What an honour.

I discovered Rebecca Lily’s presets shortly after returning from our three-week Europe trip last summer. I had already edited most of our photos from the trip, yet returned to apply Rebecca’s Pro Set IV to all my favourites. I couldn’t believe the rush of inspiration her presets drove into my photography.

The photo Rebecca chose for her first photographer spotlight is my all-time favourite shot. Jaclyn and I unknowingly wandered into Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre one evening hoping to find a seat at the popular restaurant down by the water. The host up front kind of giggled and told us the restaurant had been booked solid for almost a week. We blushed in slight embarrassment and wandered through the rest of the town, hoping to find a meal.

I only packed the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II for the evening. We sat on those rocks for a little while, people-watching to our heart’s content. As the light started to come down and the sun’s rays began to dance off the sea, this heavenly photo appeared.

I’m not taking any credit for the image. We happened to be in the right place at the right time with a camera in hand. It was Jaclyn who pointed out the beautiful scene. If anything, she gets the credit.

Of course, Rebecca’s presets only brought out the deepest beauty of the image. In one way, I owe Rebecca for the shot as well.

The how-it’s-made story aside, it’s an honour to be put alongside some of the other photographers in Rebecca’s August spotlight. I’ve followed Ray Larose’s work for quite some time, and to be put up next to his work is humbling.

Every single photographer in Rebecca’s first spotlight is worth following through your RSS feed or through Instagram. The work here is simply stunning.