, to shoot the massif with soft early morning light. The layer of clouds was a very nice bonus. Yep, catching a scene under these circumstances definitely gets my blood pumping! I hope you like how I captured it!?

Majestically Rising

A mountain landscape in colour, with early morning light on the Mont Blanc Massif in winter rising above the clouds. In the foreground fresh snow and a line of trees with snow and hoarfrost.

For those who are into details: the mountains in the back are the Aiguille d’Argentière, Mont Blanc, Aiguille de l’a Neuve, Grand Darray, Mont Dolent, and the Tour Noir. All of them are 3,900 metres (13,000 feet) or higher.

I photographed this high alpine mountain landscape with a Nikon D800E and a Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 lens. The sky was quite bright already. As a result, I had to use a Singh-ray gradient neutral density filter to balance the exposure bit. The settings were: 50mm, f/11, 1/300s and ISO 100.

Click on the photograph to see a larger version or to buy a print or licence.

Cheers, Johan 🙂

202 thoughts on “A high alpine mountain landscape: Majestically Rising”

  12. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    Many thanks +atiana ! 🙂
    @Gerda: mooi 🙂
    @Asif: … ok …
    @Jim: glad you like it Jim 🙂
    @Paul: thanks for the kind words Paul! This place as such amazing views! Nice ski area as well btw 🙂

    Reply
  18. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Rosa: lol Rosa. Thank you 🙂
    @Sinead: yes I am … just need a bit more snow here! Thanks 🙂
    @Rikard: many thanks Rikard!
    @Michael: thanks Michael! 🙂 

    Reply
  19. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Johan: many thanks Johan and happy new year to you too!
    @Michelle: thanks Michelle! 🙂
    @Yasmin: glas you like this one as well Yasmin 🙂 Best wishes to you as well! 🙂
    @Thierry: thank you Thierry and wishing you a great year as well! Merci! 🙂 

    Reply
  20. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Athena: thanks Athene and yes I enjoyed the time off! Hope the same goes for you 🙂
    @Betty: thank you Betty. Best wishes to you as well 🙂
    @Vishal: thanks for the compliment Vishal! Best wishes to you 2! 🙂
    @Dirk Photography: thanks and nice to meet you 🙂 

    Reply
  21. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Anna: many thanks Anna! Same to you 🙂
    @Suzie: glad you like it Suzie and thank you! Wishing you all the best as well 🙂
    @Annette: U2 Annette! 🙂
    @Andreas: danke vielmals Andreas! Gleichfalls! 🙂 

    Reply
  22. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Kurt: many thanks Kurt! 🙂
    @Angela: thanks for singing Angela! 🙂
    @Grzegorz: many thanks and hope it will be a great one for you as well Grzegorz! And maybe we will run into each other this year 😉
    @Anna: I enjoyed it Anna thanks! Hope yours was nice as well! 🙂

    Reply
  23. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Stephen: thanks for the compliment and all the best for 2014 for you too! 🙂
    @Mady: happy New Year Mady 🙂
    @John: thanks John and looking forward to seeing you again in the new year! 🙂
    @Kamal: thank you sir! 🙂 

    Reply
  30. Yasmin Simpson says:

    …. and as always majestically quality images from you, buddy Johan.
    Wishing all the very best to you and yours this 2014.
    Huge hug :)

    Reply
  34. Athena Carey says:

    I missed this one – been offline for awhile. This is gorgeous!!
    I hope that you had a marvelous holiday season Johan :)

    Reply
  47. Stephen Cairns says:

    Beautiful, alpine heaven. Just gorgeous.
    All the best in 2014 Johan. Enjoy your holidays too. Hopefully there will be a little time for photography in there as well.

    Reply
  54. Michael says:

    Great work Johan.

    Last week i was shooting this from the French side around a 100km away with a long lens on the Ballon D’Alsace at sunrise.
    I did a nice pano of this mountain range too.

    Have a great Xmas, and hope to see you in the new year sometime.

    Reply
  55. Hope OHara says:

    What a gorgeous scene.. and yes I wore my coat and gloves this time when I came in to visit you.. “smiling”.. wishing you and your loved ones the best Christmas ever.. filled with laughter, magic and love… soft hugs my dear friend..

    Reply
  60. Andi Rivarola says:

    Amazing views and scene Johan. So glad you share your work with Photo Journal Worldwide! Thank you and Happy Holidays.

    Reply
  63. Mark Esguerra says:

    Such a beautiful photo and perfect way to celebrate the winter holidays! Have yourself a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Johan! See you in 2014! ;-)

    Reply
  74. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Aamir: thanks Aamir!
    @Tom: 🙂 Enjoy the holidays Tom!
    @Nikola: inderdaad 🙂 Thanks Nikola!
    @Jean: many thanks Jean!

    Reply
  75. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Don: It definitely was a great sight. Hard to describe and not easy to capture in an image! Thanks 🙂
    @Michael: hmmm I couldn’t live there 😉 Good luck with the city and lakescapes Michael!
    @Sumit: it was doable Sumit 🙂

    Reply
  76. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @George: thanks for the wow George 🙂
    @Bjarte: many thanks Bjarte!
    @Jerry: glad you do Jerry 😀 Enjoy the holidays! 🙂

    Reply
  77. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Anatoliy: thanks Anatoliy! 🙂
    @Enrique: thanks and enjoy the hols ! 🙂
    @Günther: Thanks and thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  80. Tom Tran says:

    Such a silly question, Johan; of course I like how you captured it. 😉
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours, Johan!

    Reply
  84. Jerry Johnson says:

    Lovely layers of majestic beauty! I do not simply enjoy your photography Johan, I am inspired by it!! Merry Christmas my talented friend! :-)

    Reply
  87. Günter Schurr says:

    Nice winter scenery Johan! I hope you’ve a little bit snow at Christmas, too:)).
    Merry Christmas! Enjoy your feast days:)

    Reply
  91. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Brian: thanks Brian! 🙂
    @David: thanks for the compliment David 🙂
    @Anette: thanks Anette! Likewise Anette! 🙂 

    Reply
  92. Anette Mossbacher says:

    For sure I like this a lot Johan great capture :))
    Wish you & Deborah relaxing Holidays. Enjoy family and friends :)

    Reply
  105. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Angela: thank you very much Angela ! 🙂
    @Annick: ow, yes you should and I can give you some tips of where to go for photography 🙂 Thanks for the nice comment! 

    Reply
  106. Markus Landsmann says:

    Many thanks Johan and a wonderful photo. I wish your family and you also a good christmas time and a good start into the new year.

    Reply
  107. Annick Jaquillard says:

    Amazing! Johan …So crispy, I can almost feel this snow.

    I need to go to the mountains and leave” my” lake!…:)

    Reply
  108. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Delcour: thanks a bunch Eric and merry Christmas to you too! 🙂
    @Gerda: dank je!! Dat ligt best lekker denk ik 😉 

    Reply
  110. Wilfried Haferland says:

    I really like the ultimate crispness of your image ’cause that’s exactly what mountains are about… At least for me ;-). Thanks Johan!

    Reply
  112. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    Ho ho ho Mikko! Thanks and merry Christmas 🙂
    @Leyla: thank you and happy holidays to you as well Leyla. Enjoy! 

    Reply
  117. Victor Westerhout says:

    Very nice composition (especially full screen).. I love the little ‘podium’ with snow at the front, followed by the trees.

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      yep, it doesn’t look bad big 🙂 Glad you like how I composed this. Btw there is a 1500m drop just after those trees 🙂 

      Reply
  119. George Marquardt says:

    Another fabulous landscape Johan! There’s nothing like getting out in the backcountry like this, and to combine it with photography is a bonus.
    Enjoy the Christmas holiday, it wounds like a wonderful plan!

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      Many thanks George and merry Christmas to you too! I am already looking forward to dive in this type of scenery again George. We have’t had a lot of snow so far, so hope we’ll get some fresh white stuff soon. How is winter over there?

      Reply
  120. Jean-Michel Taconné says:

    Very beautiful picture of the Mont Blanc massif ! A place I also love very much. Happy Christmas and Merry New Year to you :-)

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      merci beaucoup Jean-Michel! Yes, one of my favourite places. This is the view from the Swiss side. Bon fêtes! 

      Reply
  122. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Robin: same to you Robin! Hope you will have a relaxing time as well. Enjoy! Thanks 🙂
    @Dominique: haha 🙂 The fact that you think so doesn’t mean everyone agrees or that I cannot be uncertain about it 🙂 Thanks! Fijne Kerstdagen en alvast een mooi 2014 gewenst Dominique! 

    Reply
  123. Michael A. Koontz says:

    Merry xmas and a pleasant, fun new year to you too Johan , lovely winter magic going on in your vista as well – have a great 2014 man!.

    Reply
  124. Dominique Hilbert says:

    How how how 🙂 Don’t ask a question like that, you know everybody loves your photos. It’s very beautiful! Happy Christmas and Merry New Year to you. Veel plezier nog! 

    Reply
  131. Michael Muraz says:

    Wow Johan. Fantastic view! You’re making miss the mountains a lot right now! Won’t be seeing any of them for a while…

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      thanks for the wow Michael! Sorry to hear you are missing the mountains. It is a good thing that I share them then ejh 😉 Best wishes and hope all is well in Canada!? 

      Reply
      • Michael Muraz says:

        All is well in Canada Johan! Trying to figure out the holidays away from the family
        I knew there would not be mountains, it’s just a different experience! And I can always go to your profile to get my dose of sweet altitude!

        Reply
          • Michael Muraz says:

            I don’t think driving is going to cut it… the highest elevation in Ontario (Toronto’s province) is 693m….and it’s in the middle of nowhere at least 5 hours away.
            I think for that kind of driving, we’d better try to go to the US, in the north of New York state… The northern Appalachian Mountains are maybe 6 or 7 hours away.

            Anyway I’ll stick to cityscapes and lake images for now I think ;-)

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