My best photos from 2024
Happy New Year to you all. Once again I thought I would start 2025 with a review of my favourite photoshoots throughout 2024. While I got some good stuff every month, I have focused on the shoots that produced some of my best and favourite photographic moments. Please let me know in the comments which ones are your favourite.
So without further ado, let’s go……
JANUARY
Snowy Scenes in Ljubljana and Lake Jasna in Slovenia
Lake Jasna
In January last year I captured the full moon rising at sunset the furthest north ever. In Slovenia there are many locations where it rises over prominent landmarks and mountains. Of course, you only get one chance to shoot it each year, so you have to choose. In previous years, I caught it at Jamnik and also Saint Thomas. In 2023, I went to Bled and caught it rising over the mountain behind Bled Castle. Thankfully, the conditions were perfect. However, in 2024 I didn’t get any luck here.
However, I did get some lovely photos at Lake Jasna this month. My 24-105mm lens was broken and in for repair, which meant I was limited to my 100-400mm. The upside is that it does force you to be a little more creative and think about more close up compositions. Lake Jasna is an ideal place for this.
One of the things I love about Jasna is the view across to a magnificent section of the Julian Alps, primarily of the two peaks: Razor and Prisank. As the sun dips behind the mountains, you can zoom in and also get some lovely shots of the last light on the peaks.
Here I did just that, and also overcame the inability to go wide by shooting a stitched panoramic.
Kozolec in Ljubljana
There was some snow in Ljubljana in January. It didn’t last long, but I was able to get out and find these nice little shots around sunset. Known as Kozolec, these wooden racks are found in the countryside and suburban areas around Slovenia. They make great subjects for photography, especially in the snow.
FEBRUARY
Two great viewpoints over Lake Bled
Mala Osojnica
There are several great elevated viewpoints around Lake Bled. Two of the most popular and easiest to hike are Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica.
Mala Osojnica is the highest of the two. The best time to photograph from Mala Osojnica in the morning is from November to March. At this time of year the sun rises further south, and casts beautiful warm side-light on the island, the steps and bell tower of the church, and lake.
In February, I hiked up before dawn. It’s important here to know the trail first as you will be hiking up in the dark and the trail can be quick difficult in places.
The view from the main viewpoint is not much good during the blue hour, because the church spire merges with the reflected lights of the castle and cliffside. But you can get a shot from a point nearby, through some trees. See the first photo here.
Ojstrica
I also visited Ojstrica for a sunset in February
MARCH
Mountains
Kamnik Alps Panoramas
Throughout 2024 I tried to spend more time doing stitched panoramics due to a great new Tripod I had. My Benro 34CLV levelling tripod has made the process of getting everything perfectly level much easier. Watch my YouTube video here to see more about that.
In March I got these lovely two panoramics of the Kamnik Alps at sunset, after a fresh coating of snow.
Lake Jasna Early Spring
March is also a wonderful time to photograph the Julian Alps, and again at Lake Jasna. Along the way I also spotted this wonderful scene where a newly built Kozoloc sits with the Julian Alps behind.
APRIL
Mountains, lakes and churches
Peč viewpoint over Lake Bohinj
In April, I finally got to achieve a long-term plan to hike up to Peč, an elevated viewpoint over Lake Bohinj. It takes about 30-40 minutes, and is a magnificent view indeed. It was a moody, overcast day that kept threatening to rain. However, Bohinj is often at its best on days like this.
Read more about this view and how to get there in this great article from Escape to Bohinj >
Jezersko
Although I had already visited Jezersko many years ago in winter, I had not been able to get back there since. So finally in April I took the family on a little trip up. It’s a beautiful village sitting on a mountain pass between Slovenia and Austria.
The main attraction is Planšarsko lake, which was artificially made by the locals as a memorial to the ancient glacial lake that once filled the area, but eventually drained away. The new lake is actually in a heart shape, and is backed by a superb view of the Kamnik Alps.
Preddvor Lake
On the road towards Jezersko is another artificial lake called Jezero črnava (Black Lake) in the village of Preddvor. I also got the chance to photograph this place as the colours were starting to bloom.
Jamnik Church
The Church of St. Primus and Felician in the village of Jamnik, is a picturesque Gothic church perched on a hilltop on the Jelovica plateau. It’s renowned for its stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, including the Kamnik Alps and the Ljubljana Basin. From this viewpoint, you get the lovely conical shaped Mt. Storžič behind.
A late morning trip to Jamnik Church yielded some stunning results. As the thick cloud that had lingered throughout the morning began to break up, the peak of Storžič poked through as the lovely textured clouds swirled around it.
MAY
The highest pass in Slovenia
Vršić Pass
The Vršič Pass is the highest mountain pass in Slovenia, located in the Julian Alps. The road starts at lake Jasna and takes you over into the Soča Valley. It’s famous for its dramatic scenery, with 50 hairpin turns winding through the mountains.
There are several great scenes to photograph along the way.
The Russian Chapel is a poignant memorial built by Russian prisoners of war during World War I. Dedicated to the memory of their fallen comrades who perished in an avalanche while constructing the road, the chapel serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of war. This small wooden chapel, with its distinctive Russian Orthodox design, stands as a symbol of suffering and resilience, offering a place of remembrance and tribute to the sacrifices made by these soldiers.
The Prisank Wall is the massive and imposing north face of Mount Prisojnik in the Julian Alps. A little further up the road from the Russian Chapel, is a layby providing a stunning wide view of this mountain-face. I setup to do a stitched panoramic, when this guy came over and asked if I minded that he stood in the scene and takes a photo of himself. I didn’t mind, as he added a perfect sense of scale to my pano!
The Pagan Girl, (Ajdovska Deklica) is a striking natural rock formation on the Prisank wall. This unique geological feature resembles the face of a young woman, adding a touch of mystique to the already dramatic mountain scenery. Legend has it that the Pagan Girl was once a mythical giantess who was turned to stone. To get there, you need to park at the very top of the pass and walk about 15 minutes along a dirt road.
Missed the Aurora at Lake Bled
Sadly, I missed the only display of the Aurora Borealis at Lake Bled in May. My app pinged me, and I went very early before dawn thinking I would still get to see it, but no! A lesson learned: the best time to photograph an aurora is around midnight.
Mind you, I was rewarded with a fabulous sunrise, and also got a nice shot from a different viewpoint.
I did get a rainbow though
On another visit in May I did get a fabulous rainbow and some amazing storm light over Bled.
JUNE
The Fairytale Cottage
In June I went on a scouting trip to another location I had been meaning to visit, the fairytale cottage in Srednji Vrh near Kranjska Gora. This is a lovely little cottage perched on a hillside with the full might of the Julian Alps right behind it. The shot is ideally captured at sunrise, when the light will hit the front of the cottage. I hope to get back there one morning.
JULY
Dorset & Venice
In July I went and stayed down in Dorset for a few days. I love this part of the UK, and as well as scouting some locations for my Dorset Workshops, I also enjoy spending time here photographing for myself.
Swanage
You might be wondering why I visited in July. Well, primarily it was to photograph the sun rising at its closest point to Old Harry Rocks with the Old Swanage Pier all together in one shot from a viewpoint I had found the year before.
My trip to Dorset was fraught with bad weather. Read more about it here.
The morning I visited Swanage, the storms from the day before were clearing away. However, there was one more little rainstorm to pass over around sunrise, and at one point it looked like I would not see the sun rising at all.
Then a break in the thick cloud allowed the sun to break through briefly and give me a spectacular moment, and then the light as the storm moved over was amazing.
Knowlton Church, Horton Tower & Moor Crichel
Portland Bill
During my trip I also ran a one-day workshop at Portland Bill, and we had some pretty wild weather. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the cross winds on the promontory were ferocious and gave us some great wave action.
A morning in Venice
After Dorset, I flew to Venice where I was supposed to spend one night in a hotel so I could get a chance to photograph Venice at dawn when it’s nice and quiet. A delayed flight and adventurous night meant no sleep, but some great photos. You can read the full story here:
AUGUST
Krk Island in Croatia
Late July and early August was family holiday time. This year we visited Krk Island in Croatia for the first time. While summer is not the best time for photography, there are always opportunities, particularly at sunset, or capturing some of the birdlife and beach life. Regular storms moving over the northern mainland also helped add some atmosphere. Here are a few from what I have managed to process so far.
September
Churches and Giants
Bohinj Valley View
In September I re-visited a fabulous location where you can get a wonderful view down to Srednja Vas, Lake Bohinj and the hills of Studor and Rudnica in the Bohinj Valley. The view is from Vodnik. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the village of Koprivnik. I had taken my spring photography workshop group here too.
Local legend tells of a family of giants that once inhabited this region. Two brothers, titans of legend, occupied the opposing hills – Rudnica (left) Studor (right). Sharing a single, colossal whetstone, they sharpened their massive scythes, cultivating the valley below. Their sister, a giantess of immense strength, straddled the Ribnica Stream one foot on each hill, doing their laundry with a washboard.
The day had been cloudy, but my weather app had shown it clearing away from the west towards sunset. True to form, the parting cloud cast beautiful sunrays across the valley, and the sunset over the Julian Alps behind Lake Bohinj was magnificent.
Saint Thomas Church View
The view across to Saint Thomas Church is a classic in Slovenia, and one that photographers from around the world flock to photograph. While it can get pretty crowded in autumn, especially due to all the photography tours going there at once, it’s often a little quieter in September. I paid a visit one morning and was the only one there to capture the sublime light and soft mist that drifted through the valley on this morning.
October
Amazing sunrise and bad weather
Autumn at Lake Bled
Well it has to be said, that in all my years of photographing the sunrise at Lake Bled, I think on this particular morning I witnessed probably the most intense colours and light ever.
Autumn Photography Workshop
The colours this autumn in Slovenia were some of the most intense I’d seen in a long time. Sadly, the weather on my autumn in Slovenia workshop was not great, until the last morning. However, bad weather should not preclude you from getting good shot. You just need to work with it. Here is a selection of shots from that weekend.
November
A church with a view
View across the Ljubljana Marshes
Just to the south of Ljubljana lies the Ljubljana Marshes. In the middle on a hill sits the lovely church of Saint Ana. While a nice view in itself, it’s also a great place to get a view across the marshes to both the Kamnik Alps and Julian Alps. On a visit in November I got these lovely shots.
December
A panoramic view
View from a lesser known church
Just to the east of Ljubljana is the church of Saint Margaret, in the village of Prežganje. The from the hillside here you get a stunning panoramic view of the following mountains: Snežnik, Krim, Triglav (Julian Alps) and the Kamnik Alps. On a clear day, you can pan around to shoot all of them, like I did here at sunset on Christmas Day.
Equipment used in my photoshoots
These are links to photography equipment I use and what’s in my bag and great places to buy them.
These are affiliate links so if you click and purchase I’ll receive a small commission in return, but at no extra cost to you.
Recent Articles
6 Best Apps for Landscape Photography
In this article I give you a list of the the 6 best apps for planning your landscape photoshoots.
My book
Learn Photography
For a more comprehensive look at photography, check out my book, available to buy at Amazon.
Shedding light on all the photography basics in one book.
Want to know how to take better photos? Well, first you need to master the basic techniques. Whether you are a complete beginner or an intermediate looking to improve your photography, this book is packed with photography techniques, tips and advice for beginners and intermediates.
All the camera functions and their effects explained.
