Starts: Thursday afternoon 15th Oct - Guesthouse check in at 2:00pm. Once everyone has settled in to the hotel, we will head down to Lake Bled for an evening and sunset photoshoot.
Ends: Monday 19th Oct after a sunrise photoshoot.
Accommodation is included from Thurs - Mon (4 nights). We will be staying in the lovely Penzion Mayer, just a 5-minute walk to the lakeside.
Max 4 people
Join me, Ian Middleton, on my Autumn in Slovenia photography workshop in the stunning alpine region of this amazing country. We’ll visit some beautiful glacial lakes: Lake Bled, Lake Jasna and Lake Bohinj, and travel through picturesque alpine valleys and mountain vistas, visit waterfalls, rapids and gorges. We’ll photograph lovely castles and churches, on lakes, beside lakes and on hilltops, all with magnificent backdrops.
We will be based at Lake Bled. This workshop is timed for the beautiful autumn colours, During these times the colours in Slovenia are incredible. Autumn is a lovely time where the landscape is awash with a myriad of changing colours as the land readies itself for the winter slumber.
We’ll visit waterfalls and rivers where you can learn how to photograph fast flowing water effects, and photograph the Bohinj Valley and Julian Alps from stunning viewpoints.
This workshop will include very early mornings in order to catch the dawn and sunrise.
Possible Locations
Locations will depend on weather conditions:
Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Vodnik Viewpoint, Lake Jasna, Pericnik Waterfall, Vintgar Gorge, Jamnik hilltop church, Saint Thomas church view, Local villages.
Example Itinerary: The exact itinerary could likely change around depending on the weather and conditions, but will consist of roughly the following:
* Sunrises are optional. If you decided to miss one, please let me know the night before and we will pick you up after breakfast *
Day 1
Thurs 15th Oct
Meet at guesthouse at 15:00 – check in at 14:00.
Afternoon, Sunset and Dusk shoot at Lake Bled
Once checked in at the guesthouse, we will head down to Lake Bled for an afternoon, sunset and dusk photoshoot. We will shoot the lake from a different perspective, including the only place you can capture the castle and Julian Alps together.
Day 2
Fri 16th Oct
Locations:
Saint Thomas Church, Vodnik Viewpoint, Skofja Loka Hills, Smlednik & Preddvor Lake
Today we’ll leave at 5:15am and head for a sunrise shoot at Saint Thomas Church.
After breakfast we’ll head to Vodnik viewpoint for a stunning view over the Bohinj valley and lake.
After this, we’ll head back south of Bled and visit some locations in the Skofja Loka Hills, and great view of Smlednik Castle, and end our day at the lovely Lake Crnava in Preddvor.
Day 3
Sat 17th Oct
Locations:
Jamnik church, Srednji Vrh, Pericnik Waterfall, Lake Jasna
We’ll leave the guesthouse at 5:30am and head for a dawn and sunrise at Jamnik Church.
After breakfast we’ll drive to a lovely little village called Srednji Vrh for a picture postcard view of the Julian Alps.
After lunch we’ll head to Pericnik Waterfall, then on to Kranjska Gora for a sunset shoot at Lake Jasna.
Day 4
Sun 18th Oct
Locations:
Lake Bohinj, Vršič Pass, Soča Valley
Today we’ll leave the guesthouse at 5:30am to experience Lake Bohinj at sunrise.
After breakfast , we’ll drive up onto the Vršič Pass, the highest mountain pass in Slovenia. We’ll visit some great viewpoints from which to photograph the Julian Alps, and also a woman’s face in the mountainside.
Depending on time and conditions, we’ll head over the other side of the pass down into the beautiful Soča Valley.
Day 5
Mon 19th Oct
Sunrise at Lake Bled
For the last morning, we’ll return to Lake Bled for hopefully a misty dawn and sunrise.
When it comes to misty mornings, there is no place more magical than Lake Bled. Although this is shown here on the last day, I will be checking each morning and as soon as I see mist, we will head down to the lake that morning and the other destination will be rescheduled accordingly.
Check out after breakfast and end of workshop.
Photography skills you can learn on this workshop
As well as being a photo tour, this is also a workshop and tuition is available to whoever may need it. Below is a list of some of the skills and techniques that I can teach you during your time with me. This list is not exhaustive, and I will also be ready to cover anything else you require.
Technical Skills
– The effects of shutter speed, aperture and ISO
– The exposure triangle, understanding the relationship between these three
– Use of ND grad filters and/or exposure bracketing photography for high-contrast mountain and valley scenes
– Focus stacking techniques for macro photography of flowers and insects
– Long exposure methods for photographing waterfalls and flowing streams
– Golden hour and blue hour timing for optimal lighting
– Using the histogram and zebra stripes to control exposure
Landscape Photography
– Composition techniques using Slovenia’s dramatic Alpine scenery
– Maximising depth of field for front to back sharpness in landscapes
– Capturing seasonal transitions from snow-capped peaks to blooming valleys
– Stitched panoramic photography of expansive mountain vistas
– Using natural frames like tree branches and rock formations
Location-Specific Techniques
– Photographing iconic Slovenian locations like Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj
– Capturing the emerald green lakes, rivers and waterfalls
– Architectural photography of medieval castles and churches
Use of Filters
– Use of polarising filters to enhance skies, control reflections of water and other non-metallic surfaces
– Use of ND grad filters to balance the contrast between the land and sky
– Long exposure techniques with an ND filter
Accommodation is provided for the duration of the workshop in the lovely Penzion Mayer just a 5 minute walk from the lakeside.
Private room, ensuite with breakfast.
- DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
- Tripod.
- Remote shutter release cable.
- Spare batteries.
- Battery Charger
- Memory Cards
- Lens Cloth
- Electric Plug Adapter
- Raincover (or umbrella).
Recommended
- Polarising filter
- Neutral density filter
- ND grad filters
- Head or small hand torch
(for working, and getting back to the vehicle in the dark)
Watch some of my videos from Slovenia
Some links here are affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase I will get a small commission, but at no extra cost to you.
Accommodation: 4 nights in a single room (I can arrange extra nights if required)
Breakfast
All transport on workshop days
All tuition and guidance
Flights
Lunch and Dinner
Travel insurance
(Guests must ensure they have their own travel insurance)
DSLR or Mirrorless users ideally (but some advanced compact or bridge SLRs may suit. Contact me to discuss whether your camera is suitable or not).
Relatively easy but good footwear needed. Most locations and viewpoints are close to where the car will be parked. There will be a fair bit of walking on grassy terrain which could likely be wet and muddy. Good sturdy, water resistant boots are advised.
(If coming from the UK I recommend Easyjet which flies direct from London Gatwick or Edinburgh to Ljubljana. Other nearby airports are Trieste in Italy or Venice, or Zagreb in Croatia. (Otherwise contact me for advice)
Airport parking:
If you are coming from the UK and driving to the airport, here are some useful airport parking websites:
We will be based at Lake Bled. Bled is a 20-minute drive from the airport, or a 30-minute drive from Ljubljana. From Ljubljana airport, or the other airports nearby such as Venice, Trieste or Zagreb, I recommend you take the Go-Opti shuttle. Use this code to get a 5 euro discount on your first booking: RFLIBK8ABCQA
Alternatively if you plan to stay longer you might want to hire a car.
In autumn the days can be cold and wet, and the mornings and evenings even colder, so warm clothes. Ideally layers that can be removed or put on as we’ll either be shooting before sunrise or after sunset, in the dark, when it will be very cold. Be prepared for rain.
Group bookings are available on request.
Contact me for more info
You can book online either by selecting the deposit option or paying the full price. Payment can be made either by bank transfer or by credit card using Stripe secure online payment service. Your credit card details will not be seen by me. Should you choose to save your details they will be stored on the Stripe server and not this website.
If your workshop is cancelled for any reason by me then a full refund will be given, or you will have the chance to join another group. Should you cancel for any reason after payment has been made then a full refund will be given up to one week before the workshop date, but after that a full refund will only be given if I have a minimum of three people on the date of your booking.
