In August of 2019, we were doing our second leg (425 km) of the Chemin de St-Jacques-de-Compostelle in France. For such an endeavor, minimizing luggage weight is paramount, so I limited my photography equipment to one camera, 2 lenses, and several memory cards. In 35 mm terms, I carried a 24-200 mm F4 lens and a 50 mm F1.4. Portability is one of the reasons I love my Olympus gear.

On that day, we hiked along a rural road near the village of Montreal. I was enchanted by the contrasts of the various elements in the image: the curving pattern of the repeating vineyard vines, the curved and straight furrows in the field and the brown earthen road winding through the green. It brought us to a dead stop and I absolutely had to record this beauty. I used a 200 mm focal length (35 mm eq) to capture the image.

Hiking the famous Chemin de St-Jacques-de-Compostelle offers great opportunities each day to take marvelous photos and meet happy people who have come from all around the world.