i have a theory that the artist spotted the same beam of light as you, only at a different time of year when the sun was lower (by the torch), and based the picture around it... either way its a great pic.
This whole thread is great, so many good pictures.
Yeah they are real, it's a TiltShift effect used on a photo of Princes Street in Edinburgh taken from a great height. The focus is trained on a small area & the outer edges are blurred + a touch up of vibrant colours. This then gives the effect of a "toy town" or model village.
Thanks, it is in the Maumturks, a mountain range on the west coast of Ireland (Connemara). The most naturally beautiful place I have ever been and fortunately it happens to be the 'homeland' of my mums side of the family.