The Radovna river cuts the Vintgar gorge deep between the hills of Hom and Boršt. The gorge is flanked by steep slopes overgrown with beech forests. It was discovered in 1891 by Mr. Jakob Žumer, mayor of Gorje, and Mr. Benedikt Lergetporer, a cartographer and photographer from Bled. Both were amazed by the beauty and the mysterious character of the natural attraction. Local people, however, have always viewed the gorge with awe and respect. In 1893 the gorge was opened to the public. Constructing a secured tourist trail through the wild gorge was a demanding and an extremely dangerous task. The roar of the fettered Radovna river echoes along the 1.600 meter long gorge, full of small waterfalls, rapids and erosion potholes where the river briefly slows down its pace. Trails, narrow passages and bridges lead a visitor to the end of the gorge, which is marked by the magnificent, 16 meter high Šum waterfall, the highest fluvial waterfall in Slovenia.
Radovna river in the morning haze
The Vintgar gorge also includes two man-made sights. The single-arch stone bridge of the Bohinj railway, constructed in 1906, which crosses the gorge 33.5 m above the trail, and the dam from which the water is routed to the small Vintgar hydroelectric power plant under the Šum waterfall.
Single-arch stone bridge of the Bohinj railway over small dam
For more dreamy photos of Vintgar gorge visit my photo stream.
There are scenes you simply cannot get enough of. Hallstatt no doubt is one of them. The picturesque location by the lake, the closely nested and towering houses, the flair of millenniums of history - all this makes Hallstatt one of the most photographed places in Austria. It first came to the attention of tourists as far back as in imperial times. While the Emperor and his court made their summer retreat in nearby Bad Ischl, a motley entourage of artists always followed. And so painters, romantics and travel reporters quickly spread the news of the beauty of Hallstatt across the region.
Iconic view photographed from "Römisches" district
The village with a population of 800 has lost nothing of its appeal to this date. People have been attracted for centuries to the village at the foot of the oldest still operating salt mine in the world.
Hallstatt's Market Square
And so I went to see its beauty for myself - its alpine houses, narrow streets, steep stairs, warm people, its untouched surroundings and of course Hallstatt's famous salt in 101 variants.
Take a look at more photos of this salty alpine pearl in my photo stream - click here.
That photo was taken in the bushes of Croatian isle of Ugljan. Terrain was very steep, so photographing was anything but easy. Camera in one hand, flash in the other... plus I had to balance myself in the bushes full of thornes. At least I had some luck as spider had a lot of patience... and free time for photoshooting :D
Despite the middle of the summer, the water was very cold. In hope that I will find an interesting motif, I went into this 14 degree water. While I walked along the shallow waters, I saw a few sunken boats on the shore. Immediately I saw the excellent infrared photograph. It was worth to have a completely numb legs. :)
On an afternoon walk I stumbled upon this cute abandoned traditional Croatian house. Narrow road runs right next to it and give just the right look to the photo. Taken in HDR technique.
With infrared photography you won't need to wake up early. This photo was taken around noon which is otherwise the worst time for photographing. Quality of light is not that important in infrared photography, quantity on the other hand is.
Jamnik
If you are interested in buying some of my infrared work please contact me here.
And by the way, I'm planning to offer new one-on-one Infrared Photography Workshop in near future. Let me know if you are interrested. Workshops are available in Slovenia only.
Today I went to Bled in the middle of a day - not really the right time for shooting. But I planned it this way as I wanted to test my IR converted camera on a great location.
Best IR photos are taken on a sunny days... Do you like that one?
Church on a Bled Island
I will add few more on my photo stream in the near future. Check it out here soon.
