New cover page of Mladina weekly 08/2009

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This are four versons of cover page of Mladina weekly 08/2009, which theme is devoted to analyze of depression by former finance minister Dušan Mramor. Slogan "počilo bo" it means it’ll burst!
Which one is best for you? Cover page is printing already, but I want to know your opinion.

BOTTOM RIGHT VERSION WON!!! My favorite was upper right version, because in the bottom right version there was a hand, that I had to retouch out, but it wasn’t perfectly executed. In the morning I was told bottom left was chosen because on that picture balloon didn’t burst yet, but aesthetically it the weakest so I was kind of disappointed. Their explanation was exactly the same as Žan’s comment that the slogan “it will burst” suits the most bottom left picture. My main criteria is that cover must look good, so I was relieved that editors changed their mind and chosed bottom right version. THX FOR ALL THE VOTES!
Creative director: Robert Botteri
Design: Damjan Ilić
Photography: Borut Peterlin

PS: Before JC will ask how I did it… I bought water balloons for 3 EUR, fill it up with water and hang it on a rope that I tied on the balcony. I thought stronger the flash lite, shorter is the flash burst, but no. My Balcar 1500Ws made all blurry pictures, so I used Nikon SB 900 and that was perfect. I had a flash in left hand and spike in right hand. I was shooting at night and during exposure of 2 sec, I burst the balloon and fired the flash manually. It’s not that difficult, but it does need some training. I was not satisfied with my first try and next day I bought more balloons and redo the shoot. On the second try every image was perfect. Few small tricks: Use telelens and with your body you can cast shadow on the lens, so it’s perfectly illuminated. I did also pictures so flash was behind the balloon, but then picture was too flat. From side I got this kind of beautiful 3D illumination.
PPS: Oh… AND DO USE PLASTIC BOOTS NOT RUNNING TRAINING SHOES!

Today was not my day…

Today I had so many photo-terms. Starting with a portrait of a Trimo CEO Mrs. Tatjana Fink. I forgot to bring to Trebnje tripod and a softbox for the flash, but luckily I was an hour early, so I called taxi to bring me those things. He charged me 30 EUR! But as long the quality does not suffer I don’t mind losing all the profit if learn on mistakes.

Then I was photographing three individuals for the cover of Trimotim, a corporate Trimo magazine. The wind blew my Balcar 1500 Ws of balance and it fell down on a fully stretched tripod. The back of the flash broke and the whole housing shifted and its electric wired guts were all over. It was still functioning though!

Then I was photographing an interview with newly elected Minister of education and sport Igor Lukšič. I did great pictures, but then I had to run to Mirna on another social event of Trimo, but my battery in the car was dead. I called AMZS.si and they charged my battery and although I was late for an hour I still did all the pictures required.

I was talking with some corporate people and the question about recession aroused and how do I dare to build a house in this times. I said that recession is like a winter. And during the winter we are not panicking because flowers are not blooming and I feel OK, just to know roots are deep and safe.

Today I was working from 7 am until 9 pm, but I lost more money then I earn it. Nevertheless I did good pictures and all my customers were satisfied and that is what really matters.

links may 2008

Next week a cycling race Tour de Slovenie will be going on. Their site sucks but more about it is on Siol Sportal. I’m tempted to cover one day of the event. Not because pictures like THAT, but because of work Chris de Bode and his project Tour de Monde.

I like Daryl Lang’s video posts from PDN New York Photo festival of photography in New York

There is also interesting blog Wonderful Machine of Photo rep, who’s photographers won some awards on the NY festival.

Fotopub festival 2008 is at final stage of preparation. Please don’t miss the Thursday Award application! It’s open for everybody. This years Fotopub will rock!!! So many great mentors + great guests! Also Tiziana Faraoni a picture of L’espresso will come and some really important people from the industry expressed their wish to visit, Jon the editor from Foto8 said to make a review of Fotopub, like he did for Foto Espana.

There are some interesting portals that I need to sign up and expose my work. I recommend you to do the same. Please let me know for more sites like this.
Photo Lucida portfolio reviews
The Pierre and Alexandra Boulat Grant sounds very interesting. I’ll send my Flower Power project proposal to expanded worldwide
Fondazione Claudio Buziol is a portal promoting creative authors. Main man is Renzo di Renzo former chief of Fabrica.

Very good portals for Photography
Photography now
Lightstalkers have so much information I almost drown.

Blogres 2008, congress of bloggers will happen in two weeks

Last but not least… fun photography at
Color Wars 2008
PS: Levallois–Epson Photography Award deadline 31.7.

Striptiz portrait Uroš Smolej

Here is a portrait of Uroš Smolej for a Striptiz creative portrait rubric of Mladina weekly. Uroš Smolej is surely the most important actor of younger generation. He received really many awards and this year probably the most important one, an Nagrada Prešernovega sklada.

For this portrait I used my banzai tactic. I must admit I feel a bit tired of all this creative circus that I’m practicing in this project. I wanted to do a simple portrait. The best one is the vertcal one, but since I need to shoot horizontal pictures and horizontal crop doesn’t work that good, I think I’ll go for the other one. What do you think? Does a cropped version work?

Few more pictures

OK. Here are all sorts of pictures that I’ve done last few days. I’m most proud of the portrait of famous portrait of writer Bora Čosić. By origin he’s Serbian, but he exiled from Milošević regime and he gained world recognition.

Mladen Dolar, a philosopher. I had to do a portrait that will illustrate an interview about revolutions, ideologies and philosophy. I decided to do it beside a tank to get an association to 1968, 1991,… and the rest that will be included in the interview.

Igor E. Bergant , a sport commentator as Hamlet.

Vesna Jeras, a model. After I shot Striptiz portrait of Lana and Nenad I made a portrait of Vesna Jeras, helping her in her first steps into the fashion photography. If somebody needs a model send her an email to vesna.jeras@email.si.

Today’s snapshot from Ljubljana. Hitra pošta means express post deliver. I guess sunny days are here.

I got a commission to do some commercial photography for Vertigo Bird lamp company. I was just fooling around trying different situations what works and what not. What do you think nature of urban?

Last but not least it was almost midnight when I finished shooting that lamp, when a bus stoped near by and three firefighters came out. They had a congress of firefighters and of course I asked them for a portrait.