Ales Bravnicar's Photo Journal

The big silly showdown: Samyang 24/1.4 ED AS IF UMC vs. ZEISS CP.2 25/T2.9

2012-02-11T13:33:00.007+01:00

I do not usually do lens comparison tests. I do not have the time, the nerves and the necessary scientific equipment. But being a big fan of both Zeiss (of course) and Samyang glass (or Rokinon, as it is also called) I decided to do it. Just this time. Just for the sake of it. Just for fun.

I got the newest Samyang 24/1.4 ED AS IF UMC (what a mouthful) as the first photographer in Slovenia from my friends at FOTO-KLIK.si, the distributors for this part of Europe, who are promising "the best possible price for the lens in all of European Union" (check out their promise - selling the Canon version for 520 euros !!!).

I wanted to make it particularly silly, so I put it up against my Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 25/T2.9 wide open. I did just two comparison shots with Samyang - wide open and stopped down to f/2.8 to match the T-stop of the Zeiss lens.

The results are surprising. At f/1.4 the Samyang is of course softer than Zeiss wide open, but we all knew that one. Still, the 1.4 f-stop of Samyang resolves details nicely and looks quite amazing, even at the corners, apart from the odd greenish chromatic aberration here and there (not seen on these pictures), which is perfectly fixable. Where the Samyang really shines is closed two stops down, at f/2.8. It is *almost* on par with Zeiss wide open (which has a T-stop of 2.9), the latter being just a tiny bit sharper and more "3D-ish" in detail resolving than Samyang. For the price of that monster, it better be though!

So if you are looking for the perfect lens for video with great bokeh, look no further. With the price tag which should be about six times lower than Zeiss, this newest member of Samyang family is a top notch performer. Bear in mind that this is not a scientific test though, just a quick silly comparison. For your relevant field of work you should run these tests yourself!

(Unfortunately I could not manage to upload my 2500px wide photos to Blogger to show the details as it automatically resizes them to 1600px wide).

All photos from 16-bit RAW files, shot with Canon 1Ds MkIII, no post-processing, just a slight vignetting fix on both lenses (about the same) in post. All rights reserved.

Shoot the Centerfold – the best photographic workshop there is. Period.

2012-01-29T02:47:00.031+01:00

Why on earth did they not think of that before? I mean, you have people like Arny Freytag, who is an absolute Playboy photography legend. You have Jarmo Pohjaniemi, who, apart from amazing photo skills also has an amazing nose for business. Now just add some great guest speakers, such as Ric Moore, Gary Cole and Jeff Cohen, and season it all with a couple of amazing ex-centerfolds and gorgeous models - what you get is a perfect recipe for three power-packed January days in Miami Beach. It is called »Shoot The Centerfold« and it just celebrated its' first birthday.

The Idea came from Jarmo Pohjaniemi. He is an ex-model from Finland and a great Playboy photographer, shooting girls for Playboy, Cyber Club and more, but also doing a lot of fashion and commercial stuff all over the world. One day Jarmo woke up in his supercool Miami villa and said, hey, knowledge is power, let's finally share the things we know and do for Playboy with the entire photography world. That day Shoot the Centerfold was born.

The workshop (I'll call it STC) is an amazing beast. You get to participate in every man's ultimate dream – a one-on-one with Playboy photographers. You get to find out all the little lighting secrets from the masters, hear stories about great shoots, production caveats, tricks of the trade and also have your portfolios reviewed in detail. The tipping of the cake is the actual chance to shoot those amazing models yourself, all lit with beautifully detailed lights we see in Playboy magazine and posed by Arny, who has been working as a Playboy photographer for 35 years, Jarmo and Ric.

The best thing about STC is that it is not there to show off. Everyone feels like a big family for those 3 action-packed days of seminars and shootings. STC's sole purpose is for you to benefit from all the knowledge and 80 years of common experience and to get all the information necessary to get you to that next level agencies and editors are constantly demanding from top photographers. STC's approach is unique – the philosophy is to make everything perfect IN CAMERA and only use a little Photoshop to enhance already great pictures. Here, as Jarmo puts it, you will learn not how to take a photograph, but how to make it. And if you get stuck there is always backup – just buy a copy of lighting diagrams and posing guides made exclusively for STC by Arny, Jarmo and Ric.

I am extremely proud to be invited to the STC seminar in Miami as a guest speaker and to be a part of this ever-growing family. Can't wait to to see STC appearing in Europe any time soon.

(All photos of me (C) Morgan Miller 2012)

Powered by Wolford - another amazing cooperation coming up!

2011-12-28T13:59:00.007+01:00

I am extremely proud that Wolford, one of world's top brands for hosiery and lingerie, has decided to cooperate with me and support my work by supplying their amazing products.

Here is a short story about Wolford:
The industrialist Reinhold Wolff from Vorarlberg and the retail businessman Walter Palmers from Vienna started it all. In 1949, they founded the company Wolff & Co. KG in Bregenz am Bodensee, manufacturing fine nylon stockings. To this day, Wolford works with circular knitting machines which make it possible to provide a seamless product. In 1988, the internationalisation of Wolford achieved a trendsetting dynamic. The crucial factor for this was the company’s reorganisation to become the ‘Wolford AG’ corporation. Today Wolford specialises in the luxury market as an operative and active company in the manufacture and distribution of qualitative, high-class fashion in leg and body wear, primarily stockings, tights, bodysuits, swimwear and underwear. Wolford AG has 14 international subsidiaries and distributes their branded goods in around 65 countries to single-brand boutiques and trading partners.
Last year they had several seasonal co-operations in co-branding with well-known international designers such as Jean Paul Gautier, Philipp Starck, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld and Emilio Pucci.

And who could forget Helmut Newton's late 80's work for them...? The billboards were so sexy they were banned from public display in several countries. A photo of a nude woman wearing their legendary Fatal seamless tights even ended up on the cover of Helmut's "Polaroids" book...

Photo:
Neža Uršič@MG wearing a Wolford body
Make-up & hair: Luka Luka

The Wild One - a new fashion video with Nina Kohne

2011-10-29T12:11:00.004+02:00

To see the video click here.
--------------------------------

Camera / DoP / Direction: Aleš Bravničar
Edit: Rok Mele
Assistant: Anže Godec

Make-up: Tina Fabjan (head of make-up artists, Max Factor)

Music: Spread Your Love by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club © Virgin Records 2001

Model: Nina Kohne

Clothes by American Apparel, Palmers & Nancy Beachwear, Wolford
1960 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible kindly provided by Igor Pirnat’s Dream Car Rentals/ limoporoke.com

Ana Neborac for Kitten Magazine

2011-10-10T00:53:00.012+02:00

Ana Neborac is a beautiful model from Moldova.
This shoot, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, was done in England with the help of an amazing team:

Styled by Conchita Perez and Donna Marie Mason
Clothes from Invisible Warriors collection by Conchita Perez.

Make-up: Kristina Vidic using Illamasqua

Hair: Magdalena Tucholska using L'Oreal Professional

Photographer's assistant: Ciril Jazbec

Model: Ana Neborac @ Models 1 London

Retouching: Julija Pugelj

Anja Krvina for SOME Magazine - Whispers in the wind

2011-09-23T20:29:00.002+02:00

Anja Krvina for Some Magazine - Threesome issue.

Clothes by Nina Šušnjara & American Apparel.
Make-up by Tina Fabjan.
Hair by GK Goran Krstič.

It was the sign - The majestic age of American Motels

2011-08-22T15:23:00.008+02:00

I am in love with fifties Americana (well, also Machine Age & Art Deco but let's leave that for another post). Traveling through the States I constantly try to capture that most prominent landmark of the famed googie era - his Majesty the All-American Motel.

"Most of these motels hail from the Middle Era of Motorized Mobility, the 50s and 60s. There were motels in the 20s and 30s, but they were likely to be a collection of shanties and cabins with a humble sign out front. In the 50s and 60s the sign took on great prominence; it was a way of establishing identity and rank even when no other feature of the motel was unique. The sign didn’t just sell the place; it was the place."

This passage (C) by James Lileks
(Be sure to visit his great page here)

Counting Days - our hottest fashion video yet

2011-06-24T12:48:00.003+02:00

It was a busy shoot. We only had about two hours of clouds before the rain started pouring, so all our plans for an outdoor fashion video were off completely. Luckily a friend offered his amazing stone house for filming, so we changed the storyboard in the very last minute, shooting for the rest of the day indoors. We spiced up the ending a little as well. Enjoy!

See the video here.

Playboy Club London - The "Union Jack Bunny" Lair

2011-06-22T23:14:00.004+02:00

Today I was invited for an exclusive tour of Playboy Club London, which is a members-only venue (membership application fee 1.000£, yearly membership 1.200£, lifetime membership 15.000£) approved by Hef personally and ran by London Clubs Int'l. With me came my friend, top model Anja Krvina.
Unfortunately there is a no-photo policy at the Mayfair club (which is totally understandable), so the only photo I can share is this one.
You can read all about the wonderful new club on its webpage.
Oh yes, the Bunny's name is Jessica.

Our next sexy FASHION VIDEO is ready...

2011-06-12T17:24:00.002+02:00

To see the video please click here...

Land of Fairy Chimneys

2011-05-29T13:48:00.009+02:00

A recent assignment took me to Turkey, to Cappadocia's prettiest village Goreme, where three neighbor volcanoes formed a land right out of a fairytale. Cappadocia sure has its share of romantic lodgings and one of the most beautiful is Ali Yavuz' boutique cave hotel Kelebek.

Ali was the first to set up an upmarket hotel on his family property (including a couple of fairy chimneys set in a spectacular location above Goreme) in this former backpacker hamlet and soon many others followed.

He recently added a fully fledged turkish bath (hammam) and now operates three adjacent hotels - Kelebek, Sultan and Taskonak. Their service is one of the most hospitable in Cappadocia, be it horse riding, ballooning with their very own Butterfly Balloons (see the vids), full moon BBQs, fine anatolian dining in Seten Restaurant and much, much more.

Here are some of my photos of Kelebek cave hotel, commissioned by Mr. Ali. Enjoy.

Watch the Road!

2011-05-22T08:44:00.003+02:00

A series of new megaboards for Zavarovalnica Maribor car insurance print campaign.

Shot for Infinity Agency, produced by Da! Fotohiša and featuring three hot Slovenian models - Nika Globokar, Sandra Marinovič (both Bronz Models) and Nadiya Bychkova (AK Models).
Make-up by Tina Fabjan, Hair by Matjaž Šiška, Styled by Barbara Žgalin.

Rio, Cidade Maravilhosa

2011-04-26T11:45:00.003+02:00

The Ipanema days have come to an end... But still the feelings are as gentle as the last rays of golden sun falling behind Corcovado...

A piece of Cake

2011-04-15T17:49:00.003+02:00

Cake Magazine just published our fashion editorial, shot in London's Mile End.
Yaaaay...

Sin City

2011-03-23T11:22:00.003+01:00

Neon never looked so cool...

See the full editorial here.
Model: Sara Jereb (MG)

Our very first FASHION VIDEO

2011-02-21T18:24:00.007+01:00

To see the video please click here .

Enjoy!

The glow of fuchsia

2011-01-30T22:11:00.002+01:00

Magenta owns the Pantone chart this year.

Model: Maja Taraniš - Gigia.

Malalan Joaillerie

2011-01-16T10:50:00.004+01:00

Just did some interior and image shots for one of Slovenia's best known jewellers, Malalan.
I love doing this kind of photography. It is so peaceful and quiet. Maybe I will do luxury interior decorating myself some day. Who knows...

The year 2010 in figures

2011-01-01T16:35:00.009+01:00

Past year has been one of the busiest years for me and my team.

I won the prestigious Slovenia Press Photo Award for my Androgynous project, which toured the world from New York (VII Gallery) to Tel Aviv (DocuClub).

I visited 4 continents shooting beautiful supermodels - Sandra Marinovič in Africa, Eva Kofol in Canary Islands, Karin Škufca in Asia (for Playboy magazine and Nancy Beachwear) and Sara Jereb in America.

National Geographic Traveler published my work on Africa - my Eritrea portfolio and an extensive "Adventure" supplement on my overland travels through the Sahara desert. The latter got a live presentation at the annual Shappa festival in Ljubljana.

I did 3 solo exhibitions, the most notable was Miniverse II at Ljubljana International Airport, hosted by Galerija Fotografija. Also noted was the exhibition of the new Made in Slovenia calendar for Collegium Graphicum, featuring 12 of Slovenia's uber-top models. The calendar got a huge international exposure (20.000 clicks daily on my blog alone) after Egotastic.com wrote a line about it. Read it yourself.

The excellent editorials we did for Elle, Cosmopolitan and Modna magazines featured international models and team from abroad. Several high profile advertising agencies commissioned me for some advertising work (Bandidos by Laško Brewery, Ego Yogurt by Ljubljanske Mlekarne, Adriatic Slovenica Insurance, Stilago Top Brands by Studio Moderna to name but a few).

Last but by all means not least, I shot and judged two episodes of the first season of Slovenia's Next Top Model, one in golden water and one in Greece.

Hope next year will be as fun as this one...
Oh yes, I am now on Facebook... check it out >> your Like is appreciated.

Grand Canyon in 3D

2010-12-28T19:14:00.003+01:00

Well, it is pseudo-3D, but it is still great.
3D glasses needed!

Zapped in three dimensions by Benjamin Rančič (Place3D).
And yes, that is me on the rim.

Elle Slovenia Fashion Editorial - A Day in the Year

2010-12-10T23:53:00.010+01:00

The story was published in Elle Slovenia January 2011.

Creative direction by Petra Windschnurer
Styled by Tina Curk.
Make-up Maja Šušnjara.
Hair by the very talented Ryutaro Sunami for Paul Mitchell.
Featuring two of Slovenia's greatest models - Anja Krvina and Brane Maselj Baki (Alen Kobilica Models).

See the video here.

The sexiest models this side of the Alps - Made in Slovenia calender for 2011

2010-12-04T20:05:00.019+01:00

Zvone Kukec, a designer and a friend approached me the other day with a brilliant offer. I was chewing the idea of shooting a bundle of Slovenia's sexiest fashion models semi-nude at the back of my head for a while, so his offer of shooting the annual calender for Collegium Graphicum (a printing company from Slovenia) was a perfect opportunity for materializing my ubiquitous plan.

I called the agencies, I called the girls, I called Hasselblad and I called Profoto. Everybody said yes immediately. The planets were in the right position. The light was green.

We shot over a period of one week. It was hard getting all the girls together as some of them were really busy with bookings or working abroad. With careful planning we squeezed everything together within the set time frame and handed the photos to the Jamšek brothers, the owners of Collegium Graphicum. Needless to say, they loved the results instantly.

Because of a constant bombarding of all things Made in China, Japan, Germany, Romania and Bangladesh we decided to name the project MADE IN SLOVENIA - that is where our gorgeous girls are from after all. Let the world see the beauty of our supersexy babes, shot in tasteful black and white and posing sensually.

To really appreciate the calender you have to see it in its full glory, printed on marble pearl paper and super-sized to 50x70cm. Unfortunately it is printed in a strict limited edition of 300 copies for the lucky few who manage to get their hands on Slovenia's answer to the world-famous calender by Pirelli.

Or, as Egotastic.com would put it...(click)
And the Italians said something similar...(click)

Impressum, tech specs and more:

---------------------------------------------

AD&D: Zvone Kukec

Make-up: Tina Fabjan (head of make-up artists@Max Factor), Barbara Brenčič in Ana Porenta (both Max Factor), Saša Godejša (Eva)

Hair: Matej Komar & Kristina Kralj for Matej Komar Hairstyle, Goran Krstič for Frizerstvo GK (Anja)

Models: Živa, Sandra, Karin, Natalija, Eva, Nika (Bronz), Sara, Kaja, Ines (MG), Nina (Immortal), Anja, Tara.

Post-production: Julija Pugelj

Shot with Hasselblad H4D-50 (represented by Meditrade, Središka 21, Ljubljana).

Lighting by Profoto Acute2 2400 Ws & Profoto Giant Reflector (represented by ProFot, Rimska 3, Ljubljana)

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

PS. THE CALENDAR IS NON-COMMERCIAL AND THUS NOT FOR SALE!

Let it shine

2010-11-19T19:42:00.005+01:00

New editorial I did for Modna.
The model is our exceptional pussycat babe Anja Krvina.
We call it "The Muse".
Make-up & hair was done by Luka Luka for Christian Dior.

Tres chic, cherie.

Bhutan - A kingdom in the clouds

2010-11-16T08:21:00.002+01:00

Bhutan is unique.
The national slogan tells people that gross national happiness is more important than gross national product.
Everybody has the right to talk to the king once a year.
Nobody begs.
Everybody smiles.
Oh, and did I mention Bhutan is a small remote buddhist kingdom tucked away in the Himalayas?

I am sooooo glad I spent my honeymoon there.

A taste of Ego

2010-11-12T17:17:00.004+01:00

Just did a campaign for Ego Age Protect yogurts (Ljubljanske Mlekarne) with the wonderful folks at Votan Leo Burnett.
Our amazing dancer, showed us how to be full of energy even at 4am.
He was dancing on the tables, all over the floors and even up against the walls.
Great guy. Reminds me of Roberto Benigni.

Valerija Kelava before Valerija Kelava

2010-11-06T16:12:00.005+01:00

This is Valerija before Zoo, Pop, 10, Russh, Dazed&Confused, iD, Vogue etc.
This is Valerija before Burberry, Balenciaga, Prada, Cerutti, Versace etc.

This is Valerija casting for her first Cosmo shoot.
(Just some polaroids we did back in 2003.)

Above Malibu

2010-10-23T17:51:00.001+02:00

Poetry in motion.
Shot in September while shooting an assignment for Playboy.

Nina Osenar raises a storm in the USA

2010-10-11T10:25:00.003+02:00

Former Miss Hawaiian Tropic, swimwear model, Playmate of the year, Bachelorette, singer, designer, Celebrity Big Brother (Big Brother slavnih) host and now a yoga teacher, Nina Osenar was discovered by Egotastic!, America's prime celebrity gossip site. They can't get enough of the photos she did for Playboy Slovenia a couple of years ago.
Those were the days...

Photo: Nina Osenar for Jana magazine.

Alen Kobilica for Modna

2010-10-06T11:28:00.004+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I shot our respected supermodel Alen Kobilica, who has bravely and courageously battled an extremely vicious disease and won. His optimism was overwhelming, filling the gloomy forest atmosphere with positive vibes throughout the entire shoot.

I used the trusty ProFoto Giant Reflector, Magnum with grid & a fog machine, all equipped with Flash Feeder power supplies "Made in Slovenia". If you happen to be shooting on assignment this side of the Alps you can rent all the ProFoto equipment and field power supply units here.

After the shoot the sky opened and flooded the scene. What an experience!

MINIVERSE II (check-in and check out this exhibition at Ljubljana Airport)

2010-09-03T19:26:00.007+02:00

As time flies by, so do images.

After two long years Galerija Fotografija is proud to present the second part of my Miniverse series, aptly named MINIVERSE II.

New, expanded and improved, the images will feature distant miniaturized places, from Swiss glaciers and Malta to as far as Algeria, Tibet and Las Vegas, USA.

Only those who actually travel from Ljubljana Airport will be able to see the 30 photographs as the exhibition will adorn the new passenger terminal on the upper level of the airport.
Check-in and have your boarding cards and documents ready for inspection, please.

The exhibition will start at 16.20 on September 13th.
That day is my 35th birthday.
Do fly by and share a drink!

Slovenia's Next Top Model ...FINALLY!

2010-08-28T16:53:00.007+02:00

This autumn will be all about the looks - the Slovene version of Tyra Banks' "America's Next Top Model" franchise called Slovenski Top Model is coming to a screen near you.
The girls are lovely, the crew is great and the photographers' list is a virtual who-is-who of Slovenia's crème de la crème.
There will be drama, action, intrigue and joy, all skillfully coordinated by Nuša Šenk, one of our tiny country's true great top models, seen everywhere from Vogue to Sex And the City movie.
Stay tuned for the show and a couple of my shoots on a TV3 screen near you!

Photo: Matej Mitruševski/Fotomitru.

Wild At Heart (with Lindsey Byard)

2010-07-19T23:46:00.006+02:00

"This whole world's wild at heart and weird on top. "

Lula, from David Lynch's Wild At Heart (1990)

(...see more in Modna magazine.)

Photo: Ales Bravnicar
Styling: Barbara Zgalin
Make-up: Kristina Vidic using Mac Pro
Hair: Ryutaro (ryutaro.co.uk) using L'Oreal tecni.art
Photographer's assistant: Marta Lamovsek
Assistant to stylist: Jana Marincic
Model: Lindsey Byard@Next London

I love American Apparel - and American Apparel loves me back!

2010-07-08T22:41:00.011+02:00

I am a huge fan of American Apparel.
I love their philosophy. I love Dov Charney's vision.
I love their ads (they use employees and friends instead of models, but those with Sasha Grey, Faye Reagan, Charlotte Stokely and other hipster porn lolitas are the raunchiest advertising pieces still allowed - though not everywhere, mind you).

Their wonderfully kinky & just perfectly sleazy stuff is not available this side of the Alps, so I sometimes grab a piece in their shops in Vienna (nearest), London, LA or Las Vegas (Outlet!!!).

I love to incorporate their stuff into my work - on models and my photographs. I think it is the "perfect amount of stable foam" on the cappuccino of sexiness.

>>But there's more! One fine day I received this letter in my inbox:
Hi, Ales! I work at American Apparel and we're huge fans of your erotica and glamour work!
...
Michelle Lemay
American Apparel

To prove it Michelle sent a huge package full of wonderful stuff - so huge that the completely incompetent FedEx Slovenia held it for 15 days, not knowing how to handle a priority express shipment.
Thanks for the effort, Michelle, our mutual platonic love just bloomed. Now if there was any way to meet Dov...

Verses, carved in stone - Nakovana, the prettiest ghost town in Croatia

2010-07-04T01:32:00.013+02:00

Since 6000BC there have been people here. Illyrians, Romans, pirates, you name it.
The village Nakovana was first mentioned in the 14th century and was apparently one of the most developed settlements on Pelješac after Ston. After being part of the Dubrovnik Republic, the Italian Fascists burned down the village and the Germans forced the population to seek refuge (this is rather interesting) in the Sahara Desert (in El Shatt, Egypt). Upon returning, very few resettled in the village and today there are only 4 people living in Donja Nakovana (its heyday saw as many as 270).

Ivan Lupis Vukić, the croatian inventor of the torpedo (really!) lived here and there are many people with the surname Lupis still living around the region. The attractive stone houses are quite well preserved and kept neat mostly because of an eager civil association called "Uzorna Nakovana". They are doing a fine job! Due to its great historic value the area is now a protected cultural and ecological zone, well signposted and tidy.

There is something mystical about this village. Trust me.

How professional photographers are being f***** by kids with cameras

2010-06-15T01:00:00.002+02:00

In 2005, Getty Images licensed 1.4 million preshot commercial photos. Last year, it licensed 22 millions. Most of the work was generated through amateurs submitting their digital work.
Every 20-something kid with a $2000 digital camera nowadays thinks he is a professional master fashion/commercial/portrait photographer because he knows how to slide some switches in Lightroom and shoots his androgynous friends who brag enthusiastically about their underexposed, badly composed portraits on Facebook and Twitter. The concept of photography has gone downhill for the professionals, but not because of the growing competition - it has collapsed mostly because those amateurs are largely happy to be paid anything for their photos, just for the sake of being published somewhere. Or even not paid at all. They never follow any rules, never read any books on photography and cannot name any true master photographers. They just shoot what they see and like. But when presented with a serious assignment the lack of mileage becomes apparent - the results are shitty ad campaigns, rheumatic fashion poses and catastrophic lighting.

The ad agencies do not seem to matter, willingly ignoring the quality for the sake of profit they make.

What a sad story.

National Geographic Adventure does my Sahara

2010-06-05T15:37:00.007+02:00

A 10-page spread highlighting my overland voyages to the Sahara - from Morocco to Egypt to Algeria to Mali...

(If you are by any chance interested in such a voyage click here).

Proud. Very proud.

(Magazine cover photo courtesy of National Geographic Slovenia/Rokus Klett. All rights reserved (C) 2010)

Celebrating 10 years of photography

2010-05-07T14:39:00.001+02:00

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

...

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost: The Road not taken, 1915.

My name is Nadiya - Ukrainian Beauty 2.0

2010-04-10T16:02:00.004+02:00

(A quote from the Simpsons):

"Are you Jamaican? 'Coz Jamaican' me crazy..."

From my recent underwear editorial in Eva Magazine.
Model: Nadiya Bychkova@Bronzmodels.

The War is Over

2010-03-25T12:57:00.004+01:00

Such a night in the bar of this 'Hotel Bizarre' ...I'll write some postcards and throw them away. And maybe someday I'll leave here but the drinks, they are so cheap here...
And somebody's always got to pay...

It feels like the end of the world...

FIREWATER, from the album The Golden Hour.

MODEL: Ana Colja@LA Models
Shot in Roy's Cafe, Amboy, California.

Slovenia Press Photo Award 2010 - Best reportage in Entertainment & Culture section

2010-03-12T12:34:00.007+01:00

Thank you, dear jury, for the Slovenia Press Photo (SPP) Award 2010.

And what a jury it was! Christopher Morris from VII (Time), Adriana Zehbrauskas from Polaris (The New York Times Brazil), Murad Sezer from Reuters Turkey (Pulitzer winner 2003), Oded Balilty from Associated Press Israel (Pulitzer winner 2007) and Heidi Levine from SIPA Press.

The biggest honour was the organiser's call after the results came in, passing personal congratulations from the jury via the phone in the middle of my photographic assignment in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.

You can see the photos and the whole story here and here.

They were shot for Modna Jana magazine with the immaculate help of Luka Luka, the supertalented make-up artist.

UPDATE:
The photographs will be on display at VII Gallery, 28 Jay St., Brooklyn (DUMBO), New York. during NY Photo Festival starting May 13th 2010. Enjoy.

Party at the Playboy Mansion? Even better - a movie premiere with Hef!

2010-02-22T18:37:00.006+01:00

Well, December is sadly over and so is my visit to Beverly Hills' most intriguing 5-acre property - the Playboy Mansion West, located at 10236 Charing Cross Road up in LA's Holmby Hills, where I had the incredible honor to meet Mr. Hugh M. Hefner himself.

The visit started with a day at the Playboy Studios in Hollywood, where I spent the better part of the afternoon with Arny Freytag, the legend among Playboy photographers, shooting two gorgeous naked models seeking Hef's approval to be published in one of the forthcoming issues of Playboy. I also met Stephen Wayda, another legendary photographer and Stephanie Morris, who was kind enough to put everything in place for my visit.

The Sunday feature movie premiere at the Playboy Mansion is a great thing - Premiere magazine already wrote an extensive article about it. It happened EXACTLY as they described it, popcorn and all, oozing a truly relaxed atmosphere and with just 30 of Hef's closest friends attending. I spotted Jon Lovitz among the numerous girls, who were - sadly - almost fully dressed. Almost.

Arny Freytag showed me around the Mansion - the Redwood forest, the tropical Zoo, the monkey cages and - of course - the Grotto, which was sadly undergoing some sort of refurbishment and was thus without any water at all... The girls mingled in the Playhouse before the cocktails and as the hour stroke the man himself came down the stairs with his girlfriend Crystal and the Shannon twins.

They invited us to the sitting room, where, opposite the big fireplace, the debate started. Mary, Hef's long-time secretary, called everybody to the gothic projection room and the waiters brought the popcorn. The movie was "Orson Welles and me" starring Zac Efron and Claire Danes. Everybody was yelling with excitement when the talented Christian McKay opened his mouth and the movie was followed by the screening of Girls Next Door season finale.

It was indeed a visit to remember.

Splash!

2010-02-18T21:38:00.004+01:00

Self-promotional ad for Da! Photohouse, my agent.

Shot in the studio's backyard at night with 6 strobes and the *damn* water still isn't pin sharp. Next time I will use The Profoto Pro-8a...1/12,000s, anyone?

Model: Kaja Rožič@Model Group

Across America

2010-02-03T16:54:00.002+01:00

That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and write "Fuck you" right under your nose.”

JD Salinger.

(Quirky Teapot gas station shot in Zillah, Washington State.)

I know where Batman is...

2010-01-27T23:28:00.004+01:00

Southeastern Turkey. Batman next 30 km. Somebody *please* kick me.

But seriously, there is actually a funny anecdote linked to this town according to Wikipedia:
In 2008, Batman Mayor Hüseyin Kalkan began looking into the possibility of suing Christopher Nolan, director of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, claiming Warner Bros had been using "Batman" without permission from the city, and "placing the blame for a number of unsolved murders and a high female suicide rate on the psychological impact that the film's success has had on the city's inhabitants."
Of course, no lawsuit has actually been filed.

Desert Rose

2010-01-23T09:15:00.009+01:00

This is an exclusive pictorial (available for publishing - contact me!) with Miss universe 2010 Sandra Marinovič in White Desert, Egypt, as part of a new project with pictorials of top models for Playboy Slovenia.

See the video here.

All thanks go to Nancy Aljančič of Nancy Beachwear for making this possible.

Model: Sandra Marinovič @ Bronz

Have a (W)hopping Holiday

2009-12-24T11:17:00.002+01:00

May 2010 finally bring you joy.

You will never go to Butte, Montana

2009-12-22T06:50:00.004+01:00

When doing a research on American Landscape I stumbled upon Wim Wenders' movie Don't Come Knocking. It was a visual masterpiece, shot mostly in places I once already visited or was planning to. But the most fascinating thing I saw were the streets and old brownstone buildings of Montana's beautiful mining town Butte. This year I finally got there. And boy, what a trip it was.

Driving 2000 kilometres from Los Angeles just to see a small mining town with -22 degrees centigrade freezing temperature must really sound crazy, but this is one of those unique gems you rarely see in the world. Although mostly depressive and nearly abandoned during winter, Butte is such a fascinating place that I wanted to stay there for weeks, taking in street by street of uptown historic district and absorbing every inch of Hopper-esque urban scenes this town has to offer. Its most beautiful moments must be when it is bathed in the sun and the walls become reddish canvases only a true artist can fully appreciate.

Surprisingly the only real movie (besides a documentary on Evil Knievel, who was born there) shot in Butte was by Wenders. You can read his ode to this Montana town here. He has been visiting since 1978. Just like me, he is a fan.

(See the full Butte album here).

A Humanitarian Auction

2009-11-24T16:20:00.005+01:00

Zala Gallery in Ljubljana is organizing a big humanitarian auction of noted works of art by Slovene artists as famous as Rihard Jakopič, Božidar Jakac, France Mihelič and Matej Sternen.
The photographic section will consist of works by Stojan Kerbler, Joco Žnidaršič, Jane Štravs and myself.

All proceeds will go towards buying the necessary equipment for Porodnišnica Ljubljana and Onkološki inštitut.

The artworks are on display at Zala Gallery, Gosposka 7, 1000 Ljubljana, from November 26th until December 2nd between 10h-13h and 17h-19h, Saturdays 10h-12h.

The auction will take place at the Zala Gallery on Wednesday, December 2nd, at 19h.

Your generous contributions are welcome.

Thank you.

UPDATE: The picture was sold. Thank you again.

White Desert, Egypt - A Whipped Cream Mirage

2009-11-20T21:57:00.005+01:00

After a wonderful fortnight in Egypt I returned with a laptop full of swimwear photos for Nancy Beachwear catalogue 2010.
The real star of the job was the landscape though - The White Desert national park spreads for 3000 square kilometers in the Western Oases region of Egypt. Limestone or "chalk" formations are the remains of microscopic marine animals (!) deposited over 80 million years ago when all the region was under water.
A small hommage to Eugenio Recuenco perhaps, who inspired this year's location.

Paranoia with Masha Balashova

2009-11-17T16:08:00.006+01:00

Masha and I did an editorial in London's Oxleas Woods. It deals with fears, paranoias and OCDs.
The stylist was the young and talented Celia Arias, hair by Ryutaro, makeup by Kristina Vidic.
Model: Masha B.@Next London

Selling the American Dream

2009-10-31T21:11:00.004+01:00

There is nothing that Kerouac, Salinger and Hunter S. Thompson left out. Except one thing: The American dream doesn't exist anymore.

The article "Tame Wild West" is coming out in the form of a 10-page spread in the Slovene edition of National Geographic Traveler November 15th 2009.

Photo: Antelope Canyon, USA.

The London Days (Featuring Rachel Rutt)

2009-10-24T19:12:00.006+02:00

We were back in the UK again to do an editorial with this year's hottest model, the amazing Rachel Rutt. She stormed this year's New York Fashion Week and took New York by storm. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Japan and living in Australia, this Eurasian beauty from Next London just finished a shoot with Nick Knight for a brilliant new project called ShowStudio (at Sommerset House) and joined us for a fashion story shot on location in London's Spitalfields (W1).

Here just a sneak backstage preview of always positive Rachel and me, more coming soon to a glossy fashion bible "Modna" this autumn.

UPDATE:
**Added the opening spread from the editorial "Rachel Rutt in RUNAWAY", c/o Modna Jana magazine. Also added a shot we made with Rachel in Hoxton Square for her mini-interview.

***June 2010: Bumped into Rachel on Brick Lane, London. Matjaz Tancic made a 'Street fashion' style shot of us.

The Ring of FIre

2009-10-02T09:24:00.004+02:00

I am newly in love.
With Iceland, with Sigur Ros and Mum.
I am back home, but I still dream of that old factroy with a rusty ship in Djupavik...

Girls who like boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls...

2009-09-15T23:21:00.006+02:00

The buzzword of 2009 is androgynous.

Four of the best Slovene female models transformed into androgynous boys for the new & revamped MODNA fashion magazine.

With art direction & photography by yours truly, the remake was made by the genious touch of Luka Luka.

(Models: Tjaša, Karin@Bronz, Kaja, Neža@Model Group).

A Masterpiece from Detroit

2009-09-13T21:11:00.005+02:00

Remember - happiness is the way of travel, not a destination.

(On the photo: the legendary tail fin of Cadillac Eldorado Convertible '59, dubbed the "gothic cathedral on wheels" and arguably the most beautiful car ever built. Also the car that drove me and my wife to our wedding. Ahhh...)

Taking Germany by Storm

2009-09-04T19:30:00.006+02:00

It's official: German Playboy published my photos of Sabina Mali in their October special edition "Worlds' most beautiful women on 100 pages".

German franchise is one of the biggest and strongest editions after the giant US edition (which also published my photographs of Nike Zalokar and Sanja Grohar), the Russians and the Brazilians - and one of my favorites on par with the French, who combine fashion and daring non-mainstream avantgarde in their editorials.

The new Italian edition is becoming better and better, and the Russians are...well...amazing.

Time Never Dies. The Circle is not round.

2009-09-02T22:54:00.004+02:00

"With a shriek birds flee across the black sky, people are silent, my blood aches from waiting..."

Meša Selimović

(The title and the quote are from BEFORE THE RAIN, one of the best Macedonian films of all times and one of my eternal favourites. The movie was directed by Milcho Manchevski and shot in London and in a wild, remote Macedonian region of Mariovo, among the rocky plateaus and stone houses of two beautiful if mostly deserted villages Štavica and Zovik. The movie - which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Golden Lion in Venice - has a KILLER SOUNDTRACK composed by a Macedonian group of musicians called Anastasia. Their music is a blend combining Byzantine past, Orthodox Church music and a rich gamut of ethnic Macedonian rhythms.)

On the photograph: Štavica (Shtavica) village in Mariovo, where a large part of the movie was shot.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2009-09-01T21:48:00.006+02:00

Hair extravaganza galore, courtesy of a young scissor wizard Matej Komar and Tina Fabjan, a very talented head of make-up artists@Max Factor.

Published in Modna Jana July-August double issue.

Models: Lana@Talia & Hana@MG

Albania, I salute you!

2009-08-08T08:53:00.007+02:00

In the land of Enver Hoxha everything is peaceful and nice. What other mediterranean country offers you empty beaches (no, really!) with azure Ionian sea, good food (think mouth-watering lamb, qifqi and sweet xupa), thousands of empty bunkers (hmmmm), lush mountains and some pretty Ottoman architecture (like Old Kruja, Berati or Gjirokastra)?
But Albania's greatest treasure must be the coast between Llogaraja Pass and Saranda, where mountains plunge into the sea and the alluring sandy beaches offer unpredictable joys for weary travellers?

The buzz is out - Albania is one of the hottest "new" destinations in Western Balkans.
See for yourself!

Return to Alphaville

2009-07-10T00:45:00.006+02:00

Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution revisited, this time in London's Docklands, where "all things weird are normal in this ho of cities." A hommage to Godard's dystopian vision of technocratic progress.

My favorite quote from the movie must be Alpha 60's noir reflection on scientific logic:
"Once we know the number one, we believe that we know the number two, because one plus one equals two. We forget that first we must know the meaning of plus".

Or maybe Lemmy Caution's "One never understands anything. Then suddenly one evening you end up dying of it."

>>See a great clip from the movie here.

(Model: Gabriela@FM London)

On the cover

2009-07-02T20:40:00.004+02:00

Dnevnik, one of Slovenia's three biggest newspapers, spent a day with me for its thursday supplement's main article. They put me on the cover as well, which is great news - I haven't been on any cover since 1976 (that's 33 years!), when Stop magazine published a photo of me with my mother, then a young scrub working part-time as a TV presenter for the national television.

The IN photo was shot by Aljoša Kravanja/Zaklop, the Stop cover by Mr. Stane Jerko, Slovenia's one and only pioneer fashion photographer.

The Ukrainian Beauty

2009-07-01T19:58:00.009+02:00

Urge and urge and urge,
Always the procreant urge of the world.
(From Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, 1855.)

See the video here.

Model: Nadiya Bychkova

World's craziest beach

2009-06-27T15:46:00.006+02:00

One of my favorite beaches (right after French Polynesia, the Maldives and those at Palawan, Philippines) must be Maho Beach on the caribbean island of St. Maarten, Dutch West Indies.

It has the unique privilege (world-wide!) of an airport strip located just after the beach ends and thus sees planes landing literally meters above sunbathers' heads.

But the real fun part of it all is siting at the adjacent Sunset bar, drinking an ice cold lager and watching idiots standing on the beach when a plane takes off. The jet blast swipes everyone to the sea, together with their tropical drinks and expensive cameras.

If you want to see it for yourself just click here and here.

Ah, the fun of ignorance.

The London Exhibition 2.0

2009-06-25T00:51:00.008+02:00

I am extremely pleased to inform everyone that two of my Miniverse photos were chosen for this year's Summershow organized by Foto8, the publishers of 8 Magazine, which is "dedicated to publishing photo stories whilst exploring the boundaries between photography, journalism and art".

The exhibition will launch (with a huge party) on July 24th at HOST Gallery in London.

UPDATE:
(For Slovene version of the article published on www.playboy.si click here)

UPDATE 2.0:
The 50 best works (including the Miniverse series) from this year's Summershow will also be exhibited at Crane Kalman Gallery in Brighton for another 3 weeks.

Do you have what it takes to become a professional photographer?

2009-06-21T21:22:00.002+02:00

Mr.G opened my eyes with his blog entry:

"In his latest book Malcolm Gladwell argues that if you want to really master something, the number of hours you will need to invest into it will revolve around 10,000."

10,000 hours if you want to be an expert at photography. It means 14 years if you are doing it 2 hours per day.

Think about that...!

(Model: Eva@Bronz)

Brighton Rock

2009-06-19T18:40:00.005+02:00

Did a beautiful shoot in Brighton the other day with my fav London team.

The idea behind the shoot was a sexy, post-modern take on Cindy Sherman's "movie stills", reversing them to "Still Movies"™ - with a notion that a picture speaks volumes in just 1/125th of a second.
It is something my (now ex) assistant Marta & me came up with while working for Gorenje campaign.

Just a sneak preview here. Coming soon to a magazine near you.

(Model: Christin@FM London)

Now with full service

2009-06-15T20:35:00.004+02:00

Since June 2009 I am a part of the elite team at Da! Photohouse.

This means full blown production and post-production just got easier and more accessible to all our clients.

Please feel free and browse through the pages of their excellent website. You might develop a sudden urge to get creative.

Seaside Souvenir

2009-06-12T21:12:00.004+02:00

Piran's Tartini Square on a warm summer evening.
Poetry.
Passion.
And everything in between.

Neon Flood

2009-06-07T19:51:00.005+02:00

"Neon shines through smokey eyes tonight...
It's 2AM...It's heavy on my mind...
Excuse me please, one more drink...
Could ya make it strong 'coz I don't need to think..."

(by Dave Matthews Band, model: Gigia@Bronz)

The London Exhibition

2009-06-06T09:50:00.005+02:00

Having been to London for work quite often recently I was thrilled to have had two of my latest fashion photographs exhibited at Mall Galleries just next door to the fabled Buckingham Palace.

The exhibition was organized by Instituto Marangoni, a Milan-based school of fashion, and was showing the wonderful work of this year's graduates - a generation of emerging new fashion stylists from around the world.

One of the talents, Maja Lazar, is my work partner abroad and together with the fab team (Kristina Vidic & Yuhi Kim) we will be bringing you some new & fresh stuff - check out Modna Jana magazine regularly.

Mrs. Provocateur

2009-05-25T13:43:00.001+02:00

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

(Model: Carmen@Major Milano)

Miniverse - Like Alice in Wonderland

2009-05-13T09:07:00.008+02:00

If someone would have taken the depth of field from any infinite vastness of the world it would instantly become a miniature, a simulacrum, an imaginary synthesis of true self and its virtual creation.

With the motto "small is beautiful" in mind I virtually destroyed the DoF and made an idealized imagery of virtual small spaces, full of intimacy and innocence. The places became radical illusions of themselves, a brave new world, my own Miniverse.

I am by no means the first to do so. Tilting and shifting by such pioneers as Olivo Barbieri, Naoki Honjo and Ben Thomas was already transforming urban and rural landscapes long before I got the idea. And every day you find something new, like this beautiful stop-motion miniature world by Keith Loutit.

The Miniverse photos will be on display again, courtesy of Galerija Fotografija -
MAY 30th, MARINA IZOLA/ISOLA, at 5PM.

Welcome.

The filthiest wisdom of them all

2009-05-03T17:20:00.002+02:00

Somebody once said:
"Don’t ever wrestle with a pig. You’ll both get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it."

Oh how true.

(Piggies posed in Mestia, the capital of Svaneti in Georgia)

Five years of sexy celebrities - Playboy's third page

2009-04-26T16:41:00.004+02:00

Celebrating 5 years of Slovenia's SEXIEST celebrities on the third page of Playboy magazine.
Congratulations to all the beautiful ladies who were brave enough to come in front of my camera and do the magic.

Silent thoughts

2009-04-25T20:51:00.004+02:00

There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama & the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good.
After all, life is too short to be anything but happy.

(The picture: Buddha from Lantau Island, Hong Kong)

Among the best photographers in the world!

2009-04-22T10:31:00.005+02:00

One of the best what-is-going-on in fashion/design/photography/architecture internet blogs called designscene.net has published some of my fashion photographs with CV, right between Nick Knight and Steven Meisel.

Dudes and Dudettes, I will go now and be soooo proud.
Check the post here.

(Model: Carmen Bala@Major Milano)

Roots of the sky

2009-04-20T18:55:00.003+02:00

"Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted."
John Lennon.

(The Baobab alley shot in Morondava, Madagascar.)

Rok Golob rocks

2009-04-19T11:15:00.003+02:00

We just did some shots for the man himself.
Rok Golob, the energetic composer and conductor, is pouring soul and funk into the ears and hearts of our people - literally.
He brought the Firm Soundation, an outstanding 10-member vocal and instrumental group back from LA to do some concerts here on the sunny side of the Alps with Big Band RTV Slovenia.
Sway-a-way!

Of Maurs and Men

2009-04-16T17:50:00.004+02:00

You will probably never visit Mauretania. Some would say, "There is nothing to see, really".
But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In order to see, you have to look hard.
It's there, believe me.

Cherry Blossom Girl

2009-04-11T21:05:00.004+02:00

Spring has finally come.

(Model: Urska@NLMM)

Yodobashi Camera - Tokyo's temple for photographers

2009-04-08T09:09:00.008+02:00

Once in a while you come across a brutally magnificent shop which really stocks everything you need for your photographic exhibitionism. There is B&H in New York, Dinkel in Munich and my new personal favorite, Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo.

Two Tokio branches are especially worth mentioning - the "home store" in Shinjuku and the multimedia specialist Yodobashi Akiba in Akihabara. There are 9 floors of stuff you always dreamed about, from heated toilet seats to latest robotic gadgets, but the really interesting and useful stuff shines on 5 floors in one of Shinjuku's stores (there are several). They are dedicated entirely to photography.

Imagine seeing every Canon body and lens available on the market - and testing them, too (yes, there was the 1200mm lens on display). There is studio equipment, tripods and professional monitors, full analog medium format range (from Mamiya to Hasselblad and up to large format) and more stuff to blow your socks off.

But enough said, you have to see it for yourself.
You can do a virtual walk through the Akiba store here (I strongly recommend it!!!). In a true Japanese fashion they also have a very silly & annoying jingle (every store has different lyrics), based on the ol' Battle Hymn of the Republic (you know, Glory Glory Hallelujah...) which instantly becomes something you CAN NOT erase from your head the whole trip to Japan !"#$%&... It plays on and on and on the whole day (poor employees...)
Hear it here.

So y'all future Nobuyoshi Arakis and Koji Onakas, come on down to Tokyo for a slice of photographers' paradise!

100 reasons why I love Japan

2009-04-07T18:57:00.005+02:00

Harajuku girls, Kyoto, sushi, onsen, Kurosawa, sake, bowing, shopping, Shibuya, zen gardens, pachinko, Loft, geishas, Takashimaya, Yodobashi camera, Hello Kitty, Tokyu Hands, kuro roll, macha, Tsukiji fish market, unagi, UniQlo, tea ceremony, hijiki, wasabi, hentai, miso soup, fugu, anime, Shinjuku, yakitori, Uji, genmaicha, Asahi, kimonos, Gion, 100 Yen shops, cosplay, Roppongi Hills, sento, tatami, tako yaki, karoshi, Maid Cafes, kabuki, Tobu, Takeshita Dori street, Akihabara, shabu shabu, soba, udon, sencha, gyokuro, shopfronts at Omote Sando, capsule hotels, love hotels, ryokan, vending machines, Shinkansen, Ikebukuro, Arashiyama, Himeiji, Shirakawa-go, cherry blossom viewing, Philosopher's walk, Lost in translation, kaiseki ryori, omamori, slurping, face masks, squid crackers, Doraemon, fake food displays, heated toilet seats, Yen banknotes, parks, Nintendo, samurai, woodblock printing, kanji, wagashi, tempura, tonkatsu, "hotto", "gozeimaaaassss", squeaky voices, yudofu, sumo, punctuality, fare adjusting machines, Tanuki, Alma Karlin, bonsai, karaoke, Asimo, temples, Mikimoto, Mt. Fuji, torii and bamboo.

The Art of Travel

2009-04-06T13:42:00.001+02:00

When you go, go with style.

(Model: Una@Taliamodel)

Oasis of the dead

2009-03-15T14:21:00.007+01:00

Dead Vlei, Namibia's mystical powerspot (tm) in Namib-Naukluft Park silently displays the skeletons of old acacias, some of them more than 500 years old. It is the ultimate psychomagic place in Africa. After 11am the place becomes deserted and you can enjoy the vast sticky clay pan all for yourself - that is, if there is no film crew present.

The Übermensch

2009-03-13T01:22:00.005+01:00

No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
Friedrich Nietzsche

(Model: Viktorija Bencik)

Panta Rhei

2009-03-10T09:57:00.002+01:00

There was this magical place in the heart of my hometown. It looked like an abandoned 19th century Wild West saloon and had a special aura surrounding it. I did some of my best loved photos there.
Sadly, as of this rough winter, it no longer exists.

Bad Girl's diaries

2009-03-09T11:48:00.004+01:00

According to american actress Tallulah Bankhead, “It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time...”.

Hmmmm, is that so...?

(Model: S.@MG)

Gone with the wind

2009-03-08T20:15:00.002+01:00

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
(An excerpt from "And did those feet" by William Blake).

The first letter

2009-03-06T10:08:00.004+01:00

Just came back from British Virgin Islands where we did a photoshoot with fabulous Monika Pučelj, a singer and a friend. The shot above is from our previous autumn photosession back home. I love how one of my initials is bigger than all of her body. What an egotrip...

Tea in Sahara

2009-03-05T21:30:00.004+01:00

In 2007, BBC News website published a selection of my photographs from Algeria.
Every year I am drawn to this crazy place called Sahara. In the Hoggar Mountains, deep in the heart of Algeria, lies a refugee built by a priest Charles de Foucauld. Seeing the sunrise from his hut is a pure mystical experience, a kind of magic.

Million Dollar Baby

2009-03-03T18:14:00.003+01:00

...In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade,
and he carries the reminders
of every glove that laid him down or cut him 'till he cried out
in his anger and his shame..
I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains...
from The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel

The fashion spread was made as a hommage to Clint Eastwood's multiple Academy Award(tm) winning movie Million Dollar Baby.
Be sure to check out his latest masterpiece called Gran Torino... what a monumental movie!!!

(Model: Neza@Model Gorup)

La Forêt Magique

2009-03-02T07:49:00.003+01:00

This picture of Mostec (Ljubljana's recreational spot) got lost forever in a crash involving my external drive. Or so I thought...
Somehow it managed to find its way to a back-up DVD (unbeknownst to me) and hid there until rediscovered recently.

Hide and Chic

2009-02-28T11:28:00.002+01:00

The quieter you become, the more you can hear, says a Zen proverb.

(Model: Lina@MG)

Beyond the sea

2009-02-26T08:38:00.003+01:00

The poetry of emptiness. Nothing describes the feeling better than Bobby Darrin.

What the dolphin saw

2009-02-25T09:08:00.012+01:00

Last year's exhibition (entitled "What the dolphin saw") featured the daring creations of a talented young fashion designer Miro Misljen, neatly packed and wrapped up in my photographs. It was a pure success. Featured during "Month of design 2008", it attracted the art crowd from all over the country. We really had fun doing it.

(Clothes by Miro Misljen, model: Natalija Osolnik@Bronz)

Update 16.3.2009:
The "Dolphin" series won the honorable mention at Slovenia Press Photo Awards 2009 in the category Culture & Entertainment and was exhibited at the National Gallery of Slovenia, the country's main art museum.

A wok on the wild side

2009-02-25T08:42:00.003+01:00

Downtown Hong Kong. A forest of skyscrapers, neon signs, grocery shops and quintessential cantonese restaurants with some of the best food on the planet. I L-O-V-E it.

Touched by an angel

2009-02-24T08:28:00.006+01:00

When the child was a child, it was the time of these questions.
Why am I me, and why not you? Why am I here, and why not there?
When did time begin, and where does space end?
Isn't life under the sun just a dream?
Isn't what I see, hear, and smell just the mirage of a world before the world?
Does evil actually exist, and are there people who are really evil?
How can it be that I, who am I, wasn't before I was, and that sometime I, the one I am, no longer will be the one I am?
Als das Kind Kind war (Song of Childhood) by Peter Handke
(from Wim Wenders' Der Himmel Uber Berlin)

Model: Miss Universe 2007 Tjasa Kokalj

Tales from the woods

2009-02-24T08:22:00.005+01:00

Triglav National Park from above in a humble hommage to Yann-Arthus Bertrand.

London calling

2009-02-23T08:38:00.004+01:00

London calling to the underworld,
come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls...
(Lyrics bt The Clash)

Model: Sabrina Paly@Major

Aliens in the Maldives? Not atoll.

2009-02-23T08:34:00.003+01:00

Check out the face.