Drone Photography
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Drone photography by international Award Winner photographer Marco Secchi available for assignments in Slovenia, Hungary and the Balkans.
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Ohhhh YES I do love Sunflowers!
/5 facts and one photograph
1. Each sunflower is actually thousands of teeny flowers.
The iconic yellow petals and fuzzy brown centers are actually individual flowers themselves. As many as 2,000 can make up the classic sunflower bloom.
2. You should harvest sunflowers in the morning, not the afternoon.
Planning to clip a few to display in a vase? If you wait until the afternoon, they may wilt.
3. Sunflowers are native to the Americas and were domesticated around 1000 B.C.
Even way back when, people saw the value in growing sunflowers, which are still harvested for sunflower seeds (and the oil you can make from them) today. In 2014, 1.7 million acres were planted in the United States, the USDA reports. The majority of those were found in North Dakota.
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4. A dried sunflower makes a unique, natural bird feeder.
Feathered friends love to snack on sunflower seeds just like you do. To find out how to hang this garden-inspired feeder (no peanut butter required!), get the tutorial at Creative Cain Cabin.
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5. Each sunflower can contain as many as 1,000 to 2,000 seeds.
So there are tons for birdies to munch on! But you can harvest and roast them for yourself, too.
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Gostilna Mlin in Kamna Gorica , Slovenia
/Gostilna Mlin in Kamna Gorica is an old converted mill and is set in a great location in an idyllic village close to Radovljica and Bled.
Staff is fast, helpful, attentive and kind
The menu offers Slovenian dishes, traditional and Pizzas.
Food is excellent with a good variety and a great value for money .
Soviet Victory Memorial Bad Radkersburg
/This memorial commemorates the victory of the Red Army in 1945 against the nazi fascist
Located near the border with the Kingdom of Hungary, it was affected by the armed conflict between King Matthias Corvinus and Emperor Frederick III in the late 15th century. During the Ottoman–Habsburg wars, extended fortifications were laid out according to plans designed by the Italian architect Domenico dell'Allio. Radkersburg was elevated to an Imperial fortress by resolution of the 1582 Diet of Augsburg.
In the course of the 19th century language conflict, nationalist struggles in the ethnically mixed area arose between the predominantly German-speaking citizens and the Slovene-speaking peasant population down the Mur River. A garrison town of the Austro-Hungarian Army in World War I, it was occupied by troops of the newly emerged Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) on 1 December 1918. An armed revolt against the occupation forces, led by Johann Mickl, in order to affiliate the town with German-Austria failed. Nevertheless, by resolution of the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain, the area north of the Mur passed to the First Austrian Republic, while Oberradkersburg (Gornja Radgona) and the neighbouring municipality of Apače (Abstall), on the south bank, became part of Yugoslavia.
The nationalist conflicts lingered on, on both sides of the border. In World War II many members of the German minority greeted the Wehrmacht invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941 and joined the German combat units, while large parts of Radkersburg were devastated by armed conflicts. After the war, most of the remaining German-speaking population south of the Mur was forcibly expelled.
The Radkersburg bridge across the Mur was reopened on October 12, 1969 which led to a first rapprochement between Austria and Yugoslavia. In 1975 the town achieved spa status, another thermal spring was made accessible in 1978, soon followed by an extension to the bathing site. Since Slovenia joined the Schengen Area in 2007, border controls between Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona have been abolished.
The only still operating floating mill on Mura river
/Because the mill is still active, visitors get a chance to see how flour was once made; they can even buy some traditional flour to use at home.
35mm equivalence of native Fujifilm X lenses
/I am often asked about the correspondence focal length for the Fujifilm X lenses
This table will help you find the true 35mm equivalence of native Fujifilm X lenses.
Native Fujifilm X lenses
Name Focal Length (35mm) f-stop (35mm) Aperture Size
XF14mmF2.8 R 21mm ƒ/4.2 5mm
XF16mmF1.4 R WR 24mm ƒ/2.1 11mm
XF16mmF2.8 R WR 24mm ƒ/4.2 5.7mm
XF18mmF2 R 27mm ƒ/3 9mm
XF23mmF2 R WR 35mm ƒ/3 12mm
XF23mmF1.4 R 35mm ƒ/2.1 16mm
XF27mmF2.8 41mm ƒ/4.2 9.6mm
XF33mmF1 50mm ƒ/1.5 33mm
XF35mmF1.4 R 53mm ƒ/2.1 25mm
XF35mmF2 R WR 53mm ƒ/3 18mm
XF50mmF2 R WR 75mm ƒ/3 25mm
XF56mmF1.2 R 84mm ƒ/1.8 47mm
XF56mmF1.2 R APD 84mm ƒ/1.8 47mm
XF60mmF2.4 R Macro 90mm ƒ/3.6 25mm
XF80mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro 120mm ƒ/4.2 29mm
XF90mmF2 R LM WR 140mm ƒ/3 45mm
XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR 300mm ƒ/3 100mm
XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR 12-24mm ƒ/4.2 2.9-5.7mm
XF10-24mmF4 R OIS 15-36mm ƒ/6 2.5-6mm
XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR 24-83mm ƒ/4.2 5.7-20mm
XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR 24-120mm ƒ/6 4-20mm
XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR 27-200mm ƒ/5.3-8.4 5.1-24mm
XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS 27-83mm ƒ/4.2-6 6.4-14mm
XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR 75-210mm ƒ/4.2 18-50mm
XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS 83-300mm ƒ/5.3-7.2 16-42mm
XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR 150-600mm ƒ/6.8-8.4 22-71mm
Touit 2.8/12 18mm ƒ/4.2 4.3mm
Touit 1.8/32 48mm ƒ/4.2 11mm
Touit 2.8/50M 75mm ƒ/4.2 18mm
Odprta kuhna in Ljubljana
/Odprta kuhna is a unique and the most popular food market in Slovenia that has been bringing freshness and innovation to the Slovenian culinary scene since 2013.
It has become a regular Ljubljana event and every sunny Friday from early spring to late fall its stands attract thousands of foodies and fans of relaxed hanging-out.
Every (sunny) Friday between 10 AM and 9 PM, and until 10 PM in the summer, Pogačarjev trg square comes to life in various colours, flavours and aromas. The stands of Odprta kuhna have presented over a 100 restaurants from all over Slovenia and the visitors have tried close to a thousand different Slovenian and international dishes.
Imagine a walk in the Ljubljana streets that takes you around the world. When you walk between the stands of the colourful food market, you smell homemade Kaiserschmarrn from one side and on the other some flames jump up into the air from a Asian wok; bograč from Prekmurje is inviting you to one stand and juicy burgers are on the grill at the next. It simply doesn’t get tastier than that!
Cold?? It's the Frost Saints
/Surprised about the spell of cold and rainy weather?? No need!
The Ice Saints take place from May 11th till May 13th or 12th to 14th depends on the country. The Ice Saints is a name given to St. Mamertus, St. Pancras and St. Servatius in the folklore of some Europe countries. They are so named because their feast days fall on the days of May 11, May 12, and May 13 respectively.
The period from May 11 to May 15 was noted to bring a brief spell of colder weather in many years.
My grandmother grew up in Austria with that being the rule and has instilled it on at least two more generations. In Hungary the saints are the Ice Saints are St. Pancras, St. Servatus and St. Boniface of Tarsus was said to have feasts that fell during the last possible cold snap of the year before autumn. Exactly which saints are included in the group depends on where you live. So if you waited to plant until after their feast days, you were generally considered safe, in fact, Saint Sophia with her feast day on 15 May, became one of the "Ice Saints". She is known as kalte Sophie "cold Sophia" in Germany, and in Slovenia as poscana Zofka "pissing Sophia" or mokra Zofija "wet Sophia" and traditionally she wash away the cold spell!
According to The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions, this tradition stems from the idea that these saints played a trick on the people by bringing a frost. In the fifth century, Archbishop Mamertus began a tradition rogation days, prayer and processions around the crops, orchards and animals, asking God to protect them from the saint’s wrath.
A 2013 article from The Guardian says that as late as the seventeenth century, Galileo and his students were studying the Ice Saints and weather patterns around their feasts. They found the legends of the cold naps to be accurate. However, it also states that more recent studies aren’t so certain.
Must stop moaning
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Image by
via Flickr
I have complained before about the so called Artist Block at least here and just few days ago . Today I realized that I must stop moaning, at least for the time being, and here are few of the reasons:
I am lucky enough, in this period of my life, to leave in one of the most beautiful and inspiring places of the world: Venice.
I live very close to the sea, probably 20 meters and I believe the sea is very inspiring
I live about 100mt from where Tintoretto used to live and work, there are so many of his works close to me that is unbelievable.
Venice is so rich of libraries, galleries, museums that is so easy to get inspiration.
Life here is relaxed and at a different pace, so you do not get stressed and have all the time you need to get inspired.
In Venice lived just to mention some Italian Artists Canova, Canaletto, Vasari, Giorgione, Mantegna, Titian....
No more excuses then!
Related articles
Visions of Venice 300 years apart (bbc.co.uk)
Canaletto's Venice: a city for pleasure seekers (telegraph.co.uk)
12 Hours In Venice - Venice, Italy (travelpod.com)
Slapnik in Slovenia
/Slapnik, a settlement with 17 houses that once had around 80 residents, mostly farmers, lost its population to larger towns in the region, as well as to immigration to the US and Australia after WW2. Since 1985 is has been designated as part of Slovenia’s immovable cultural heritage, and become a curiosity for visitors, and those interested in the region’s architecture in particular.
The British Broadcasting Company will film a show in the village in which couples from around Europe will live in the renovated houses. Further details remain unknown, but it’s expected that around 20 episodes of the series will be filmed.</p><p>Slapnik, and the region in general is expected to benefit from the attention, while the renovated buildings will provide more opportunities for further commercial activity in the village.
More images
https://www.marcosecchi.com/gallery/Slapnik/G0000gZxXl5J8prI/C000040quAlDfuPY
The lovely village of Stanjel
/Štanjel or in Italian San Daniele del Carso is a village in the Municipality of Nomen in the Littoral region of Slovenia. It is located on the Karst Plateau overlooking the Vipava Valley.
In the 17th century it was fortified to defend it against Ottoman raids. It was heavily damaged during World War II and it has been slowly rebuilt since.
The castle represents the dominant part of the old settlement. Originally a much smaller medieval building owned by the Counts of Gorica, it was inherited by the Habsburgs, who bequeathed it to the Counts of Cobenzel. With the exception of a brief Venetian rule and the ownership by the Coronini family from Kromberk, the Cobenzel family continued in Štanjel until 1810, when the family eventually died out. From that moment on, the castle was owned by various families.
According to dates inscribed on numerous commemorative plaques, we can assume that the Counts of Cobenzel began the renovation of the castle in 1583, and gave it its present Baroque-Renaissance appearance in 1661. Eight years later, the two-winged residence was completed with a walled enclosure and a monumental Renaissance gateway.
In World War I, the Austrian Army used the castle as a military hospital for its officers. In the interwar period the castle became the central point of public and social life thanks to Max Fabiani. Here was the municipality, school, library and medical centre. In the summer, dances would take place in the castle courtyard as well as concerts and plays. In World War II it was severely damaged during an attack by the National Liberation Army. Renovation began in the second half of the 20th century.
12th Annual International Color Awards
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LOS ANGELES 12th March 2019
Professional photographer Marco Secchi of Hungary was presented with the 12th Annual International Color Awards Nominee title in the category of Fine Art at a prestigious Nomination & Winners Photoshow streamed Saturday, March 9, 2019.
The live online gala was attended by 11,829 photography fans around the globe who logged on to watch the climax of the industry's most important event for color photography. 12th Annual Jury members included captains of the industry from Sotheby's, New York; Benetton, Ponzano Veneto; The Art Channel, London; Kolle Rebbe, Hamburg; Droga5, New York; Preus Museum, Norway; Art Beatus, Hong Kong; Forsman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg; Wieden & Kennedy, Portland; Fox Broadcasting Network, Los Angeles; Gallery Kong, Seoul; and Phillips, New York who honored Color Masters with 761 title awards and 1,032 nominees in 37 categories.
"Winning awards is an endorsement that you are doing something right in your craft. I am delighted to win Merit of Excellence in the Food category and have another 8 nominations... a huge thank you to you and your support of photography," said Hugh Johnson, 2nd Place Winner in Food. Leigh Miller, 1st Place Winner in Aerial added, "Wow, I'm over the moon with pride and joy at getting 1st place and honourable mention in the amateur Aerial category. I'm privileged to have my work showcased alongside such talented and creative people. Thank you International Color Awards for the chance to show our work on an international stage and big thanks to the judges for their time."
"It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 7,241 entries we received this year," said Basil O'Brien, the awards Creative Director. "(Name)'s "(Title of Photograph)," an exceptional image entered in the (Category) category, represents contemporary color photography at its finest, and we're pleased to present (her/him) with the title of Nominee."
INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS is the leading international award honoring excellence in color photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honors the finest images with the highest achievements in color photography. www.colorawards.com
Camera Fujifilm
Model XT2
Lens 16-55 f/ 2.8
Chromatic Awards
/Very happy to share that one of my images has won second place, in the Professional Category of the Cityscape category, in the 2019 International Chromatic Awards
Many congratulations on all the other winners and nominees and my thanks to the judges for their hard work.
It was shot on
Camera Make FUJIFILM
Camera ModelX-T2
Focal Length 42.7mm
Apertureƒ/8.0
Shutter Speed1/350s
ISO400
Venice Carnival 2019.....is here
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The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival, held in Venice. The Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Martedì Grasso), the day before Ash Wednesday.
The Venice Carnival is now world famous - it always takes place during the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. Carnival, being a pre-Lent festival, means 'farewell to meat' and is celebrated throughout Italy.
It was first held in Venice in the 11th century and consisted of over two months of revelry, until it fell into decline during the 18th century. It was revived in 1979 with great success and nowadays it is a great excuse to don a mask and costume, parade around the city, enjoy the live music in the main squares of the city, the events organised by the tourist board and is a wonderful open-air festival where everyone can join in. Fantastic costumes are displayed in St Mark's Square and Venice is the perfect back-drop for amazing photographs.
Carnival in the 18th century began with a series of balls in St Mark's Square, as can be seen on the fresco on the walls of the famous café Quadri's. Fortunes were squandered every night of Carnival in the Ridotto Gambling casino, whatever the social status all the people wore costumes and masks, many connected to the Commedie del'Arte, Harlequin, Columbine, the Plague Doctor and of course the courtesans.
The 2019 edition will run from Sat, Feb 16, 2019 – Tue, Mar 5, 2019
Photo Walk during Venice Carnival 2019
/Carnival in Venice
This year the Venice Carnival will be from the 16th February to the 5th March 2019
The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice, Italy, as well as being one of the oldest.
This congregation of masked people, called Venice Carnival, began in the 15th century, but the tradition can be traced back to the beginning of the 14th Century! During those years one of the first laws made by the Serenissima was that masks cannot be used around the city at night.
Later, Venice Carnival attracted foreigners - including princes - from all over Europe, who came to enjoy the wild festivities while spending fortunes.
During the ten days of Carnival leading up to Mardi Gras, Venice is a hive of activity and entertainment, from improvised street entertainment to performances put on by the organizers. A central idea is chosen each year that is taken from various cultural or show-biz themes. Saint Mark’s Square remains the heart of Carnival, with its huge stage, although other events take place throughout the city, helping to avoid an excessive build-up of people in pedestrianized Venice.
During this period I will offer with my team a Carnival Workshop where during the first 2 hours we will take pictures of the Masks and Costumes in St Mark’s Square and then we will head after a coffee break for the Venice Tour. 4h Tour Price is €500 Max 3 people or 2 adults + 2 Teens – Extra persons MAX 2 € 70 per person.
Photographing Wild Bears in Slovenia
/I have been photographing the brown bears of Slovenia for over three years and now I would love to share it with you. Believe me it is an amazing experience….even without a camera!
The trip will include bear hide visits, a visit to Rakov Škocjan, Krizna Jama cave and Grad Snežnik or Predjama Castle. Visit to the bears hide takes place after lunch to maximize the chances of photographing these amazing mammals. We will be taken by 4x4 to the hide locations and return to base camp as darkness begins to fall. This allows for some of the most amazing "golden hour" lighting, due to our position high in the mountains.
Our host, Miha, has been working with these amazing animals for many years and his guesthouse has friendly welcoming atmosphere not to mention great local food. Miha knows not only the terrain but also the wildlife and will ensure that guests are placed in the most productive hides at any given period.
The guesthouse is located in a picturesque village at the foot of the mountains through which runs a crystal clear river.
To check my Photo Tour click here
European Bison in Hungary
/The European bison, the largest land mammal on our continent, was severely hunted until it finally became extinct in the wild in 1927. By then, only 54 individuals remained, all in captivity.
Since then many things have been done to bring back the European bison to its ancestral lands by establishing new wild bison populations in several of our rewilding areas, and creating new breeding stations.
The bison is not only endangered and in strong need of more space to roam, it is also what is called a “keystone” species in Europe’s ecosystems. Its grazing and browsing behaviour opens up bush land into open mosaic landscapes and its trampling and manure creates space for hundreds of other species. The bison is simply a biodiversity enforcer that we really need out there.
Choose the return and expansion of the European bison to where they once belonged, like in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia.
I Love Winter!
/it is a simple matter of fact that I love winter…it is never too cold. You can always wear another layer of clothes
In Hungary winter is really magic, in the countryside you can smell the wood burning fire, nature is waiting for spring. It is like being on a suspended time frame.
Winter in Orseg, Hungary
If you like my picture you can freely download it from Unsplash
These are 8 reasons I love winter:
When the first snowfall hits and you’re left gaping at the sky in wonder, captivated by the Earth’s ability to turn water into these icy sprinkles.
The blast of cold air that washes over you when you open your front door, filling your lungs, and you, with a renewed appreciation for that “fresh air” your mother was always telling you about.
The moment you step in from the cold and feel your skin tingle with appreciation.
The desperation you feel when you’re sprawled out on your porch in nothing but a sweaty loincloth during a summer heat wave, wishing that winter would come early and relieve you of this slow and painful death.
The happiness you experience from the temporary mass extinction of bees, that allows you to frolic across fields and hang out in your backyard without fear (but with a couple of extra layers).
The freedom to wear ugly-yet-comfortable sweaters without shame is enacted every time the temperature drops below 40 degrees. Let those singing reindeer shirts see the light of day, for once.
The irrational feeling of success you experience when you cup two handfuls of snow together and feel them crunch into place, creating the perfect snowball.
Photography News, Reportage, Feature
/While talking with some of the Awakening photographers early this morning about the differences on a photography feature, reportage or news, it came to my mind that a couple of years ago I wrote this little peace.
1.Timing.
The major difference between a news story and a feature story is that a news story is time-sensitive. Media outlets want to publish news stories as quickly as possible after an event occurs. Feature stories, however, are not as time-dependent and contain no urgent content. You can shoot one anytime after an event occurs.
2. Style.
The styles of a news story and a feature are different. In a news story, the emphasis is on content rather than form. News stories go straight to the point, using simple and strong images to deliver the facts quickly. They usually average between 10-15 images.
Feature stories are often wider and have a story telling structure and they have a creative flavour. Feature stories can be more than 20 images.
3. Beginning and ending.
A news story and a feature story have different types of beginnings and endings. News stories tell what the news is upfront and then give the most important details in the first few images . The beginning – or lead – of a feature story, on the other hand, doesn’t give the news straightaway. Instead, it hooks readers and keeps them looking at images until the last one.
A news story can end anywhere after you’ve described the most important facts, whereas a feature story ends with readers feeling satisfied that they gained some value and knowledge from viewing your images and the story.
Snow in Ljubljana
/Today Ljubljana woke up under a blanket of snow that gave to the city a more magical twist.
