Sea, Sky and I…and Berta

I took a mini-break few weeks ago and traveled to island of Brač. It was the middle of February and I needed to refill my batteries. So I woke up one Saturday morning, threw few things in my bag and Berta and I hopped into my car for a  3,5 hours drive from Zagreb to Split.

One ferry ride later I was in Supetar. The weather was perfect and the moment I stepped on the ferry deck, my vacation truly started. Accompanied by seagulls and light breeze, my ferry trip was made perfect when this old ship offered itself for a photo opportunity.

There is a special place where Berta and I used to take morning strolls years ago and it was nice to return to that very spot. Naturally, Berta behaved in her usual manner, completely ignoring my attempts to capture a photo of her. But somehow, her pose suits this composition…observing the sunrise. So I pretend it was just the way I wanted it.

After few minutes of walking we ended up in the little cove and Berta decided to dip her paws just a little bit. I am lucky she decided it was too cold for a swim, because despite a very sunny day it would be a nightmare drying her afterwards.  Small miracles and all that…

On our way back we ran into a flock of little birds who performed a concert for us…even Berta was interested in their music and she is a tough crowd to please.

Croatia is famous for its stone walls which dates back thousands of years . The art of dry stone walling, know-how and techniques in Croatia were globally recognized in November 2018, when this form of art was added to the Representative List of Intangible UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This particular forest follows the coastline for few kilometers and it offers some splendid views over a Brač channel to the mainland coast and the mountains Mosor and Biokovo. Although a popular tourist destination over the summer, I think people should visit these parts in winter months, when the weather can be so nice and you don’t have to fight for your spot under the sun.

And finally!!!! A success!!! She was kind enough to pose for me.

Thank you Berta! ❤ ❤ ❤

After 72 hours of bliss it was time to head back home. But it was worth it and I returned reinvigorated and with high spirits. Now it’s time for a new adventure…I wonder where Berta would like to go next.

As always, you can find me on Instagram under the nick snowlocked. I would love if we could connect there, too.

 

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Still Instagraming

At first it seemed I fell off my cloud, but then I realised I just jumped to another. And then it became obvious I don’t have to stay on just one cloud. So here I am again, in between jumps, wondering where I’ll land next.

My days still begin the same and my bridge is still the same, with just a splash of color on those dark winter mornings.

Do we ever think of secrets our city hides in its shadows, or are we just too afraid of the dark?

Does everything look better in the daylight?

I know one thing, everything looks better with Berta by my side… With her smile.

As always, you can find me under the nick snowlocked. I would love if we could connect on Instagram, too.

Farewell to Summer

Sometimes it’s hard to get back to the regularity of the everyday life, especially after few weeks on the vacation.

By the looks of these photos, one would never guess that it was one of the rainiest vacations in my life, out of twenty days I had five sunny days.

Apparently, I have a thing for boats. If the weather permitted, I would probably take hundred images of boats.

Berta was in good spirits and graced me with few moments of perfect modeling.

My vacation ended and so did the summer. But autumn brings different kind of beautiful and I am looking forward to my Instagram October.

As always, you can find me under the nick snowlocked. I would love if we could connect on Instagram, too.

Ahoy Snaily!

Nothing special here, just another close encounter on my morning wanderings. Thankfully, the snail is very slow by nature, which allowed me to come close. Interesting thing is that I just noticed one of its upper tentacles is half missing., meaning we have a one-eyed snail here! Poor thing, who knows what kind of adventure resulted in that.

As always, hop to Leanne Cole’s blog Leanne Cole PHOTOGRAPHY, where every Wednesday she hosts The Monochrome Madness Challenge, with many excellent images.

My May

My Instagram in May offered something different. I traveled to Belgium, so I posted few images from Brugge and Mouscron. I just wish I had enough time to visit Antwerp, because the parts of Belgium I saw were truly beautiful.

After my vacation, I was back on the familiar turf. My riverbank was patiently waiting for me.

Just few images of my best models, flowers never fail me. And we got new staircase, courtesy of our old/new mayor. Elections should be every month, politicians only do things while on their campaign trail.

Berta was also on a vacations, hence only this one image.

As always, you can find me under the nick snowlocked. I would love if we could connect on Instagram, too.

Repetition

This is my first post in this new Monochrome Madness year. What an amazing thing, a fourth year of continuum and still going strong. Even when I step away from my blogging, this challenge draws me back.

For this week, the theme is repetition. So I decided to repeat the image from 2015. I was visiting Prague and this image of Charles Bridge is my favorite from that trip.

Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or the Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but has been the “Charles Bridge” since 1870. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava until 1841, the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city’s Old Town and adjacent areas.

I took this image with the 70-300mm lens, from a considerable distance, without a tripod. It was a challenge to keep a steady hand, but I had some breathing lessons, so that helped a lot.

The editing was fairly simple. I went for the panoramic crop, it usually works well when your subject is a bridge. Adjusting exposure to bring focus to the stone work was my next step. Finally, blurring the background added a tridimensional feel to the bridge. I like those swans and boats, they add a little bit of dynamic to the image.

I think it fits in the Repetition theme, with all the arches, sculptures and history. Also, I crossed it countless times, repetition in itself.

As always, I urge you to visit Leanne Cole’s blog Leanne Cole PHOTOGRAPHY, where every Wednesday she hosts The Monochrome Madness Challenge, with many excellent images.

Better Late…

I needed some time away from my computer and it took me almost two months to come back. But I continued my Instagram fun, taking pictures on my morning walks. This set of images is from April, when the sun was still soft and gentle.

Spring was in full swing and I was surrounded by flowers.

I’ll have to wait for autumn to get these kind of images again, these days the sun is too high too early.

Macro world is charming as ever and I was lucky enough to stumble upon slowly moving creatures, the only kind that has patience for my photography attempts.

One side of my bridge is irresistible at dawn, while the other shows its glory when the sun hits hardest.

My dearest companion was very patient with me and graced me with few poses and even a smile. One of my favorites is the early morning landscape with her in the middle, what a beautiful morning that was.

As always, you can find me under the nick snowlocked. I would love if we could connect on Instagram, too.

The Master

With the new month comes a new Monochrome Madness theme and this time it is all about culture.

It was not hard to choose an image, I had it on my mind from the start. This sculpture of Leonardo da Vinci by Piero Magni is located at Piazza della Scala in Milan.

For more interesting monochrome images, I recommend a visit to Leanne Cole’s blog Leanne Cole PHOTOGRAPHY, where every Wednesday she hosts The Monochrome Madness Challenge.

InstaSpring

I am continuing my Instagram fun, this spring is full of beautiful colors and crystal blue skies.

For starters, something unusual for my morning walks, an image of an old church. I was visiting my friend in the hospital and was just passing by. The sky was very inviting.

The neighborhood is in full bloom, there are all sorts of flowers and there is no sign of stopping.

My river bank route is serene and beautiful as ever and I even made some new friends…that was until Berta chased them.

Speaking of my little princess, she was relieved that I didn’t bother her too much with my camera, so I have only this one image, but at least she looks happy.

As always, you can find me under the nick snowlocked. I would love if we could connect on Instagram, too.

Peace Lily

My victim for this week’s Monochrome Madness Challenge is my little Spathiphyllum, the only plant that can survive my caregiving. And it even blooms! Considering me being a serial killer of plants, it is a miracle. On the other hand, it would be quite a miracle if I managed to kill this one, considering it being very resilient. I finally found a perfect match for me. 🙂

The only thing worth mentioning about my post-processing is adding a frame. It seldom works, but I find it quite an improvement here.

For more interesting monochrome images, I recommend a visit to Leanne Cole’s blog Leanne Cole PHOTOGRAPHY, where every Wednesday she hosts The Monochrome Madness Challenge.