A Castle for Us

Growing up, I thought castles were a thing of fantasy. Large, medieval strongholds, hosting warriors of steel, royalty of all kinds, banquets stretching miles long, and large, fiery dragons? Surely not! They were indeed a thing of fascination for me—I loved playing with my imagination with friends, all of whom became knights with inconceivably cool swords, taking down ferocious beasts of our choosing.

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This castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein, was built in the 1800s for King Ludwig II, who desired a castle that was deeply beautiful and German. It was built on top of a tall mountain, designed to bring the inhabitants closer to heaven and provide a serene overview of the surrounding village.

​I was inspired to take this photo to capture not only the breathtaking scene but the sense of imagination castles brought me as a kid. This angle of the castle captures the incredible heights it stands on, with an almost impossibly high feeling to it. I took the shot from a separate peak to ensure the focus of the shot would be not only the castle, but the environment too. With this photo, I want to inspire people who dreamt about castles to play just as I had, and perhaps one day explore one of the many real castles in the world.