Catching a Moment - Into the blue

sarajevo-november — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:09:28 GMT

I woke up to the scent of pines, olives, and salt. Morning sounds were so ambiental—little waves barely reaching the rocks, with occasional though rhytmic hubbub of gulls—much as the music my yoga teacher regularly played during the end of the class. I needed a few moments to recollect where was this exactly that I woke up, but that didn't take long. First, I was in a small tent. (I did sleep great. The ground was fairly comfortable, though quite a nice exercise for the back.) Second, those vivid morning notes from the outside were what I loved the most about my beloved Croatian coast.

My tent was facing a rocky and pebbled beach, just a few feet away. At 8 a.m. the beach was still empty.

The best thing about tents is that you're up and on the move immediately after opening your eyes. You don't need comfort—you need a rest from comfort, time freed from comfort and given to experience. But the first thing I wanted was to let the soft yellow light touch my skin. I put on my swim suit and went out.

The breeze was gently cool, mixed with the sunrays' warmth. I walked to the sea, and stepped on my favourite rock. I kept standing there for a few moments, gazing at the brightly lit rows of little houses, distant on the left side of the bay. The town seemed already lively and ready for tourists.

I looked in front of me. The sea was indescribably beautiful—starting from the lovely beige of pebbles, gradually becoming a lovely turquoise, and, continuing the gradient of blue, joined the indigo vastness.

I take a deep breath and plunge into the water. That moment—when my head dives in, when my eyes open to a new world, mute and blue—that's an instant of an overwhelming sensation that I could never relinquish. I say, "Good morning, Earth." And let the moment last.

Photos: An afternoon in Sarajevo

sarajevo-november — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:47:00 GMT

I began to take interest in photography only 3 to 4 years ago, when I started to travel a lot. I learned and practiced by using many cameras, both digital and analog. I like to play with any camera I come across, and use it as a medium between the world outside and my version of it. What I like the most about this opportunity is its gist: to take beautiful images on the spot, rather than using post-processing software. To be honest, I fall into the trap of image manipulation quite often; maybe because it's time for me to learn how to do a good post-production, maybe because I want to make the digital image look the closest to how I remember the moment, colours, and light. I occasionally break this circle by shooting with an analog camera for a while. I have just started a 52 weeks project with the same idea: get more creative with the camera, rather than the computer. And that is what I hope to gain from this experience as well. For me, photography is an art that brings out the closest imprints of how we fancy the world around us. I enjoy sharing that with other people, as much as seeing it through their eyes. It is a simple, but delightful contribution I hope to reciprocate.

Ivana Vasilj

Catching a Moment - Into the blue

Photos: An afternoon in Sarajevo