Enrico Villa Photography

Portuguese Man o' War

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017: HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Primary Colours category and shortlisted in the Wildlife, Sealife category. A few months earlier, the judges of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards commended this picture of mine as Top 50 in the World in the awards’ Open Wildlife category. Often incorrectly defined as jellyfish, the Portuguese Man o' War is a siphonophore - a colonial organism. While the bell is harmless, their tentacles can deliver very painful stings! I took this shot while the Man-o-war was floating on the water surface a few miles off the south coast of Pico Island (Azores, Portugal). Later on, at home, I looked at the picture and realised, much to my surprise, that I had got a shot with a very abstract mood from a 100% real photograph. Very calm seas and smooth wavelets led to the totally unexpected reflections. +/- Read the story behind this shot

Mount Pico wearing a turban (dedicated to my Mom)

Sunset on Mount Pico, the highest peak in Portugal (2351 metres). Located on Pico Island in the Azores, this stratovolcano is dormant and last erupted in 1718. His famous hat (a lenticular cloud) looked actually more like a turban when I captured this shot. +/- Read the story behind this shot

Lake Bled reflection

Reflection on Lake Bled in autumn. The island in the middle of the lake features a gothic church. The spot is truly beautiful and has become a classic for photographers. This image was awarded Top Photo Winner in Vacation Destination Challenge on GuruShots.

Sperm whale diving off Pico Island

A sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is fluking up and about to go on a deep, foraging dive to feed on squids. The image was was captured off Pico Island, Azores, Portugal.

Rifugio Nambino in the Dolomites

Night shot of Rifugio Nambino, located in the Adamello-Brenta National Park, right by Lake Nambino. In winter, the lake is frozen and its surface is covered with snow. Access to the area is strictly regulated and walking is the only way you are allowed to reach the refuge. The closest town is Madonna di Campiglio, Trentino, Italy.

Majestic iceberg in Ilulissat Icefjord

By far, the nicest iceberg I happened to see during my winter trip to Greenland. While on a boat tour, I instantly fell in love with the shape and texture of it.

Cloud Hat on Pico Volcano

The amazing cloud hat on Pico volcano, the highest peak in Portugal (2351 m). Such lenticular cloud is rarely observed. It forms very rapidly and, due to the high air turbulence, the changes in shape are so abrupt that they sometimes look like time lapses! I was very lucky in this occasion as the cloud just kept spinning around the top of the mount during the 30 seconds I needed for my exposure. Ten seconds later, it suddenly started to descend along the slopes of the volcano, completely covering its summit. +/- Read the story behind this shot

Forte de Santa Catarina

My take on the Forte de Santa Catarina at blue hour, Figueira da Foz, Portugal.

Grand Teton National Park

View to the Tetons from my trip to Wyoming and Montana in 2011.

Coyote in Yellowstone National Park

Coyote blending into the background, Yellowstone National Park, late October.

Bison traffic jam

Spot color photo of bison causing a bit of a traffic jam in Yellowstone National Park. Rather than simply crossing, these four bison stopped in the middle of the road for a little while, thus freezing the shot themselves rather than the photographer!

The volcano at the very end of Europe

Vulcão dos Capelinhos and the ruined lighthouse. Located in the mid-Atlantic, on the western side of Faial island in the Azores (Portugal), the volcano last erupted in 1957-1958 for 13 months in a row. The natural catastrophe started with a submarine eruption and then involved lava bombs, pyroclastic clouds as well as lava streaming into the ocean. Although there were no casualties, thousands of people had to leave their homes. In 1958, the United States of America helped through the so called Azorean Refugee Act, by authorising the emigration of 1500 people. Among the Congressmen sponsoring the act was a young Senator of Massachusetts named John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The first floor of the lighthouse is still completely buried in ashes and sand. Considering that Flores (the westernmost island of the Azorean archipelago) lies within the North American plate, the volcano of Capelinhos can be considered the westernmost point of Europe. +/- Read the story behind this shot

Sled dogs in Greenland

Commonly used by fishermen and hunters, sled dogs are widespread in Greenland, where there are no roads between towns.