Spring in Slovenia Photography Workshop
My recent Spring in Slovenia photography workshop was a great success, and we had some lovely conditions too. After a week of late spring snow in the high grounds, we were treated to some beautiful snowcapped mountains and fabulous light.
I had a great group from both sides of the Atlantic, 2 from UK and 2 from USA.
One participant from the UK, was Gill Prince, a well-known commercial photographer who lives in Milton Keynes.
From the USA, was Daniel Korzeniewski, owner of Photo Tours and Expeditions, who offer some fabulous tours to places like Cuba, Japan and soon to be Slovenia.
We were blessed with a lovely sunset and sunrise at Lake Bled, sunrises at Jamnik and Saint Thomas church. We found snow in the high grounds, along with a fabulous view of the Bohinj Valley and lake. Plus, we visited Peričnik Waterfall and Lake Jasna.
Read on for the full report
Places we photographed
Lake Bled - Day 1
The group stayed at Penzion Mayer for the duration of the workshop, which is just a 5-minute walk down to Lake Bled.
We started on the terrace at Kavarna Park, where not only do you get great coffee and Kremšnita (cream cake), but it’s the only place you can photograph the clifftop castle and Julian Alps together, including Mt. Triglav (the highest peak in Slovenia – 2,864m).
Sunset
For sunset we headed to the western side of the lake, known as Zaka. This is the prime location for photographing both the castle and island Church of the Assumption of Mary Magdalene with the Karavanke Alps behind. The largest mountain in this range is Mt Stol (2,236m).
There is a wooden boardwalk along the lake you can photograph from.
Day 2 - Jamnik church - Bohinj Valley
Dawn and Sunrise at Jamnik Church
The church of Saints Primus and Felician is perched on a hilltop on the Jelovica Plateau, and from the roadside in the village of Jamnik you get the most fabulous view of this church with the conical peak of Mt. Storžič right behind it, along with the rest of the Kamnik Alps. We had a lovely clear morning and some nice light.
One of the advantages of my spring workshop is that these popular locations are less busy than in autumn. Saying that though, you never know so I always get my groups there very early to ensure we get the prime spots in case others do arrive.
Luckily, we had this morning all to ourselves.
Sun rising behind the mountains
At this time of year the sun rises over the mountain peaks close to the church, so you can get lovely close up shots as it crests the mountain peaks. On this morning, we knew it would come up right beside Mt. Grintovec, which is actually the highest peak in the Kamnik Alps range. It seems as though Storžič is higher, but that is because Grintovec is further east from this perspective.
Storžič 2,132 m – Grintovec 2,558 m
If you are here in May or July, then you can capture the sun rising right over Storžič
After sunrise
After the sun crested the mountains we stuck around for some side views, which also place the Karavanke Alps behind, and took a walk along the path leading up to the church, where there is a lovely shot through a big tree with the sun bursting through the leaves.
The Bohinj Valley
After breakfast we headed off into the gorgeous Bohinj Valley and up to a fabulous viewpoint from the Pokljuka Plateau, called Vodnik Lookout.
As we drove up the road to the village of Koprivnik, where we would take the short hike to the lookout, we were surprised to find some snow still left from the week of snow we’d just had. Usually this time of year the snow that does fall melts fast. But here it was still lingering!
The view from here is across the valley to Srednja Vas village which is framed by the two hills of Rudnica & Studor with Lake Bohinj in between.
Local legend tells of a family of giants that lived here. In this region where the Ribnica Stream has cut a valley between two big hills, there lived a family of giants who ruled the land around it. The two brothers stood on opposing hills, one on Studor Hill (right) and the other on Rudnica Hill (left). Between them they shared one whetstone, using it to sharpen the massive scythes they used to cultivate their crops and keep the grass cut clean and smooth across the whole valley. Their sister stood astride the Ribnica Stream, one foot firmly planted on each hill as she scrubbed their dirty clothes in the fast flowing water with a washboard.
Lake Bohinj
This large natural lake is the biggest permanent lake in Slovenia and is nestled in the heart of the Julian Alps mountain range, at the easternmost extremity of the European Alps. With almost 100 cubic metres of water, a length of 4100m and 1100m at its widest point, a maximum depth of 45m, and encircled by the magnificent peaks of the Julian Alps and heavily forested hills and plateaus, Lake Bohinj is a place that will undoubtedly capture your heart and make you long to return.
The locals will tell you that the Bohinj region is so special because God made it so. It seems that after God had finished giving out land, he realised that he had forgotten all about one small group. These people had been so humble and had not shouted or issued demands like the rest. He respected and admired their modesty and therefore decided to bestow upon them the most beautiful land of all, which he had reserved for himself. The locals refer to God as “Boh”, and Bohinj means “God’s Land”.
The Blue Hour
While the sunset was devoid of colour, the lovely textured cloud presented us with some great conditions for the classic blue hour shot at Lake Bohinj, the bridge and church of Saint John.
Day 3 - Saint Thomas Church, Pericnik Waterfall, Lake Jasna
Sunrise at Saint Thomas Church
The church of Saint Thomas is another popular location for photographers, and once again I got the group there early to ensure we got the best spots. While this church is not lit, it does look great at sunrise.
Again, unlike in autumn, there were not so many other photographers here; just one who slept in his car and two others who screeched up in their car just at the last minute to catch the fabulous sunrise that we were all treated to.
Peričnik Waterfall
After lunch as it was lightly overcast, we went to the magnificent Peričnik Waterfall,
located in the Vrata Valley and one of three beautiful valleys cutting into Triglav National Park.
It’s actually a dual waterfall, with the upper part being the smallest (16 metres) and lower part, as seen in the photo, the largest (52 metres).
Situated beneath Mt. Sleme and Višek mountain pasture, it is one of the highest and most famous waterfalls in Slovenia. The upper fall cascades into a small pool which then feeds the larger fall below. This one cascades down the wall of a wide rockface.
Down below there is also a lovely view into the Vrata Valley to photograph.
Lake Jasna
We ended the day at the beautiful Lake Jasna, a fabulous lake with a view across to one of the most magnificent sections of the Julian Alps. Its two main peaks are Razor and Prisank. We had lunch nearby also.
Slovenian food is truly fabulous, and we found a great place to eat near Lake Jasna.
Day 4 - Lake Bled
Sunrise at Lake Bled
For our last morning we returned to Lake Bled for a sunrise and morning shoot, where we were treated to some fabulous clouds before breakfast, after which the workshop ended.
Thanks to a great group
Thanks a million to a great group who helped make the whole trip even more enjoyable, and for sending me some of the photos they captured. It’s always nice to see that they came back with wonderful photos and great memories.
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