Looking for the Harmony of Fall
If I have learned one thing about this profession, it is to be patient, and that also applies to the planning and production of the projects. Since I felt the call of this season, three autumns had to pass until I could have the time to portray it. Autumn is that romantic, melancholy and harmonious season that all photographers rush to capture from its arrival. And no wonder, the light, the colours and the energy displayed by the autumn, are ideal fuel for encouraging the creativity of any visual artist.
Many could have been the locations chosen for the realization of my work on the fall. Almost anywhere on the planet, we can find large areas of forests that become multicolored and provide endless possibilities. But in my head I had a clear picture of what I wanted, I couldn’t stop imagining a particular landscape, formed in two countries, Croatia and Slovenia.
Krka National Park, Croatia
The first stop on my trip was Krka National Park, a small but friendly natural area located in the southern part of Croatia. Surrounded by lakes and large open spaces, the park itself is squeezed in a narrow canyon, which can be reached through a tight entrance that leads to an endless number of waterfalls.
In this area, the opportunities for making time-lapses and the possible framings are almost endless.
Another location that caught my attention and I didn’t want to miss, was the Visovac island, a small piece of dry land in the middle of huge lake, where a small monastery is located. The sight of such a small island taken up almost entirely by the monastery and completely surrounded by the lake, offers a most peculiar picture. Even more if it is photographed from a considerable height, which helps to increase the feeling of isolation through the perspective. The really early rise was well rewarded by this image and the light of dawn.
Plitvice National Park, Croatia
My arrival in Plitvice National Park couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. Just before arriving to the entrance of the park, the road runs through a dense forest, in which I enjoyed getting lost among the countless trees full with endless leaves of every color you can imagine.
Once inside the park, Plitvice does not disappoint. A series of never-ending lakes are connected together by wide waterfalls, almost swallowed up by the thick vegetation that surrounds them.
Although none of the two days I spent there offered the light or heavens we usually seek and expect when we photograph, I felt lucky because it didn’t rain, which is really usual in this time of the year. And really, is there a better way to represent the autumn than with a cloudy sky? Don’t you think that warm sunsets are overexploited?
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Bled is a small picturesque town that makes for itself worth the visit to Slovenia. The lake is located in the center of the city, which immediately transports you to a world of fantasy and fairy tales, of knights and medieval adventures.
For three days I persisted on the idea of capturing that magic, the aura of mystery and dream that seems to surround the tiny island with an almost unreal monastery. But the rain and darkness stopped me from photographing until the last day, when I went before dawn with the hope that the first light of day will be accompanied by a clear sky.
However, not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined such an incredible light as the one I had that morning. A light soft, pink, volatile, that covered the lake and the monastery, while the clouds surrounded them in continuous movement.
Triglav National Park, Slovenia
The culmination of this trip was the Triglav National Park, in the Slovene Alps.
I spent most of the time in two very specific areas: the lake Bohinj, which is located in a deep valley surrounded by high mountains, and the Vintgar Gorge, where a river runs surrounded by already bare trees. Both kept me busy for countless hours.
The lake Bohinj had many of the elements that I was searching for this project: churches on the shore, cozy cabins reflected in its waters, wide views with forests.
And finally, the icing on the cake of the project and the trip itself were the stunning views of the entire valley and the surrounding mountains captured from Vogel, a peak rising to 1.800m.
The equipment
This is a project that I wanted to do all alone, without assistants or guides. So I decided to minimize the size and weight as possible, while maintaining the reliability and versatility of it. I knew the camera movement was essential, which is why I trusted in the motorized slider mSlider, known for his efficiency and reliability, which always gives me smooth and precise movements. This already involved the use of two tripods, and of course one more for the second camera. That meant 3 tripods and a slider - this can seem like too much, but for me it’s the minimum necessary.
As for the cameras, I used Sony A7 24mpx and Sony A7R 36mpx. Both offer me more than enough resolution to crop or enlarge in the final file, which for me is always 4k, or UHD.
As for the lenses, I chose three Sony-Zeiss zooms: the fantastic and super sharp 16-35mm f4, the 70-200mm f4 and the Zeiss ZF2 21mm f2.8. I chose them because their lightness and versatility, as I could only carry one backpack for the long hikes. I hope to receive the Zeiss 21mm Lodge and new Milvus soon, but until then, these were the best option.
I emphasize the use of high-quality filters. In this case I used neutral and graduated glass filters of 100mm from Benro.