On November 10th, 2024, I am sitting cozy on my couch and scribbling away about those fantastic five days we spent in Slovenia. Although, it was one of the worst rains we have ever experienced on a holiday because it NEVER stopped!
But there was respite every morning for a good two to three hours where I would frantically wake up, run out of my cute little B&B with my tripod and camera to capture the most beautiful lake in Europe, in this tiny little gem of a country Slovenia.
This was my second visit to Slovenia. The first was in 2016, a short stopover in the capital, where we took a walk, ate döner (we were students, and that's all we could comfortably spend on), and clicked some very average phone pictures of the capital, Ljubljana. I remember watching a billboard showing Lake Bled, and I really wanted to return—only after 8 whole years.
But this time it was special, I was meeting my first Instagram friend for the second time! Yes, Instagram can weirdly reward you with friendships! We met in Bangkok in January and kept in touch throughout the year and decided to meet in Slovenia and road trip together and most importantly flex our photography skills a bit. She is a stunning photographer and an even better writer - won't believe me? Check this out.
In my humble opinion, five days is not enough for Slovenia, but that's how much I could do. Initially, the itinerary was packed with exploring a lot and hiking a lot more but the weather had other plans. So the trip was restricted but got a fair good intro and fairly good photographs of a few beautiful parts of the country.
We had our base at Lake Bled and visited the Logar Valley, Velika Planina and the Kamnik Alps, a tiny stop over at Ljubliana and Postojna Caves.
But honestly, this was good enough to make this photographer happy! Slovenia is very photogenic and must be on every traveler and travel photographer's list!
So when the weather controlled the fate of this travel and my FOMO, I just gave up on ticking off the list I had made and instead spent time practicing and improving my skills at capturing low light, cloudy and rainy Slovenia. So here is my autumn storytelling of a magical country.
Photography Gear
Since 2023, I have called myself a freelance travel and event photographer. I am building my gear and continuously testing what works for me.
I work with my trusted Sony a7IV camera body and a variety of lenses for landscape photography—24-105mm F4 and 16-35mm F2.8 GM (for ultra-wide-angle shots). I did carry my Nifty fifty (50mm f1.8), but as it is not weather-sealed, I avoided using it in harsh weather.
Things I kept in mind to capture autumn foliage, rain photography and storytelling
Starting with the basic -
Protect yourself and your equipment - Waterproof Jacket to cover yourself, and sturdy shoes as it is difficult to walk and occasionally run on fallen leaves and mud.
I highly recommend knowing if your gear is weather-sealed when you shoot in rain, snow and other harsher conditions - Sony a7iv is weather-sealed and also the lenses that I had carried. Another great way to protect your gear is to insure them. I will talk more about travel photography gear for shooting in harsh conditions and insurance in another post.
Lighting - Rain means low light, cloud and darkness. But at the same time, it provides beautiful diffused light that is fantastic for moody scenes. Shooting with high ISO (between 600-and 1500) is what I aimed at. And worked with aperture depending on the subject I was aiming to shoot.
If you can carry a reflector, that will certainly help.
Backup batteries as cold weather can drain the batteries.
Storytelling - Make use of reflections on still water and puddles to tell a story.
Lake Bled
This place is magical. I would say in all seasons but if it doesnt rain like how it did when we were there, with the autumn colors, it is literally breathtaking. Highly recommend visiting Lake Bled in Autumn. Below are some of my favorites from Lake Bled.
I also recommend, waking up early and staying closer to the lake to capture early mornings where the mist covers the island giving it a more eerie or mystical characteristic.
In the gallery, you will also find my favorite food from the Bled area - the infamous Bled cream cake and best eaten at Zima Bakery.
Postojna Caves
Cave photography was very hard! So if you are visiting this or one of the caves in Slovenia, then read this blog and that will help you I promise.
Rent a wide-angle low f-stop lens - I had 16-35 mm f2.8 Sony GM but I had to still increase my ISO significantly (800 - 3200) and keep the shutter speed between 1/200- 1/500 for faster movements when going in the cave train (something unique of Postojna Caves).
I also recommend creative editing and playing around with color grading. If you want to learn Lightroom editing, you can check this.
Logar Valley
A marvel in the Kamnik Alps of northern Slovenia, it is often skipped by tourists but is definitely on the top of the list of all adventure seekers and hikers. It is a very protected national park known for its stunning landscapes, mystic "slaps" (waterfalls in Slovenian), and rich biodiversity.
My only regret is that I visited in the wettest month and just got a day to explore.
I used my trusty 24-105mm lens most of the time but had a variable ND filter to experiment. This one is great. And was very helpful in getting these images in rain and moody weather. And especially great if you want to photograph waterfalls. Trust me there are many!
If you love these pictures and want to capture the same, you can have a look at this map. Photography spots for Logar Valley and Lake Bled are marked there.
Final Thoughts
Believe me, I would like to write a lot more and when the idea or a photo tip pops in my head, I will include it in this Blog. I feel restricted because the weather did not cooperate to explore and eventually photograph more.
But I will return to this gem again and hopefully in better weather. Or in late autumn to have more warmer tones and calmer waters in my photos.
Slovenia is super scenic and I highly recommend you include it in your Euro Trip. I hope this short blog on photographing Slovenia has persuaded you to visit and capture it.
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