Day two was a bit slower for me and I had much time for talking with my friends photographers, made many new contacts. Weather was perfect and the official program was interesting. Make sure you have read my first report!

There are no Boundaries, or? (Lecture and Workshop), by Bruna Kazinoti

Very interesting lecture by Bruna was actually a presentation that gives an overview of contemporary international photographers and a selection of Croatian artists. Bruna has graduated at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerpen, Belgium, and she has published material in magazines such as Dazed&Confused, Qvest, Sleek and many others. She brought some of the recent editions of the world’s leading magazines and we talked about boundaries in photography. After the discussion participants had an opportunity to tell their own story through their photographs, with one-hour-limit for shooting. Commendable!

Portfolio reviews

This was the best part for many of us because we were able to show our photos to people from the professional world of photography and get a feedback. I will point out some of the reviewers: Helena Srakočić Kovač, agent and ex-gallerist who spent all of her business career in London dedicated to photography; Ivana Tomanović, editor in chief of REFOTO magazine and Natalija Bajric, CEO of the photo agency VISUALEYES. Big respect for Ivana’s comment on my photos, it will help me a lot for sure.

Panel discussion: Current Trends in Photography from Galleries to Commercial Industry

Photography in the region against world trends. Croatia has no museums dedicated especially for the photography and that’s a problem. We discussed about the global market and photo auctions, I heard about these prices for the first time.

Thank you for the great weekend, see you next year (or sooner)!

This whole environment is very pleasant, surrounded by photographers and photography lovers – GREAT! This is third year of the photography festival Photodays, already, and I’m third year here too, proudly. Rovinj was always the most photogenic city for me and it’s like ideal for similar events. Press centre has kindly hosted me and helped with anything I needed. I’m satisfied with the day 1 at Photodays, I’ve met many people from the photo industry. I only missed the colour management (calibrating monitors) workshop by Dean Žvorc. From many exhibitions and workshops I chose these two below to write a bit more:

Camera Obscura (Lecture and Workshop), by Borislav Božić

The leader of the camera obscura workshop, my respectable mentor, Borislav Božić has prepared 15 “Ljubica” camera obscuras for his todays workshop. The “Ljubica”, as he calls it, is a type of camera obscura he has designed several years ago, and which is used by the attendants of his recording workshops. It is very practital and adjusted to photo paper with a dimension of 10 x 15 cm. Actually, that was my first camera ever, when I took my first analog photo about 7 years ago on his workshop. It was my pleasure to see him again.

DSLRevolt (Workshop), by Marko Butraković

I wrote about Marko before and I finally met him in person. Cool guy! His todays workshop on DSLR video recording was very instructive. Audi R8 Spyder had its promotion premiere for Croatia. We learned more about elaborating advanced DSLR recording techniques and their application to real-life situations. These guys have a lot of professional equipment and the most interesting for me was Steadicam. We recorded many different scenes for a short film. Totally great experience.

Regards from sunny Rovinj, stay tuned for day-2-report!

This weekend (4th & 5th June) I’ll be attending the largest and my favorite regional photography festival, Rovinj Photodays. The official festival program is published, there are many interesting workshops, presentations, exhibitions, portfolio reviews and panel discussion about current trends in photography, from galleries to the commercial industry. I’m also very happy about the camera obscura workshop hosted by my mentor, oldschool photography legend Borislav Božić, founder of the photo club Rijeka.

I’ll press cover whole event proudly as the official blogger. My camera and laptop goes with me, so stay tuned here on Die without Art for fresh updates directly from Rovinj.

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See you here or there!

It’s not easy writing this report, because of the sadness and all those beautiful memories. Unbelievable is that one week of creative workshops can connect people so strong. We have simply became inseparable. Everybody are so kind and dear, everybody are smiling all the time. You have to feel that energy. It’s better than utopia, really!

Actually I don’t know how to write down my feelings and where to start. So, I won the elections for the best clown, yay! Whole week was superb and we have made a real circus. It’s beautiful being surrounded with the happy creative kids, I miss them so much. Once again I’ll repeat, everything was happening in my hometown and my ex elementary school. Day begins with the breakfast and morning creative work, buzzing around the school and watching what others are working. Lunch and short break for sunbathing, elevator riding and photo sessions on the meadow. Afternoon creative work in the school again and than, finally, showtime at the hotel. Many arts united on one place, Novigrad, my hometown.

I know all those kids still miss Novigrad and everything what happened here last week, because they are sending me messages all the time. I can’t count anymore how much people I’ve hugged last week, and how much of them have a picture with (or of) me. My voice is still “broken” couz of singing and lots of ice cream that I’ve ate. Back into “normal” world I’m out of space and time. Maybe everything I wrote here today sounds wired and “Nah, that’s just one week”, no it’s not. You have to try it out. During 8, yes 8, years of this creative workshop I’ve met many-many dear people, my friends for ever; and photography as my biggest passion. This was just a try to express my feelings and write a report for all those creative kids and dear people.

DO NOT BE SAD, BE HAPPY BECAUSE WE’VE MET EACH OTHER. STAY IN TOUCH, LOVE YOU ALL! YOU ARE MY FAMILY, HAPPY FAMILY!

Two days are behind us and the time is running so fast. My electioneering for the best clown is going very well, and my plan for tomorrow is to wear a pajama and slippers whole day, crazy? I love this workshop and my funky kids who are making every day more special and unforgettable – thank you!

Fabulous camera obscura will be our main tool tomorrow – let’s do the magic with that box.

First day of the workshops has just passed and we have done a lot. It maybe sounds crazy, but I’m competing for the best clown in our little creative circus and here is one photo from the recording of my advertisement for the best clown. Posters with my crazy clown photo are placed all over the school in a hope people will vote for me – funky elections.

Stay tuned for my next report and a photo with my clown outfit.

One more busy but very creative week called *School of creativity – Novigradsko proljeće* is in front of me, a week which has changed my life exactly 8 years ago when I took my first photo with the fabulous camera obscura and actually discovered photography in the darkroom. I’m very grateful to all people who supported me when I was (only) 10 years old. Thank you friends, thank you family, thank you all. Then, about 8 years ago, photography maybe was not so serious business to me but now the whole story has changed and my teenage beginning deserves a spontaneous clapping, yay! Because it is for the win, really.

That’s simply my favorite week of the year because all my creative friends are coming to my town, my ex elementary school, to express their imagination. They are kids from all over the country, all ages – from 10 to 20. We have chose our workshop (for example: dancing, acting, singing, drawing, photography, filmmaking and many more) yet and then all together will be working under one topic – this year it’s a CIRCUS.

How you see on this photos from the last year, we are working all over the place and everything is full of colors and happiness. There’s no white walls, each is painted and filled with thematic illustrations. You would not believe what these kids can make, unbelievable.

Last day we are usually opening our group exhibition before the huge and crying ceremony. This unforgettable experience is repeating every year, better and better. Can’t wait to see my dear friends tomorrow after one long year.

I’ll try to publish our impressions every day, and still don’t know which hash tag to use on Twitter. But make sure you have subscribed to my feed and that you are following me.

I can’t remember how much times I’ve attended the largest and my favorite regional photo festival, Rovinj Photodays. That’s the best weekend for me and my friends, photographers at the summer. I’ve met so much creative people, my current friends and some of photos I’ve shot during Photodays were a part of my solo exhibition called “In focus”. Completely great experience. So far I was just a competitor, but this year I am an official blogger. Proudly! That means you can follow whole event on Die without Art. Do not miss it!

Rovinj Photodays have turned into a magnificent holiday of photography, full of true artistic pleasures and top achievements of masters of the game of light, but also of entertainment, professional furthering, exchange of experience and acquainting with the latest technologies. Everything is in one place, in the ambiance of the unique Rovinj and its hospitable hosts. This was really a great holiday of Croatian photography that this year experienced an international reaction due to the arrival of prominent world names in artistic and fashion photography.

Within the official programme of the final manifestation of the photographic festival Photodays, 10 photographic exhibitions with more than 500 photographs, lectures on photography and a round table, reviews of portfolio of Croatian photographers, photographic workshops, a competitive photo route, the announcement of the winners and the awarding ceremony took place last year on June 5 and 6, 2009 in Rovinj. This year’s events within the final extravaganza, on June 4 and June 5 are already in preparation. Along with the exhibitions that will be dedicated to the works of the competition finalists, other interesting displays will be organized for the winner of the Life-Achievement Award and the best photos of the competition “Croatian Newspaper Photography” in different locations in Rovinj.

The competition is open only for Croatian photographers, but if you are interested you can read more here. I’ll also submit some of my photos, so wish me luck. If you are coming here and don’t know where to sleep, feel free to drop me a line, I’ll take care about it. We have almost 3 months to prepare, see you there. Others stay tuned at DwA.