BORUT PETERLIN in a rabbit hole of photography

For Mladina, Borut Mekina and myself we did an interview with president of Croatia Stjepan Mesić. On the end of the interview Mekina gave him a Mladina’s T-shirt with slogan “Jadran je naš!” (Adriatic sea is ours!). This T-shirt is Mladina‘s comment to a Slovenian / Croatia border dispute considering borderline on the sea, with paraphrasing famous Slovenian nationalistic slogan after second world war Trst je naš! that means: Trieste is ours!

Anyhow after president saw the T-shirt Mekina started to explain the T-shirt as a comment to a ridicules political dispute about the sea border, but president interrupted him and said: Of course I agree; Adriatic is ours, Slovenian and also Croatian!

If you want the T-shirt, you can get it HERE and it was commented also by Croatian newspaper Jutranji list. š

Creative director: Robert Botteri
graphic design by Ivian Mujezinović Kan
Photography: Borut Peterlin

PS:
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR VOTING! In just few hours (from 8am – 3pm) you voted almost 100 times and this post received 500 726 visits/today. Final decision was made and it was a tough call! On the end editors decided to publish two cover pages, so next issue of Mladina will have two cover pages. In the shop you’ll have a pile of Mladinas and the content will be the same, only there will be two different covers. HA! I think that’s great idea! Bellow there are two chosen covers.

Srečko Meh is an art director of Druga Godba, festival of ethno music from the whole world.

My first idea for the portrait is to illustrate their logo. I wanted that Srečko would undress and then dress all sorts of instruments. Like headphones, CD, drum sticks would peak from his ears, LP plate would cover his naughty parts and many, many other instruments. I would make some sort of tribe’s shaman with instruments. The realization of the idea demanded quite some effort and time. We were trying to organize everything and for more then a week we didn’t progress at all. Yesterday there was a deadline for the picture and I decided we will not make the picture as my first idea was, so I decided to simplify the concept radically. I went to a music store Hartman take a look of instruments, call Srečko to the store, asked him to bite a glossy cymbal and make the portrait in one minute.

Technically: I used detached SB900 up and left and used 14mm lens.

New cover page of Mladina weekly.
Creative director: Robert Botteri
Graphic design: Ivian Mujezinović Kan and Damjan Ilić
Photography: Borut Peterlin

I shot this image in Terme Dolenjske Toplice. I used Ewa Marin protection bag. When I was testing my equipment I’ve made an unplanned self portrait. It’s not flattering, but I love it!

Dragana Alfirević is an actress that had a theater performance in Theater Glej. Mosaic theater performance is exploring contemporary paradigm of a women in a context of feminism and women in art. In the performance a body of women is exposed to double treat of public / privat, object / subject. Theater performance was today and also tomorrow on Tuesday 19th of May 2009 in Theater Glej.

For this portrait I used two flashes, one 1500Ws in the back and second one with softbox, but diffused light by softbox was a bit wage. I wanted harsher and more dramatic light so I used detached SB-900, set it on 1/64 power and illuminated separately face, arms, legs, flowers,… That was much better effect. i was shooting for almost an hour. On the end I liked two pictures. On first one was better environment with dramatic shadows, but second one was better the portrait of Dragana. I merged two pictures in Photoshop. I could do it in one take, but I was late for next news photo-term and I had to run.

More Striptiz portraits you can see HERE. They are commissioned by Mladina weekly.

A reader of my blog asked me some time ago how do I do it that face is in normal colors and environment is all blue. You could do it in several ways. First I set up vibrance really high like 80-100 and then I take out the color with desaturation like -10. Secondly I use normal saturation tool (ctrl + U) and choose a color I want to saturate or desaturate and on the end I make a selection around flowers for instance and set it exactly as I wanted. If you want more details in this direction I can describe it. I just find out some wicked tricks how and when to use recovery and fill in tools.

Neda R. Bric is a theater director in Mladinsko gledališče. In this picture she is portrayed on a bicycle – a requisite of the theater show about brothers Rusjan, Slovenian flight pioneers. Portrait commissioned by Mladina for Striptiz creative portrait rubric.

For this picture I’ve selectively illuminated her on the bicycle with a torch. I made something like 8 exposures, but on the end I’ve chose three. One that looked 90% perfect I used as a background. On that I add a second layer with a flashed face and expression and third layer was the exhaust pipe that was not so good on the background layer. I also changed color temperature of the exhaust into orange.

PS: I’ve just realized that layer of exhaust was set to normal blending mode, whereas it’s much better screen for upper part of exhaust and lighten for bottom part of exhaust. Here it’s the result and you compare. Small, but important difference. If I do a photoshop montage I want it perfect. flight

I’m inviting you to an exhibition opening in Fotogalerija Stolp in Maribor, on Friday 8th of May @ 19.00. I’ll exhibit Striptiz series an exhibition that I’ve first exposed in London, in Novo mesto and also in Prijedor. Looking forward,
B5

New cover page of Mladina weekly with my picture from the meeting Pahor – Sanader @ Morkice castle. HERE are more images from that occasion.
Graphic design and montage: Ivian Mujezinović Kan & Damjan Ilić
Art director: Robert Botteri
Photography: Borut Peterlin

Yesterday president of Republic Slovenia Danilo Türk rewarded a writer Svetlana Makarovič, dancer and choreographer Henrik Neubauer and theater director Dušan Jovanović for their exceptional contribution to Slovenian culture. Svetlana Makarovič had a great emotional speech about how she never realized that as an artist she is servicing her country. I know I and many people present were stunned by her message. We are used to see pictures of soldiers, fighting for their country and slogans like “serving my country”, but also artists are in the same service as well.

You can see 62 images in my archive HERE.

I received an email where a person wanted to hire me to do a wedding photography in Barcelona and asked me for a price of my service. I said OK and I’ve sent a price and they said OK but they wanted to pay in advance + 5000 EUR for their agent.
WTF!!!!! I guess guys from Democratic Republic of Kongo changed their tactic and now they are aiming at photographers! I’m attaching my frozen credit card that I’ve photographed recently for a magazine. How appropriate.
Here is their email. I guess they will not sue me
B5

Hello Borut,
I and my wife appreciate your acceptance in assisting us greatly actually it’s my first time visiting your great country though my wife has been there before.meanwhile your email content is well accepted by me and we would like to make pre payment with my credit card to enable you handle the services efficiantly before the date for our wedding.
Note that we want to give you the advance payment of your total service costs.Please in a situation you do not own a P.O.S machine, kindly notify me to discontinue with this booking arrangement for the safety of my credit card.
I have also contacted an Agent who will help us secure Accomodation,Transportation for the quest and they said it will cost them about *****Euro for their services.
However, upon the receipt of my credit card, confirm if you will charge as follows,Deduct Advance payment of your services *********** will be for printing advance + 100euro as the credit card processing fee/transfer fee and 5,000EUR as pre payment for our Agent as they demanded.
I really need you to make the charges for the Agent,They does not have a P.O.S machine and more over they are not yet a credit card merchant therefore can not process credit cards.
Please we need your extablishment name for the credit card Authorization and also your direct phone contact for easy comunication ok.
I awaits your kind accptance response.
Best Regards
************