I've always wished I had a picture of the beautiful Santorini sunset, with the island's famous volcano and the Aegean Sea's blue waters.

The sun was beginning to drop over the beautiful island of Santorini, and I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't miss. It took a lot of work to locate an ideal vantage point from which to record the magnificent sunset. Many visitors descended on the island, hoping to get prime viewing positions.

Looking for a good viewing point, I explored the maze of streets. I climbed to the tops of buildings and scrambled up rocky cliffs to find the best place to watch the sun go down.

It took me what seemed like hours, but I eventually located it. A little boat sits in the foreground of a rooftop overlooking the pristine Aegean Sea.

I quickly put my camera on a tripod and changed the settings for exposure to get the effect I wanted. Finally, as the sun dipped below the horizon, I began to record the scene's beauty.

Warm hues of crimson, orange, and purple danced and whirled in the sky above me. The town's whitewashed houses gleamed like diamonds in the waning light while the sea's crystalline waves glistened like precious metals. And way off in the distance, a vast volcano showed nature's raw power and beauty at its best.

As I took picture after picture, I couldn't help but feel like I was part of history. This photograph was a moment I'll carry with me forever.

As the sun began to set beyond the horizon, I put my camera away and began to make my way back down the building. Finding that perfect spot was time well spent because I knew I would enjoy looking at these photos for many years. They were a tribute to the hard work and dedication it takes to take pictures of the world's natural wonders.