Hi, everyone

I hope you all are doing well. I finally finished editing the latest batch of images from the workshop in the Balkans last Fall. It is time for the second installment of “Dispatches from the Balkans”. So, strap in and let’s go…

If you chance to go to the Balkans, one of the defining features of the landscape are the many churches and castles you see on your way. This was most prominent as we traveled around Slovenia. for the purposes of this “definitely not a blog post” I will leave out the many churches in Ljubljana and Piran, as I will devote a separate post to these cities.

Our base of operations was close to Lake Bled. It is hard to find a more famous location in all of Slovenia, where a beautiful church sits on an island in the middle of the lake, with the mountains and the castle in the background (if you look from the right direction). Although the weather was not very cooperative for a spectacular morning shots of the church, I still managed to capture a beautiful blue-hour shot of the lake, church, and the castle (with a bonus church on the opposite shore of the lake).

Earlier in the day, after we had a nice midday coffee and cake on the promenade, we also had a brief chance to capture a beautiful view of the castle with some atmospheric clouds/fog.

On our first morning in the area, we came to lake bled in the hopes of capturing morning mists over the water around the church. Unfortunately, this was not to be. However, seeing the conditions, we drove to another famous location, Sveti Tomaz (St. Thomas) church. Boy, did we get rewarded for that move.

As we drove through the mountains, we were unsure what we will see, as we were driving in and out of misty areas. As we finally got to the overlook, we saw a magnificent inversion with the mist filling the valley.

Saint Thomas Church in the Julian Alps, Slovenia

As the sun rose above the mountains, it illuminated the roiling mists in the valley, and the church on the hill in the middle. We spent a couple hours photographing the church and the surrounding landscape (you can see additional images from the location in the first installment of Dispatches from the Balkans).

The next morning, we came to the Jamnik Church for the blue hour and sunrise. The Church is illuminated during the night, until sunrise. During the blue hour, the warm glow of the lights creates a beautiful contrast with the surroundings. This contrast was accentuated by the misty atmosphere. After the sun rose, we walked closer to the church, to capture a different perspective.

Rain greeted us on the next day. We spent the morning photographing waterfalls near the Kropa stream. After we were done, the rain let go a little. As we were descending from the mountain area towards the town, we had the chance to capture the church of Kropa, nestled on the opposite side of the valley amid the mist and the greens of the forest.

After having lunch, we headed towards Bohinj Lake. As we drove by, we stopped just outside Bohinjska Bistrica to capture yet another beautiful church. The moody dark clouds and mist made it an awesome shot.

Bohinj Lake is a beautiful location amid the Julian Alps for a sunny day. On our visit to the lake we encountered a very different atmosphere, with rain and mists. While, the conditions were not condusive for the typical shots at this location, the dark storm clouds made for some awesome moody shots of the Church of St. John the Baptist.

Church of St. John the Baptist in Black and White

On my last day in Slovenia (after we came back from Croatia), I together with David Longstaff and Jennifer Lin went to explore the Ljubljana area. We ended up driving to the Sveti Jacob (St. Jacob) church. Fall colors were in full swing by this time, and we had the chance to capture some beautiful landscapes along the way.

As was common throughout this trip, we were greeted by mists clinging to the hills. At the church we encountered an interesting combination of sun mixed with mists around the church. This made for a unique image.

The landscape changed quickly in the windy conditions. Just a few minutes later I was able to capture a beautiful moody shot of the Sveti Jacob church under storm clouds, taken from a different perspective.

After leaving Slovenia, we headed to Bosnia and Croatia to spend several days photographing waterfalls and mountains. Conditions on these days were very different from the moody, misty ones we encountered in the Julian Alps. One of the evenings in Bosnia we stopped at Ostrožac castle for a beautiful sunset. We spent our time climbing the walls to get to a better viewpoint, though I have to say that I chickened out from some of the areas as there were no railings to prevent a fall to an untimely death.

After spending a few days in Bosnia, we moved to Croatia. On the second day we drove to the coast area. In the afternoon we headed into the mountains and spent the few hours before sunset at Tulove Grede. The small church at this location is quite different from the ones we’ve encountered in Slovenia. However, it somehow matches this remote mountain spot.

As the sun settled, we witnessed a beautiful afterburner lighting up the sky.

On our last day in Croatia, before heading back to Slovenia, David, Jennifer, and I went to the bridge to Pag Island and the Fortica ruins there. Right next to the bridge there is a small church. We watched the beautiful sunrise with the church acting as the foreground. A satisfying end to a great workshop.

I hope you enjoyed this second installment of the “Dispatches from the Balkans”. The many churches and the castles of the area give it a unique vibe and offer great opportunities for photographers.

Have a great week

Dimitry

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