Category: Landscape photography

Landscape photography

Veliki Tabor castle

This is the castle of Veliki Tabor. Remember the right picture always starts in your head. I had this picture in mind for some time. Most important is to find the right location. I was lucky to find it on a hilltop 3 kilometres away from the castle.

Zagorje is famous for its many rolling hills. Therefore it is a photographers paradise. The mist adds great flavour to this picture and due to late October sunrise, I was still able to shoot the picture straight into the sun. Just imagine this picture without the castle… It would have been ok but a bit boring. Great landscape pictures should attract the eye to some point of interest in the picture. That is what this picture has to offer.

   Did you know: 
Zagorje has the highest density of castles and ruins in all of Europe. The most beautiful one is Trakoscan.

   Take a break: 
The Vuglec Breg restaurant is a great place for a relaxing break.

    Travel tip: 
Cross the border to Slovenia after your visit at Veliki Tabor. The area around Rogaska Slatina offers great opportunities for hiking and photography. You will love it!

Why did I start this blog?

In many ways, Croatia is like a diamond….It has a small polished side that in my view has been overexposed. But the rough and unpolished side is the one that I love to bring to your attention.

You will not find many reports about the Croatian coast and some of the main tourist highlights. Even though they are equally beautiful.

I want to share with you those lost pieces of paradise that you can practically find in thousands of places in this amazing country. They are underrated, hardly ever visited, and every so often surprisingly in easy reach. So many times I had the place just for myself when I experience those glorious Autumn mornings just before the sunrise.

I love the share, I love to take pictures, I love to write, I love to give things for free.
Most of all I love Croatia.

I noticed my love relationship with this country has been deepening itself over the last 8 years since we have moved here.

It is a high quality of life, the fresh air, the astonishing nature, the great culture, the many friends we made over the years.

But most of all it is a photographers paradise. One never needs to drive very far to discover yet another great point of view.

It is the unique combination of rough and unspoiled nature and the human interaction in the landscape like this cattle of sheep, the wooden stable, or the old house that fit so well in the landscape picture. I can never get enough of that. I need at least four more lives to discover all that beauty in Croatia.

Over the years I visited so many spots and always wondered why there is hardly anything available on the internet about those spots. Now that we have google maps some more pictures and reviews about those places started to come in. But still in very low numbers.

Even the beautiful spots itself will make the occasional explorer wonder… why are there no signs, why are there no provisions, why are there no other people.

I am not afraid to share some of my best locations and hidden secrets (and some I will keep to myself). It will not be overrun by busloads of tourists. There are just too many of them. Furthermore, those places are for those whose main focus is on seeing, experiencing and capturing beauty off the beaten tracks.

Croatia is one of the most searched for worldly destinations. And still, there is very little knowledge about all those jewels and diamonds that lay hidden in 95 per cent of the country that attracts only 2 per cent of the annual visitors.

So if you visit my site to find out more about the great dalmatian coast I will leave you wondering. This is all about a paradise that only a few have seen and want to discover. The Croats themselves take it mostly for granted. I am still that Dutchman coming from a so-called “developed” country where there is no more wild nature and wild forests. In Western Europe, you will always need to share that piece of nature with crowds of other people. Not so in Croatia.

This website will also offer you some gastronomic tips, places for hiking, photo tips and some reports about the Croatian lifestyle and the live me and my family live in this paradise called Croatia.

Thanks for visiting, feel free to comment.

Pozdrav! René

Zeleni Vir canyon

Location: 
   Zeleni Vir – Skrad, Gorski Kotar
You need to be a kind of a daredevil to take the narrow roads deep into the canyon of Zeleni Vir. It is quite scary to drive.

   Take a walk: 
There are some nice waterfalls in this nature reserve and you can hike over wooden footpaths and bridges. A fantastic experience.

   Take a break: 
During the summer season, there is a “planinarski dom”(mountain hut) near the entrance that serves food and drinks.

   Photo tip: 
If you want to take pictures of waterfalls always take your tripod and choose a low shutter time for that special effect. Avoid bright and direct sunlight as the contrast of the white water and the nearby surrounding is just too much to handle in one picture.

The little village of Vrhovac

Location: 
   Vrhovac (near Ozalj)
The village of Vrhovac is located in the hilly area of the Zumberak Mountains. It is located only five minutes from Ozalj. I personally love this village for the many lovely vineyards and small “klets” (wine sheds). It is an ideal starting point for a simple walk. You can start your walk at the church. There are signs that show you the way.

You can park your car at the church and a little further there is a nice cafe. Just drop in because some of my photos can be seen there. Next to the cafe, there is a small supermarket where you can buy the necessary provisions. The route also passes a beautiful stretch of the Kupa River. In good weather, you can go for a swim.

   Take a break: 

The homestead of Culig is a wonderful place to taste some real homemade food. The location itself is ideal for landscape photography.

   Photo tip: 
The human element and influence in the landscape make the landscape picture more interesting. This is what I appreciate so much about Croatia. The area around Vrhovac has many little chapels and churches and they really serve as a very welcome object in many of my pictures. This picture shows that even a dull morning without any direct sunlight can be a good photo opportunity. I like the dark grey/blue sky. The great thing about Spring is that for a period of 10-14 days the green colors are not so boring and overwhelming. In this picture, the fresh leaves are just opening up whilst there is still a lot of brown branches around. It adds great “freshness” to the picture. Take that same picture two weeks later and it is much less interesting. Take it two weeks earlier and it will be too brown. Because of the lack of sunlight, the picture almost becomes a pastel painting. I really like the fact that the little sandy road that is part of the walking trail catches the attention and leads you to the main topic of this picture; the church.

Source of river Gacka

October 24, 2019
Tonkovici – October 24, 2019

Love…Like…Lika
One of my favourite regions in Croatia is Lika.
Later on, I will write more about one of the prettiest rivers of Croatia, the Gacka river.

How to describe the landscape? Coming from Otocac you will find the Gacka river on your right flowing trough a pastoral valley. Once you have passed the city you take a left and drive a few kilometres to find the spring of Gacka river

I lover river sources. Especially when you have already seen the river itself. It brings you back to the very origin of something very strong and powerful. The source itself is often something rather fragile and vulnerable. At many of the river sources in Croatia, you find these mint plans. It means that the water is absolutely clean and pure.

Many river sources in Croatia were used for their hydropower. So is the case with the Gacka river source. But it makes the location even more attractive. The wooden mills fit so well in the landscape. They are not in use anymore but one serves as a little shop. Unfortunately, the place is a bit run down, and some renovations would be beneficial. But nevertheless, this is a very refreshing, spiritual and photogenic place. 

   Location:
About ten kilometres from Otocac.
Parking space available. No entrance fee.
Click here for the exact location.

   Photo tip:
I advise you to picture these watermills just after sunrise. I took mine when there was still some morning mist. It adds some more atmosphere to the picture. I used a wide-angle, it gives more depth to the picture. With pictures like this, it is much better to take a low position so the water serves as a nice forefront. You can also decide to go into the water. Be careful not to shoot these kinds of pictures in the late morning or afternoon. The reflection of the sun in the water will spoil your picture.

   Take a break: 
There is a great pizzeria very near to the river source.  In the town of Otocac there are many nice cafes.

   Take a walk:
The Gacka river is of such pristine beauty. The Gacka valley is really ideal for walking or just sit on some of the benches and enjoy the silence and the sound of the small river. If you like you can rent a canoe and explore some part of the river. Some boats are transparent so you can experience the water life underneath the surface.

Wooden churches of Pokupsko


A day tour by car in the countryside….

Wooden churches are not only found in Scandinavia. In the wider area of Velika Gorica you will find some very interesting places. Enjoy this beautiful day trip to areas very sparsely visited by tourists.From Velika Gorica you head into the hilly hinterland where the Kupa river meanders wonderfully. Here and there you can still see a little bit of war damage. But mostly nice, beautiful old wooden houses in a predominantly forested and pastoral landscape. The churches that you are going to see are all around the town of Pokupsko. That is approximately 32 kilometres from Velika Gorica. In Velika Gorica there are many shops and places to eat.

Start:
The beautiful wooden church just outside Velika Gorica, near the old airport. On the main road of Ivana Pavla 2.

  1. Roman excavation: 
    This is an interesting excavation of an old Roman village. Not far from the new airport in the village of Scitarjevo. In this town, there is a bakery where you can buy some snacks. You will not encounter anything else to eat along the way.
  2. Lucelnica:
    The wooden church of the Holy Trinity in this tiny village can be reached after a short 35 km drive.
  3. Gustelnica:
    In the centre of this village, there is also a beautiful wooden church of Saint Antun.
  4. Lukinic Brdo: 
    After another 8 kilometres, you will find the church of Sveti Ivana in a beautiful position with a view.
  5. Gladovec Pokupski: 
    Drive less than 8 kilometres to this village and there is the church of the Holy Trinity.
  6. Lijevi Stefanki: 
    In the centre of this village, you will again find a wooden church. Actually more of a chapel.
  7. Dvoranci: 
    The last church on this ride.You are at the end of your drive in the region of Pokupsko where most of the wooden churches in Croatia are found. In the town of Pokupsko you can settle down for a cup of coffee and there are a gas station and a small supermarket. You end the ride by driving back to Velika Gorica, (Velika Mlaka) where the most beautiful wooden church is.
    If you want to have a taste of eco-park Kras, you can drive towards Pisarovina. In Pisarovina there are also two dining options. The Kras park is not very special, but you can take a nice walk, have a drink and enjoy the ponds.
    Would you rather stretch your legs after this tour without having to do a lot of climbing? In the village of Lijevo Sredičko there are short walking routes to the Kupa River and there is a café.

    Velika Mlaka:     The endpoint of the route with the most beautiful and largest wooden church. Have a wonderful day in the countryside!

transformations….

Photography is an ongoing process of change and improvement. Always learn to see better; always go back to that same place, hoping for the right light and the right atmosphere.

I have always had a desire to be strongly anchored in the present, in the now. Photography has helped me enormously by capturing what is now and never comes back. And then there is the reminiscing. The great joy of post-production. Again you see things you had not noticed during the actual sessions itself.

There is an enormous amount of gratitude for that constant transformation in the landscape. The combination of light, seasons and human influence on the landscape never bores. I see that same gratitude in my inner being. That transformation goes on and on and is a wonderful gift in this life.