On a misty November day, I set out to walk along the Rilke Trail, a path that winds along cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea and leads toward the Duino Castle.

I also took this opportunity to shoot my first roll of film — you can read about how that went here.

The trail starts above a small marina filled with boats, where I came across a sign warning people not to walk too close to the cliff’s edge. I liked how the scene came together: the bright red of the sign, the wet rocks in the foreground, the autumn trees in the middle ground, and the soft view of the bay in the distance.

A warning sign along the Rilke Trail near Trieste, placed on a rocky cliff above a marina filled with boats and surrounded by autumn trees — *Sign - f2.8, 1/200, ISO 100*

Looking back, I think I could have composed it more carefully — ideally, the sign would overlap only with the trees rather than the rocks, the tree on the left wouldn’t intersect with the boats in the background and the sign would be precisely in the center of the imahe. Still, I’m quite satisfied with the image overall.

Further along the trail, I noticed some ivy growing out of the rocks. I was drawn to the subtle variation in greens — from the bright, fresh tones of the newer leaves at the top to the deeper, more mature shades below.

Close-up of fresh green ivy leaves covered in raindrops along the Rilke Trail near Trieste, with soft background foliage and rocks — *Ivy - f2.8, 1/80, ISO 100*

Inside Duino Castle, I climbed to the top of the main tower and took a photo of the roof — a rhythmic pattern of tiles broken up by a series of vertical chimneys overlooking the sea. I was drawn to the geometry of the rooflines and how they contrasted with the organic texture of the water below. The small sailboat on the left adds a gentle point of interest, and I especially love how the horizon fades so softly that the sea and sky almost blend into one.

Terracotta rooftop of Duino Castle with several old chimneys overlooking the calm Adriatic Sea on a misty day — *Roof and Sea - f5.6, 1/400, ISO 200*

Just behind the main castle lie the ruins of the old one, offering an incredible view of the coast. I think this composition works particularly well — the small bay below, with its little hut, provides a strong focal point, while the blend of blue sea, grey rock, and green trees creates a natural harmony.

If you’re curious to see how this same scene looked on film, you can find it here.

View of Duino Castle perched on a cliff above the Adriatic Sea, with a small bay and stone hut below, surrounded by dense green trees on an overcast day — *Duino Castle - f5.6, 1/125, ISO 200*

After completing the trail, I made my way down to the rocky shore and took a photo of the gentle waves rolling in as the last light of the day faded into dusk. The horizon was soft and muted, the sea and sky blending into one another — a quiet, peaceful end to the walk and a fitting close to a misty November day.

View of the Adriatic Sea at dusk with soft light breaking through the clouds, seen from the rocky shore near the end of the Rilke Trail — *Sea and Sky - f5.6, 1/125, ISO 200*

Rilke Trail

First Time Film Photography

Six Frames with the Contax Zeiss 28mm f/2.8