Manof

After visiting Hararit and Avtalyon, I decided to continue to the community settlement of Manof to check out the viewpoint they promised there. Manof is a quiet settlement, nestled in stunning Galilean landscape, with the atmosphere of a small community connected to the surrounding nature. The moment I entered through the settlement gate, I found the viewpoint, with two wooden benches that invite you to sit, breathe deeply, and focus on the vast expanses unfolding before you.

From the viewpoint you can see Mount Shekhanya to the north of the settlement, green and dramatic, and on the horizon, if you look carefully westward, you can see a small touch of the Mediterranean Sea – Haifa Bay spreads in the distance. This is a perfect place to sit and indulge in the view and tranquility.

But as always, nothing is perfect – there was a thorn in this rose. The viewpoint is beautiful, but a long telephone cable crosses the landscape and hangs between poles, right in front of your eyes, truly heartbreaking. However, I don’t give up easily. Fortunately for me and for your enjoyment, the cable is close to the shooting point, and the mountains are far away – which allows me to “cut” it from the frame in the way I prepare panoramas. I photographed the landscape from several angles, and at home I combined the shots so that the cable  disappeared as if it never existed from the final panorama. Now only the landscape remains.

After I finished photographing at the viewpoint facing north, I felt the desire to see if there was another place from which I could capture the Sea in a better way. I went out to wander around the settlement, looking for a more western viewpoint. I found a place that looked promising, but this time there was a fence that limited my ability to capture the entire landscape in a wide format. I photographed what was possible for an additional panorama, so you could see another part of the landscape, even if it’s somewhat limited. It is attached below.

This fruitful day of photography was a kind of journey, not only after the landscapes but also after the moments and small points that need to be aimed, corrected, and overcome in order to preserve the image closest to what the eye saw and the spirit experienced.