Colour photography | Lidija Ivanek SiLa

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Nature First

October 15, 2021October 15, 2021
by sila

I recently joined Nature First – The Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography

Reason being that I believe all photographers should approach photographing nature/landscapes/animals, with care and reverence.

What are your thoughts on the subject? I would love to hear your comments.

Early mornings, my favourite, are the time when I am in search of my images. Birds are wearing up, animals start feeding and I do feel as quiet is necessary while just observing the surroundings. Any bird watcher will know, any true lover of wildlife will understand the feeling.

For a long time, naming my photographs, giving locations was something that I was not incline to do. But, explosion of Instagram images and all the duck-faced people who were tagging with pride locations that they were standing on, well it just went out of control.

Colours of morning sunrise over heavy, overcast sky and reflection of it in the cold water of the Atlantic Ocean.

New Illustrations.

THE NATURE FIRST PRINCIPLES:

Prioritise the well-being of nature over photography.

Educate yourself about the places you photograph.

Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.

Use discretion if sharing locations.

Know and follow rules and regulations.

Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.

Actively promote and educate others about these principles.

Analog photography

Freshly Developed

September 28, 2021September 29, 2021
by sila

Mishmash on one 35mm roll

When we return from any journey, it gives me a great pleasure to develop rolls of film. While going through scans I can revisit all the places that made impressions on me.

If you are anything like me, you usually forget names of people you just met. It takes me a special technique of repeating the name immediately after it was given and that leaves deeper impression in my memory. When we travel it is just too much visual information to remember them all, so in a sense I need some tricks if I want to keep them in me longer. It helps to revisit photographs of the places we visited. Especially with images developed at home, in peace. They’ll leave deeper and lasting impressions than quicker snaps on the go.

I’ve already wrote about island Pag and Bura wind. It is a very special landscape that I love very much. Light and colours there are talking to me in a subtle ways. It is a connection that defines logic.

Another one from island Pag, where strong sunshine, no clouds and relentless Bura wind created this deep blue colour of the Adriatic, washout almost white land and light blue sky.

It was a peaceful morning and we were sitting on a terrace drinking coffee. Roses, red roses my favourite, framed this scene of a traditional wooden boat and a seagull resting. I wanted to remember this softness of the morning, colours lit like watercolour painting, and scent of roses in the air.

Small town Nin, so popular with tourists. It belongs to Zadar region as well as Pag.

What I wanted to remember during winter months from Nin is this scene. Empty, sleepy street, lazy cat napping, someone left a bike and went for an afternoon nap as well. Peace. Only crickets chirping as it is summer.

It was a hazy hot day with South wind blowing which was perfect for sailing. A picture to end the summer. Blown with a wind. This is the view from Zadar. An island that is so small and first to be seen is Ošljak and right behind it is Ugljan. Croatia, a land with over 1200 islands.

P.S.

Something completely different for the end of today’s post.

It is about barefoot shoes. I love nature, and my connection with it is vital for me and it goes all the way to wearing and preferring natural clothes, shoes, etc. As so called barefoot or zero drop shoes are difficult to find and as a photographer spending so much time in wet and muddy conditions (Irish weather and all) I needed a good Wellies. I am just putting this information for people like me – I found amazing Wellies, barefoot, zero drop, natural rubber and they are from a Danish company Mikk Line

The only problem is, they are producing for kids mainly, so size 38 is the biggest. Thank God for my small feet 😉

Natural Rubber Wellies, friend’s dog Baxter posed for me to make this shot more interesting.

Analog photography

Dubrovnik, rich in history

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021
by sila

What to say about town in one image?

Dubrovnik, or how numerous tourist often butcher its name – Djubrovnik, or Chuprovnik, often photographed and the same amount of time misunderstood.

Walled, guarded as its citizens. Overcrowded at summer, left behind in winter.

Every year we spend at least three days there, visiting our dear friend. I filmed this town from above, photographed snaps, digital long exposures etc. but never quite being satisfied with all I did.

So without further ado, Dubrovnik in only one photograph.

Analog photography

Travel with analog 6×17

September 22, 2021
by sila

On our trip to Croatia I took my panoramic 6×17 3d printed camera with Fujinon SW90mm lens. It was reserved for just two rolls of film.

When you are jumping from one place to another, it is not very practical to shoot with this type of camera. I guess I was hoping for a little bit slower pace this time.

My favourite place

Early, on morning like this one, when sun is barely passing over the hill and hitting calm surface of the sea in a little heart shaped cove, was my favourite place for a swim before masses of tourists flock down ruining it.

At the bottom of the hill, there are traditional boats lying around, posing for Insta shots, more than going fishing lately. Velebit as a blue horizon wall, a guardian sheltering from the Continental climate.

Zadar

This is a recently refurbished beach out of many in Zadar.

Since Zadar town put in to practice its collectors, the whole stretch of beaches right in the centre of town are clean and outstanding quality. The regular boat crew is taking samples and testing water daily (on this page you can see the results https://vrtlac.izor.hr/ords/kakvoca/kakvoca). One of the rare towns with such luxury, you can jump into the sea out of the street and cool your self down on hot summer day.

I cut this photograph to get rid of the distracting elements, other than that, it is as it was taken. This strong, vibrant colours are mainly due to polariser I had on all the time.

You can hit button follow me, at the bottom of this page. Never miss a post. Read more about this travel on other blog posts

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Tough as a Pirate

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021
by sila

Harsh and tough was life back then, whether it was sun dried, rough soil offering so little, or enemies all around. Omis has very interesting history. It can count its history in thousands of years. The mouth of the Cetina river was first permanently inhabited in ancient times, more than 2000 years ago, and historians believe that the origins of the present day Omis are to be found in the small settlement of Oneum, which lay at the very foot of the impressive mountain guarding the town from the north – Omiska Dinara.

Omis hinterland, 31-8-2021, DJI panorama

The Ancient Pirate Stronghold

Throughout the entire 12th and 13th centuries the pirates of Omis ruled the seas from Omis to Dubrovnik, and all ships sailing by this small town at the Cetina mouth were forced to pay tribute for free passage or risked enaging in a battle. In the Old Ages and in the Middle Ages, piracy was a legitimate and widespread type of economy. The rise of power of Omis begins with the arrival of family Kacic at the end of the 11th century. Family Kacic probably comes from Zadar, and the first of them was a nobleman Ljubomir.

Road to Cetina River, 31-8-2021, DJI panorama

How even today we are continuing to drill and change these beautiful mighty mountains in service of a mighty money brought by tourists.

Harsh DJI panorama feature inside drone is by far the best way for me to present harsh realities of the region.

I have special connection with seas and my fondness is visible in above image.

Neretva and its piracy

Neretva region was another great piracy centre. Especially before 10th century. Venetians have tried for centuries to suppress the famous pirates from Neretva, but they never succeeded. The most famous is the battle near Makarska on the 18th September 887. This date is taken as the Day of the Croatian Navy. Named Narentani in Venetian sources, Greek sources call them Paganoi, “pagans”, as they were for long pagan, in a time when neighbouring tribes were Christianized. The word Narentine is a demonym derived from the local Neretva river (Latin language: Narenta). It is all about river here.

Neretva in Rogotin, 31-8-2021, DJI panorama

The Neretva River is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin which stretches for 220 km in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the last 20 km in Croatia. It is extremely rich in water and in natural resources with many endemic and fragile life forms which are threatened. It is still recognized for its natural beauty and diversity of its landscapes and contains the significant portion of fresh drinking water.

My prints on https://silaart.picfair.com

Browse through blog posts for the beginning of the series Summer Croatia Trip

Blog

Bura Wind Shapes Landscape

September 16, 2021September 16, 2021
by sila

Lives of animals, humans and plants are shaped by strong winds that blow around the globe.

How are we influenced by climate

Humans are increasingly influencing the climate, but how many of us are aware how hugely shaped we are by the same climate?

This summer I found myself explaining the nature of average Croatian to our foreign friends we met holidaying near Dubrovnik. I remember that I said something like; Croatians are like our climate, extreme. We can be very helpful, lovable, going way and beyond to help and then we can be extremely rude, deceiving, looking only to our own gain. As Croatian climate goes from winter -15C and deep snow on the mainland, to 38C and three months without rain during summer on the coast. It is a place where two climate zones meet, Continental and Mediterranean and the clash of climate is happening on the mountain Velebit producing spectacular cloud formation and very strong wind called Bura.

Bura shaped landscape, 4-9-2021

Bura

Wind that blows from the mainland towards the sea is gale force, cold and has outbursts of even stronger force. It wrecks ships, trees are no match to it and makes soil salty. That’s why on the side of the mountain nothing grows, maybe few resilient soil covers and herbs. Wind that breaks also brings good things. Bura dries our best pršut – prosciutto. It is because of it we have herbs with scent that is better than any perfume, with healing powers not completely researched. This is the food that sheep of the region eat. Out of their milk cheese is made, mature, and strong like the environment.

Adriatic, 4-9-2021

My new prints will be available here https://silaart.picfair.com

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Summer Trip to Croatia

September 15, 2021
by sila

How living in two countries has its advantages but also downsides

Our regular travel during summer from Ireland to Croatia is behind us and I can collect my thoughts and impressions sitting in my apartment in Ireland. It became sort of mandatory that we travel each summer to Croatia, for seven years now. Visiting friends and family is a must, but more than that, it is a source of my artistic inspiration.

I realised how different my artwork is in Croatia (I don’t mean photography but paintings), how vibrancy and passion is at the core of the environment that surrounds me. From early age I was connected with nature and animals, probably more then average person. That lead me in the past to become a veterinarian, but also to photography. Sensibility to the world around us is a necessity to true empathy.

So, todays post is mainly an introduction to few more that will follow.

Travel with me

When we travel, we visit a lot of destinations on the way. For us, travel and adventure begins when you leave your doorstep. On this journey we flew from Cork airport over Amsterdam, to Zagreb. Due to pandemic, direct flight that was operated by Ryanair from Cork to Zadar was terminated and I really hope it will resume soon. We took a rental in Zagreb which is quite expensive during full tourist season, to get to the area of Zadar. Zadar and Zadar county is somewhat in the middle of Croatia’s coastal region. It is the area that we know the best and where the view on a huge mountain range called Velebit always makes me smile. The Adriatic meets the mountain there.

My photos attached to this post are made with GoPro. We did some aerials, underwater, and regular tourist snaps. I also took my 17×6 analog with me (it is still not developed).

Which is hidden underneath is always something that attracts me. When I was a child I watched Jaws, the scariest movie at that time. I new that in the Adriatic we don’t have big sharks, still I did not go in the deep for a long, long time. Our imagination can create stories that are worse than movie.

I don’t know who is the swimmer in the picture, it is of no importance. For me is all about that interruption when a figure enters the tranquil scene of summer. Disturbance. It forces me to stop.

As always follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/lidijaivaneksila/

Being a Croatian, I know how to find spots for photography, good restaurants, where to swim, and what to expect there. Also it means I slowly lose that fresh perspective of a naive first visitor. Living in Ireland is helping as I do come and go, but also it tears me apart each time I have to go back.

In a sense it is like these two pictures – Crack and Interruption.

Blog

Stillness – A Single Photo Day

July 30, 2021July 30, 2021
by sila

Oversaturated world.

In need of a break from to much informations, my comfort and peace comes in looking in only one image today.

I love mornings and that is pretty obvious. I love mornings as the world is still, there is only a sound of nature. I love mornings as they are fresh, new, like a brand new canvas. I love mornings as colours are there, but before sun breaks out, they are pastel and soft.

So if you are like me in a position that you feel overwhelmed with everyday stuff, come, immerse yourselves in todays photograph and be transferred in my mornings of stillness and sounds of waves that caress the sand

More: https://silaart.picfair.com

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The Planet We Live On

June 30, 2021
by sila

What if someone said to you, beyond this point you can’t go? Every path you new, every sight you saw, it’s no longer available.

This morning sign prompt me to write about something that is on my mind for quite a while. If you are faint-hearted, please leave as I am about to start a rant.

As an artist I always try to find beauty in whatever is taking my interested in that particular moment. I am getting up really early, to explore beauty in landscape without people in it. Usually that means that if you follow my work, you will get this distorted vision of the world, where everything is beautiful – aesthetically clean. It is just my way to point out how world can be, and in some small scale still is. Then once and a while ugliness creeps upon me, overwhelming me with reality.

This world is full of sinful people, greedy, selfish and all sorts, but also stupid beyond belief.

Today, I read the news where it is the third day in a row where records in temperature for Canada is broken. In town Lytton it was 49.6C yesterday!!! This last few weeks Europe is boiling in a very dangerous temperatures for everyone. Incredibly powerful thunderstorms are producing tornadoes and delivering hail storms. Floods and earthquakes. It is like “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains”. And after all these extreme weather events, warnings from scientists, even seeing with their own eyes, there are still naysayers to global climate change. Isn’t that stupidity or what?

I do not understand people who would go to nature and leave rubbish behind them?! It puzzles me that you can be so lazy or stupid not understanding that it will come back to you, all the filth will go back to rivers, air, ocean and end up in your water. How many diseases are caused with micro plastic that can’t be filtered and it is now in human guts? You don’t have to believe me, just read scientific journals lately.

Selfish, selfish people. Selfish thinking says – I don’t care, it is not mine to clean after somebody? It is the same selfishness that is at work saying I will not get COVID-19, I am strong, that is all a lie. The same selfish person will not take vaccine and will not prevent spreading of the disease. The reasoning behind will say – I am not to blame that my neighbour dies of COVID-19. It is the same selfishness on a grand scale who will not help poor countries get vaccine, and would pile up stock in their on country.

To end with this morning rant and come back to the sign from above. It was erected on my favourite path. I don’t blame the farmer who tries to protect people who are walking with dogs, small children and the path is very close to the cliffs. It is not fenced. It is nature, untouched, but people do not behave appropriately when coming into a wild nature. Now, nature is getting more and more fenced because of stupidity of irresponsible people.

It is a great sadness in my heart and probably in hearts of other true lovers and protectors of nature that we have to live in times like this.

At least we still have a voice and we still continue to speak, make art, educate in hope that majority will stop with bad habits.

I can’t imagine world where blue sky is no longer available, where fresh, clean water is no longer available, where my beautiful animals are just a tale of the old times.

Today is a very hazy, humid and quite warm day in Ireland.

And I still manage to find beauty even today on a day like this.

My beautiful photographs can be purchased here

Analog photography

Ireland with Kodak Colour

May 27, 2021May 27, 2021
by sila

Exa 1a soft bokeh

Wedged. This image is already available here

In my wanderings around Ireland, I seem to be more keen to go back to soft, unsharp images. As in the whirlwinds of the Instagram all sharp, saturated, applied filters etc. images start to merge into one endless stream of sunsets, smiles, sandy beaches until all just disappear unnoticed.

At least in analog imperfections is a soul-filled goodness.