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Canon #mynextfirst Instameets

August 23, 2018/in Blog, Events /by zokus_gf

This summer Canon challenged people across Europe to do something for the first time and to revel in the moment. Do you have #mynextfirst kind of experience list prepared already? It could be a small, almost ordinary thing. If you #liveforthestory you can find it everywhere – in your neighbourhood, in your own city, with changing your point of view or just chating with your friends.

An opportunity to do all that is just around the corner! Join us, Canon and your favorite bloggers and Instagramers at photowalk in Ljubljana or/and Zagreb, listen to their stories and take a bird eye view of the city!

We can all learn a lot from the stories of our hosts who have been chasing their #mynextfirst for #canon this summer: @ajdasitar, @ljetoincroatia, @krooncheck, @ursha.si and also from the experiences of organisers @igslovenia and @domagojsever.

Both events will start with a short photowalk which will end with a birdeye view of the city – in Ljubljana from the Ljubljana Castle and from Zagreb Eye in Zagreb. A chat with your favourite Instagramers will take place in the bar with some refreshments. You can also join the photowalk or the chatting part only! Prepare your questions and – cameras!

Participation is free but an upfront registration is necessary – just send an email to info@igslovenia.si with the following information: your name, the city you want to attend the event in and the host you want to listen to most. No limits, you can attend both Instameets and you are especially encouraged to visit it in the city you are not so familiar with! Number of participants is limited.

Instameet Ljubljana

Date: September 6th
Start: 16:30
Location: Novi trg, at the fountain
Heading to: Ljubljana Castle, Grajska kavarna
Refreshments and chat: from 18:00 on
Sunset session: 19:00

Instameet Zagreb

Date: September 13th
Start: 17:00
Location: Europski trg
Heading to: Zagreb Eye
Refreshments, chat and sunset session: from 19:00

Tivoli Park Ljubljana

August 5, 2018/in Blog, Uncategorized, Where to in Slovenia? /by zokus_gf

We are dedicated to the mobile photography and are showing you photo spots which don’t demand the use of a special gear. We have begun to use a Huawei P20 Pro just recently so only a few of the following photos are made with it. All of them have a special tag to see the difference.

With the words of Visit Ljubljana: Tivoli Park is Ljubljana’s largest and most beautiful park, stretching right into the city centre. It was designed in 1813 by the French engineer Jean Blanchard and created by joining together the parks which had surrounded Podturn and Cekin Mansions. The park, covering an area of approximately five square kilometres, is crossed by three grand horse chestnut tree-lined walks and landscaped with ornamental flower beds, interesting trees and numerous statues and fountains. The park area blends into the slopes of the Rožnik hill, to which it is connected by several walking paths and a trim trail with several exercise stations along its length.

Morning light in the park /Huawei P20 Pro/

The park is really only a 5 minutes walk from the Slovenska street, it provides a lot of shade for a hot days and it is used for jogging, dog walking, hiking, just resting – you name it! More importantly, it is a photographer’s paradise: it is beautifully lighted in the mornings opposing the rising sun and provides numerous motifs in all seasons: from animals and other nature, statues, action shots. Besides it is never too crowded since it is really huge. We live 5 minutes from the park and we have a dog, so we know it really well and have an enormous stock of photos which me made in the last few years:). Let us show you some basic spots.

The main entrance to the park /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Most visitors reach the park from the city centre using the pedestrian underpass at the Museum of Modern Art and this is the first view of the Jakopič Promenade one gets just after the underpass. Well, this in fact is the view from the railway tracks just above the exit – it is a few steps climb which is not recommended when slippery.

Jakopič Promenade

The scenic Jakopič Promenade (Jakopičevo sprehajališče) was designed by the architect Jože Plečnik in the central part of Tivoli Park. It ends at the bottom of the stairway leading to Tivoli Mansion. The promenade is named after the Slovenian Impressionist painter Rihard Jakopič and has become a well known outdoor venue for exhibitions of large-format photographs, open throughout the year.

Jakopič Promenade /Huawei P20 Pro/

In the Tivoli Mansion which changed a lot of hands in its history is today International Centre of Graphic Arts with a cute coffee bar with a view.

Tivoli Mansion

Ornamental flower beds are all over the park combined with many other interesting details.

A detail between the promenade and the park /Huawei P20 Pro/.

According to the story the artist committed suicide when he realised that the dogs are missing their tongues.

The deaf dogs.

Have we mentioned the views in the morning light?

View from the Tivoli Mansion /Huawei P20 Pro/.

This statue is definitely our favourite.

The Dancers

Not that it is the only one. Boy with the flute (1946) is in Slovenia also widely known as the trademark of the national TV broadcaster TV Slovenija. However, it is much more difficult to make a good photo of it since it has a chestnut tree lined path behind its back.

The Boy With the Flute.

Entering the park south of the main entrance just before the small railway station near Tobačna one finds a completely different story: an always occupied bench.

The Poet /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Edvard Kocbek was a great poet and played a big but controversial political role during and after World War II. He spent his whole life contemplating about it and so he will spend the eternity. He has a company, a mini-he on his left. We hope that he is helping and not tormenting himself.

The Company.

Be that as it may, the bench is truly photogenic in the mornings.

Sunrise meditation /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Just a few steps behind the poet’s back is located a fish pond with another small sculpture and lots of different bird species.

The Fish Pond /Huawei P20 Pro/.

A small building along the pond is called the Boat House (Čolnarna) and hosts a lovely coffee house.

The Boat House.

The pond is also a nice spot to capture sunrise over Ljubljana.

Sunrise view

Next to the pond there is a small botanical garden with a glasshouse, whose management was entrusted to the Ljubljana Botanic Garden on its 200th anniversary in 2010. The glasshouse houses a permanent exhibition of tropical and carnivorous plants.

Botanical garden and the glasshouse /Huawei P20 Pro/.

This is definitely the most colourful part of the park!

Moody morning /Huawei P20 Pro/.

It can beat also the many moody mornings in Ljubljana.

Roses /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Tivoli Park is beautiful also in the rain and snow …

Autumn

…using all kinds of benches to capture the autumn…

The carpetl

… and winter.

The Winter bench

Did we mentioned that people just rest under the trees?

Resting /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Let’s look closer with the help of the fantastic zoom of Huawei P20 Pro. So close to the city.

Close up /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Northern part of the park is less picturesque but reveals a geometry of the park and with some proper gear provides nice views of the Ljubljana Castle.

North part of the park

The castle can be also taken from the renowned Švicarija Creative Centre.

Švicarija /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Wish you a lot of fun exploring the park!

Text and photo: Zoran Leban Trojar.

Dragon Bridge

July 18, 2018/in Blog, Uncategorized, Where to in Slovenia? /by zokus_gf

The statues of the four dragons on the each corner of the Dragon Bridge are probably the most famous and recognizable images of the city. They are masterpiece by themselves and everybody rush to take photos with them. This photo point is therefore not difficult to find but we would like to turn your attention to some additional details beside taking selfies with this somewhat terrifying pieces of art.

First of all it is not so easy to take a good photo of the beasts since they are positioned against the sky and backlighted. But they are on the opposite sides of the bridge so it is easy to find out which side suits you better. All photos in this post were taken early in the morning when light is better on that side of the bridge which is just across the road of the food market.

This is also the only corner where one can safely climb the low concrete wall next to the bridge and face the beast eye to eye and also gets the perspective of the bridge and the road – when it is empty it nicely add to the composition.

The bridge itself is a unique creation, an extraordinary piece of technical heritage and a superb example of Art Nouveau architecture. It was constructed between 1900 and 1901 and it was Ljubljana’s first reinforced concrete structure. The parapet lamps used to be powered by gas.

The views from the bridge are packed with the most important architectural heritage of Ljubljana: the Ljubljana Castle on the Castle Hill, the Cathedral and arcades of the Plečnik’s Open Market are extremely photogenic and offers many different angles with and without the dragons.

Reaching this point of Ljubljana from the Triple Bridge one probably passes also the point just before the Butcher’s Bridge on the photo bellow. BTW, did you know that the Dragon Bridge replaced the original wooden Butcher’s Bridge?

Arcades of the Open Market are also very photogenic but as a rule much more facing east. This is valid from the both parts of arcades, the one just around the corner of the Triple Bridge and the second one which begins at the Butcher’s Bridge and ends close to least photogenic dragon.

We recommend to make a short walk along the left bank downstream from the Dragon Bridge to reach another small bridge. The river view is very beautiful from there – in all seasons but summer. Still a sunset or sunrise time can provide for a nice photo.

This part of the left bank ends with the Tovarna Rog (Rog Factory) which is an autonomous social and cultural centre set on the premises of a former bicycle factory. “Consensually” occupied in 2006, this vast location of 7,000 square-metres in “downtown” Ljubljana currently facilitates a rich programme of social and cultural activities and programmes. The presence of the centre is visible in the neighbourhood.

The part of the city between the river and Trubarjeva street is famous by itself but some additional sights are available from this walk.

Text and photos Zoran Leban Trojar.

All photos taken with Huawei P20 Pro

About the legend of Ljubljana Dragon.

Sources:

Visit Ljubljana

Entering the city with Ljubljanica river

June 7, 2018/in Where to in Slovenia? /by zokus_gf

Sometimes the Ljubljanica river is called The River of Seven Names due to its karst nature – on its way towards Ljubljana disappears underground several times and springs again at different places, every time under a different name. Even as Ljubljanica has a number of different springs. Ten kilometres to the northeast of Ljubljana city centre it empties itself into the Sava river. It is one of the most notable landmarks of the city or even more – it is the foundation of the city itself.

Upstream view from Livada but it could be anywhere – from Vrhnika to this spot looks more or less the same.

From Roman times to the construction of the railway in the mid-19th century, the Ljubljanica was a major trade and supply route. Romans even moved its bed to in order to bring the stones for building purposes from Podpeč at Ljubljana Marshes.

On its way to Ljubljana, the river flows through the unique natural landscape of Ljubljana Marshes and descents only 1 m in its 20 km lenght. Its bed is one of Slovenia’s most important archaeological sites. Excavations have yielded objects dating from prehistory to the early modern period. Archaeologists believe that the river once had a cult status. In April 2002 archaeologists found the remains of a two-wheeled wooden cart dating 5100 to 5350 years back into the past. It is the oldest wheel found in Europe and elsewhere in the world so far. The wheel is on display at the City Museum of Ljubljana.

But Ljubljana Marshes is an another story which is to be covered elsewhere. Here we just want to suggest an interesting photo walk along and around the river where it enters the wider city centre. The whole path is just around the corner of the city centre itself yet most of the time it feels like another world.

View towards the city from the bridge at Livada

It is possible to start the tour at any end or make a circle – it will take around 90 minutes. We have started at the bridge near the restaurant Livada at sunrise. Ljubljanica is beautiful in all conditions but we love the early morning light.

On the left bank just at the bridge is located Fishing Club Barje and a number of small vege gardens. It is necessary to navigate between them to find the access to the water and a scenery like this:

Left bank just under the bridge.

There are some more points where the river can be reached further down the left bank but pretty complicated to find them since one has to go to Opekarska street (Opekarska cesta) and look for the passages between the buildings. Another channel of water coming into the river doesn’t help here. In fact it is not worth the effort at all. Crossing the bridge and following the right bank bellow the restaurant or starting behind the restaurant at the Kajak Kanu Club Ljubljana would be a much better idea.

Kayak Kanu Club Ljubljana

Upstream, downstream, across the river – colourful motives are all around. Even an old school boat was modelling for us!

Designed to win

Upstream view was also pretty nice.

Kayak Kanu Club upstream view

After the fence which closes the Kayak Kanu Club premises access to the water is again limited so a slight detour is needed here – exit the premises to the Livada Street and turn left onto Ižanska cesta just to turn left again after some 200 meters behind the educational complex which can not be missed. This should be a reassuring view confirming you are on the right path:

Hladnik Bridge

Hladnik’s Footbridge connects the city with a green suburban area and the Ljubljana Botanic Garden, which is just across the street of Ižanska cesta. Špica is awaiting on the other side of the bridge, a renovated Ljubljanica river embankment landscaped as a park. Špica used to be a city beach. Now again, due to its green surroundings and a large area paved with wood, it attracts numerous visitors.

Špica – only a part of the refreshment areas.

Špica translates as a “pointed tip” due to its shape which splits Ljubljanica in two channels – the left turn flows into the city centre while the right one goes around it. It is called Gruberjev Channel and it was build in order to add more descent thus helping the city with high waters and floods. The bank was recently renovated and new wharfs were added to improve the look and feel of the river.

Gruber channel and the wharfs.

From Špica it is possible to reach the city centre walking along the river almost all of the time. Here the river says farewell to its slow and dreamy natural appearance…

Looking back into the wild nature at Špica

… and gets more urban. The transition is smooth…

From Špica to the city

…but definite. First traffic bridge is only 200 meters away and from it the distinctive appearance which the river owes to the architect Jože Plečnik, who designed the old city centre’s river embankments, landscaped tree-lined riverside walks, including the well known weeping willow-lined terraced walk alongside the Trnovski pristan embankment.

View to the Trnovski pristan embankment

Crossing the bridge you can continue along Opekarska Street and turn left at the traffic lights to reach the starting point at Livada or turn right to enjoy the willow-lined walk to Trnovski Pristan. The walk along the river through the city centre is described in another post.

Looking upstream from Trnovski Pristan – it is beautiful in any weather!

All photos are made with HuaweiP20Pro in cooperation with Huawei Slovenija.

Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf

Ljubljana (from Trg revolucije to the Town Hall)

June 3, 2018/in Uncategorized, Where to in Slovenia? /by zokus_gf

Ljubljana is a small city by the standards of capital cities but just as Slovenia itself it offers many great views at the short distances. Since we are dedicated to show you not only the obvious few spots of Slovenia we decided to divide descriptions of Ljubljana to shorter walks which offer great photo opportunities.Starting point is Trg Republike (Republic Square). It is the centre of contemporary Ljubljana built in 1960 by famous architect Edvard Ravnikar and surrounded by the Parliament (just behind my back), Cankarjev dom – cultural and congress centre, Maximarket department store and TR3 and Ljubljanska banka office buildings (on the photo). All building were built between 1954 and 1975 and that’s why I call the square “contemporary”. Until a few years ago it used to be a parking space. Now, when empty, these two buildings stand as a kind of entrance (or exit). Since the square itself is fairly empty it offers fine but tricky photo opportunity.The square and the buildings are huge and the sunlight comes mostly from behind of Maximarket or the towers. See it for yourself. In the late autumn sun sets just between the towers.

Ursuline church and monastery are just a passage of Maximarket store away – facing the towers just turn left. Too close in fact to find enough space for a proper shot. The church tower is also visible from the Republic square over the roof of the store and from some side views, but always just partially. But if you turn left again and use the underground passage just a few steps away you’ll find yourself in a fine park of Kongresni trg (Congress Square). Now, on your right, is a front side of the same church from 1726.

The concrete part of the square where you stand now also used to be a parking lot but now offers a clean view on the magnificent Ljubljana Castle over the building of Slovenian Philharmonic, one of the oldest of the kind, from 1701. Just behind your back, taken from the steps of the church.

The beautiful park itself is also called Zvezda (Star), in past times also Sidro (Anchor). Just take a stroll and you find the reason for yourself.

Many different approaches are possible now to the river bank, personally I prefer the narrow one beside the Philharmonia building.

From the From the other side, back to the square, it is possible to catch a sunset a few days around late spring. But in the autumn the view on the river, old city buildings and the castle is enriched with large leaves.

On your left is now the famous Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) with the Franciscan monastery and the Church of the Annunciation in the background.

Early morning view in early summer of 2018.Taken with the HuaweiP20Pro.

It is probably one of the most photogenic spots of Ljubljana – it always looks great, different angles and different weather/light conditions just provide for different mood. Almost like Bled Island and Church of St. Primus and Felician at Jamnik. One of the best is from the new small bridge or from Makalonca bar just bellow the bridge.

Especially in the season one has to be pretty early to catch the spot without crowds.

Tripple Bridge and the Church of the Annunciation. Taken with the HuaweiP20Pro.

The best view on Prešernov trg (Preseren Square) in the front of Triple Bridge is from the steps of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, the red building on the photo above. It is difficult not to catch at least a glimpse of the castle from spots around here.

Crossing the Tripple Bridge you’ll find yourself in front of the Town Hall and famous baroque Robba Fountain with a view on the Cathedral.

Early morning is always the best time to take photos around here since sun rises somewhere behind the castle, exact point of course depends on the time of the year. Daily sun can be very harsh and the whole area is already in the shadow afternoons.

For more information about the sights and Ljubljana Visit Ljubljana, one of the best tourist websites and offices in the world.

Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf

Ambassadors of #CentralSlovenia

June 4, 2017/in #CentralSlovenia, Events /by zokus_gf

Winner of the Share Your Postcards from #CentralSlovenia Challenge will take over a selection to posting features @igslovenia for a week. There is almost 2.000 photos tagged #centralslovenia, a plentiful collection of postcards to share with your friends.

Purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of the many beautiful spots just around the corner from Ljubljana. We can be successful in fulfilling this task only with the help of you hence we decided to award the most active supporters as Ambassadors who will also receive an exclusive, limited edition T-shirt!

What qualifies you for an Ambassador of #CentralSlovenia? It is simple:

follow @igslovenia and @visitljubljana on Instagram
post your photos from Central Slovenia – the more you post, bigger are your chances to win a T-shirt
share featured photos or tagged photos with your friends – tag them in comments, invite them somewhere.

First Ambassador we announced a while ago is @mihapongrac (Miha Pongrac) followed by Uroš Abram @uabram . They have both shared many photos from the area, Uroš has also been featured.

Following their steps are @peterpancur Peter Pančur and @sasacrocy.loves with a great collections of Central Slovenia posts, @lukaesenko (Luka Esenko) and Jan Čermelj @jancermelj both already with a double feature, Ana Pogačar @anapogacar and Iztok Medja .

We know that some people don’t have photos from Central Slovenia, but they support the campaign by sharing photos and, above all, sharing the vibe! Manuel Wolf @manuelo_bo and @hairhoppers_010 are just two of them.

Update

The second set of ambassadors, awarded by exclusive T-shirts as follows:

@dejkovski and @jakaskrlep have shared many different locations and have both been featured already; this is valid also for @dreamypixels whose time lapse of clouds over Velika planina was the very first video we have ever posted on Instagram. Great collections of photos from Central Slovenia which bring them an Ambassador title have also @valentina_plahuta, @denissimcic, @bojanaklemenc.bofit, @ines_loveslife and @silva.abram , Valentina and Bojana also with a feature. Congratulations!

Update 2

In the last part of the challenge the Ambassador title and a T-shirt go to:

@gregorkacin has shown us many different parts of Central Slovenia and he was also featured. Very active contributors who shared their photos were also @mybluedragoness, @lukakotnikphoto, @lukezifoto, @pjsmooth77 and @mancakorelc.

Thank you all for your support!

St. Anna

April 17, 2017/1 Comment/in Where to in Slovenia? /by sanya_lt

St. Anna above Lake Podpeč on Ljubljana Marshes is a perfect getaway from a hustle and bustle of Ljubljana. Only a short drive from the city (like 15 minutes) plus a short walk (20 or 30 minutes) … there is this amazing small church built on a hill with the same name – St. Anna.

St. Anna is a church you can see from far away and it offers some amaaaaazing views of Ljubljana Marshes. It stands on a steep slope above the old Podpeč Quarry. As the hill juts out like a huge pier above the Barje, the view from the platform around the church is amazingly beautiful and vast, for it embraces the entire Ljubljansko barje from Škofljica to Vrhnika. In its present form, the Church of St. Anna has stood here since the end of the 16th century, when built on foundations of an old Gothic church. The main pilgrimage gathering is held on Sunday after St. Anna’s Day (26th July).

We (meaning team Igslovenia – @zokus_gf, me & Tara, our dog:)) prefer leaving our car near Lake Podpeč and then going a little bit uphill to ‘climb’ to the top. It usually takes us just around half of an hour and it gives us the pleasure of being just a little tired while reaching the church at the top. Plus – there is a city bus going from Ljubljana to Jezero (Lake Podpeč) and back every half of an hour … so … if you don’t mind a short walk uphill St. Ana is reachable even if you don’t drive.

If you have a car and (or) you are not a fan of walking uphill … go towards village Preserje and leave your car just before the village. The walk will be a little bit shorter and easier.

Beside the church … there is nothing at the top … just views … wherever you look … there are amazing views. So – bring some water … sit down, relax and enjoy. Best time to visit St. Ana is, of course, sunrise or sunset. I prefer – sunsets. Just be careful … if you are going up or down in the dark … bring some lights with you!

Enjoy and check out other spots around Ljubljana Marshes: Lake Podpeč, Ižica and Snake’s Head Fritillary Meadow!

By @sanya_lt.

Ljubljana Castle

April 5, 2017/in Where to in Slovenia? /by sanya_lt

I’ll be honest: Ljubljana Castle is my favourite photo-spot in Ljubljana. Perched on top of a hill, just above the old town, it offers amazing views on the whole city and surrounding area, all the way to Kamnik-Savinja & Julian Alps. Wherever you look, whatever you do … there is something to see & photograph; the castle itself, architecture details, people (getting married), couples in love, rich cultural program, view on the city, mountains in the distance … It really doesn’t matter what are you looking for … you will find it!

There are many trails leading to the top of the castle and every one of them offers different photo opportunities. Ok, the easiest way to get up there is to take the funicular (located near the central market, on the Krekov trg), but taking photos from the funicular is no fun (due to the ‘dirty’ windows you will never get the photo you are looking for).

So – walk! My favourite time to visit the castle is spring, when colour green takes over the castle forests. Walking up there between lush green trees opens ‘windows’ in the trees allowing you to take picture perfect photos.

I also love the views from the castle in the winter, when you can see almost all city. I prefer view toward Trnovo district (south-west of the city), where you can take best sunset photos. Don’t forget; You will never be alone at the Castle Hill in the sunset time, so if you are looking for a really nice place and photo – be there before sunset!

Also – don’t forget to visit the Castle Tower! It offers unobstructed (360) view of the city so – it’s a must! The views of the city from here are the best and you can capture details of the rooftops & Ljubljana’s notable bridges, squares and buildings.

If you get hungry or thirsty… there are 2 restaurants (that I really, really like), Strelec & Gostilna na Gradu and a Castle Coffe House, so … just sit down and enjoy. If you need more ideas about perfect photo spots don’t forget to check out an amazing SNAPP guide to photographing Ljubljana by dear friend, Luka Esenko.

So … when in Ljubljana … Castle is a must. Also – let me know you are around. I’ll just might join you.

Sanja

Save

lukaesenko

April 21, 2016/in Instagrammers from Slovenia /by sanya_lt

Luka Esenko. Amazing landscape photographer and an Instagrammer that – sometimes – makes me crazy. Each and every photo he publishes on Instagram could end up on @Igslovenia profile. Every day. But this only means – he is good at what he does. And this is – photography, sharing his knowledge about photography & connecting great photographers and incredible locations in his new app. I just had to ask him a few questions;,

Hi there Luka, we will start as we always do; can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Who are you, what do you do?

Hi Sanja, I am a local photographer based in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Photography has been my work for the last eight years when I started running workshops in Slovenia and Croatia. I also love the outdoors, the Alps above all, this is why a lot of my photos are from there.

Ljubljana from the Nebotičnik / Skyscraper caffee.

You are a professional photographer, I know that. What does Instagram mean to you? Or better; People say that Instagram is only for amateur photographers. What do you think about that?

To be honest I am pretty new to Instagram. I started last summer when I was on a vacation in Croatia. It soon became quite fun and I’ve had a lot of feedback and interaction on my posts. What I like about it is its focus on photography and I find it more enjoyable to browse through the feed. For photographers (pro and amateur alike) this is a great channel to promote their work and services.

Slovenia. You take people around our country for photography workshops. Can you say that there is a place that amazes people more than other? Or – what is your favourite photo-destination in Slovenia?

Quite obviously Lake Bled and its island is the most popular among my clients. But there are many other less “iconic” places that people love and make great subjects for photography. Unique to Slovenia are its hilltop churches – my clients always wonder how crazy we are in Slovenia to build churches on top of the hill – who wants to walk up there?!? I always reply – well – photographers 🙂 Personally, my favourite place is the Julian Alps. I love the mountains, but unfortunately I’m usually way too busy to get out and spend the time I’d like to out there. For that reason every moment I do get to spend there is even more precious.

Church of St. Thomas / Sveti Tomaž.

Speaking of photo-destinations. You took connecting amazing photographers and incredible destination to a whole new level. You are a co-founder of the snappguides application. Can you tell us a little bit more about it?

Recently we released SNAPP Guides – destination guides for photographers. This is a mobile app (currently available on iOS with Android coming soon) where photographers can purchase guides to destination they are traveling to. With these guides they get exact coordinates with interactive maps (routing, current position, different layers..), information how to get there, when to go, practical advice on photographing that location as well as inspirational images. We work with pro photographers around the world to deliver the best possible information and currently we have ten destinations available – new ones are being added to the collection every month.

Laka Bled; Island & Castle in the back.

Sounds amazing! And looking at the @snappguiddes social media profiles and page … you have tons, literally tons of amazing photos. Who are the photographers that you are working with? How did you meet?

We sure have a lot of great images to share! Through my previous work I met many excellent photographers from all around the world. With their help we partnered with the best authors/photographers from destinations such as the UK, California, Oregon, South Africa, Ireland, Austria and many others. Now we’re receiving requests from photographers who want to make guides with us and we’re growing our team of photographers quickly. If you have extensive knowledge of photo locations in your area and would like to build a guide with us do get in touch!

Can you share some ‘behind the app’ information with us? What are the places (locations) that people love most? How is Slovenia doing? Can we expect more photographers here soon?:)

A tremendous amount of work goes into each guide. Every spot has to be populated with relevant information, exact coordinates and beautiful images. Most of the spots have been scouted more than just once to make sure the information is valid. At the moment, the most popular guides are Yosemite NP in California and London, UK. Slovenia is doing well, but it is obvious that it gets fewer visitors per year compared to other better known destinations in the world. I’m working hard to change that!

What are the plans for the future? Which destinations in Slovenia will be presented in the app?

Right now the most popular places of Slovenia are covered, Lakes Bled & Bohinj, Ljubljana and Istria. The Complete Guide to Slovenia will follow but I can’t promise when – it is huge amount of work to cover it all! As for SNAPP Guides, we want to cover as many destinations as possible. We’re working hard to deliver new destinations, but because of our high standards it takes time.

As a local and as an amazing photographer … what would you say to a person visiting Slovenia for the first time? Where to go, what to see? (Beside – Bled, Ljubljana & Piran, that is:)

Well, the ones you mentioned are definitely the obvious, right? My first suggestion is make sure you allow enough time – Slovenia might be small but it has lots of great places to photograph! Be prepared to do some hiking and you’ll need a car. Visit one or two hilltop churches for sunrise or sunset, don’t miss the wine region (Brda or Prlekija) and be sure to explore Soča river valley.

Thanks Luka! And … all the best with your amazing projects!

Thanks for giving me this opportunity at Igslovenia!

Sanja Leban Trojar – @sanya_lt

You can find more about Luka Esenko and his work on his web page, Facebook or Twitter profile & you can follow him on Instagram.

laughtraveleat

April 16, 2016/in Instagrammers visiting Slovenia /by sanya_lt

~~Ljubljana, 16. 4. 2016 by Sanja Leban Trojar – @sanya_lt~~

First of all – can you tell us something about yourself? Who are you, what do you do?

Hello! My name is Nam (@laughtraveleat on Instagram) and I am a travel blogger / writer who lives in Hong Kong. I run my own blog: Laugh Travel Eat that documents my travel tips and adventures near or far. My day job is content marketing, and when I am not writing or working, you will find me stuffing my face with egg waffle and bubble tea or catching up on the latest DC TV series while online shopping.

Do you travel a lot? How you pick your traveling destination?

I like to travel as much as I can, because there’s just so much to see in the world and it has become so easy to just hop on a plane and head to an exotic location nowadays. I generally look out for flight deals, though sometimes after reading a book or watching a movie, or even seeing a picture on Instagram and Pinterest will get a place on my radar that makes me really want to go.

Your Instagram profile is full of amazing photos from Slovenia. Can you tell us a little bit about – how you came across Slovenia, when did you decide to visit and what places did you see?

I visited Slovenia last August with my friends as a bit of a graduation trip. We actually wanted to visit Albania, but the flights were too expensive, so we headed for Pula, Croatia instead. Then my friend suggested that we go to Ljubljana and I thought, why not? So we spent two days there before taking a bus to Bled, where I stayed for 4 nights while my friends left on the second due to poor timing on my side. I had another week to go before I needed to be in Italy, so I traveled to Bohinj by myself.

Where did you find information about Slovenia? How did you decide what to see?

I looked everywhere online for a bit, the official tourism page was a lot of help, and I got a lot of inspiration from the @Igslovenia Instagram as well! There aren’t a lot of blog posts out there on Slovenia, especially in the Bohinj region, but I had a lot of help from the staff in Castle 1004 Hostel in Bled in terms of transport etc.

What was your favourite place in Slovenia? What would you say is ‘a must see’ place in Slovenia … especially if you are a photographer?

The classic view point of Lake Bled – Ojstrica. It’s the postcard, picture perfect view of Lake Bled and a pleasant hike up. I only managed to go there on my last day in Bled because of the rain during my stay, and I was so glad that I got to visit there on a sunny day!

Is there a place or thing that you would say – skip it? Why?

Well – Voje Waterfall! Although the hike there was pleasant with a gorgeous meadow, the waterfall itself is not as grand as it looks. As reaching this waterfall involve an extra 2-3 hours hike from the Mostnica Gorge, I would say skip it unless you have the time!

Back to photography; What equipment do you use for taking photos?

My trusty DLSM Panasonic DMC-GM1; I am not a photographic expert by any means, but a semi-automatic mirrorless it’s easy to use and take great photos!

What does photography mean to you?

Photography has become a way for me to record every moment in my life, especially when I am visiting a new place. A moment capture in the camera will forever be there, however, one can easily forget about some place or somewhere. There’s also something special about looking at the world through a different angle, which you wouldn’t normally if you are not holding a camera!

Can you describe us your photography style?

In all honesty, I am a point a shoot kind of girl, though if I see something I like, I will stop and try to find the best angle for it. I can’t say I have a particular style, other than taking tons and tons of photos.

How did you end up on Instagram?

I started my account on my mum’s phone about five years back, but didn’t really started using it until a year after. Eventually I began to post only the photos from my travel when I started my own blog last year. Instagram is an amazing community and resources that fuels my wanderlust like no other! Accounts like @Igslovenia is what keeps me around and hyped up about all the amazing places I have yet to see in the world!

Do you use any other social media channel? If yes – can you compare the experience with using Instagram?

Pinterest is the other social media channel that I use frequently. It’s similarity to Instagram ends on both of them being visual. While Instagram is like a photo sharing site, Pinterest is a noticeboard. You can find me on Facebook, also.

How often do you publish photos on Instagram? Do you interact with other people on Instagram?

I publish a photo daily! And because I do genuinely enjoy Instagram, I go through my feed every moment I get and try to comment on every photo I find interesting. Being a frequent user myself, I know that every comment means a lot and it only takes a button and a few words to make someone’s day.

What would you say are the most important ‘rules’ that every Instagrammer must follow? Or – it would be good to follow?

Try not to be fake. I know that there are lot of people who are trying to grow their accounts (business or otherwise), but the whole following – unfollowing technique is one of the most annoying thing I have ever come across. If you don’t like someone’s feed, don’t follow and expect a follow back then unfollowing them.