WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY – PLITVICE LAKES

It's that time of year again were I set up my chair in the yard of the local MOT centre while I wait for them to tell me if she has passed or not!

Very nerve racking time is this for us mear mortals because one way means sound your done and dusted and the other means OMG what the hell am I going to do!

Either way its sunny as anything and I am recapping on the previous weeks amazing location for work.

For this who haven’t come through off a travel link, I have just got back from Croatia.

What a stunning place that truly is. I was over there photographing a wedding for a friend and I could not imagine a more beautiful setting for such and event.

In this article I am just going to cover Plitvice Lakes as they were the actual setting for the wedding and in a another post I shall cover Zagreb itself (The Capital) and Rastoke where we all stayed.

Now who doesn’t like stunning waterfalls and and lakes so clear you can’t see the water?

As a photographer capturing a wedding day, this could well have been a nightmare for me if I hadn’t really thought ahead. I turned up for the reki with ND filters, lens filters of colour, hoods, diffusers,polarisers, reflectors and flashes!

Whilst we were rushed around on the reki trying to snap away and get our bearings on what was going to be happening I made a massive error in forgetting to put my polorizing lens filter on my camera. (Takes the glare off the water and from the sun jus like your expensive sunglasses do)

To my shock I kid you not there was no glare! there was no nothing! Take a look at these fish……they ARE in water I promise you!

Plitvice Lakes are part of the Plitvice National park and it is sacred ground. You cannot win, paddle, bathe or fish in these waters. it is this preservation that has kept them so stunning.

If you are going to take my advice to go visit these lakes then I have a few pointers for you.

* Take lots of water! It gets really warm especially with the walking. there are a few shops on the upper stretch of the park but don’t leave this to chance of reaching there.

* Wear your most comfortable and grippy shoes you have with you. There is a lot of walking and on uneven ground which includes bridges and steps and well as a lot of slopes.

* Go early! Like opening early if possible. You will miss the coach loads of tourists and it will be a little cooler. The main waterfall is a honey pot with queen backing up as you try shimmy past each other on the tiny bend.

* Set aside the day to explore. We only got to see around 8% of the park and what it had to offer and that took us about 2 hours give or take for photographing everything.

* Take your camera! (DO I really need to explain this?)

* Take snacks. With all the walking and the heat you can get really hungry and lw on essential sugars and salts because of sweating. so take your self some non melting, or heat friendly nibbles to keep you going.

* Plan your route to get the most out of your trip. Its big, its tiring and its easy to just follow the masses. don’t waste such an amazing opportunity.

Ok its a very basic set of tips but I have also attached a map to go in relation to the images I have shot so you can see where they are.