Mt. Tam photo may be 1 of the most stunning Calif. landscape shots ever See other classic scenes of the Golden State's natural beauty by the photographer

A woman explores a cove in Davenport, Santa Cruz County, Calif. A woman explores a cove in Davenport, Santa Cruz County, Calif. Photo: Lorenzo Montezemolo/Getty Images, Getty Images Photo: Lorenzo Montezemolo/Getty Images, Getty Images Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Mt. Tam photo may be 1 of the most stunning Calif. landscape shots ever 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

The views from atop Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County have long inspired photographers to make the climb to the summit. But few of their photos can compare to a night shot taken three weeks ago by Italian photographer Lorenzo Montezemolo.

Montezemolo hiked up the peak and set up his tripod as fog rolled in over homes twinkling in the darkness below. A full moon overhead supplied just the right amount of illumination for a three-minute exposure.

The resulting image was both breathtaking and surreal.

"I chose to use a long exposure in order to give the incoming fog a smooth, striated appearance as it slithered over the ridge below," Montezemolo told the Colossal. "For the past year I've been crossing the Golden Gate Bridge several times a week to photograph the beautiful landscapes, seascapes and fog of Marin County, just north of San Francisco."

More of Montezemolo's work can be found on Flickr and Instagram, as well as at his personal website. A sampling of his Northern California landscapes for Getty Images are included in the above slideshow.