2012, Croatia

[d67]

On Bill's PTE slideshows pages, you will find "2012 Croatie", a show I created after a very recent trip to Croatia (and the close Mostar town in Bosnia).

Even if the opening slide is a remembrance to the "recent" war that this land endured, there is no particular message in that show. This first slide is there because, if you leave the coastal road, the few motorways and the touristic spots and go away from the coast, you will find numerous abandonned and destroyed villages. Others are most of time almost badly damaged and very seldom are the fully renovated houses. Poverty is very present contrasting with the apparent opulence of the coastline villages and towns.

Patrick

[Ken Cox]

Patrick is not gone - he been hibernating all this time )

great collection as expected

ken

[d67]

...he been hibernating all this time

... just before winter ;-)

In fact, I am unable to begin the creation of a slideshow until I find an interesting piece of music.

I have photos waiting since 3 years!

[mhwarner]

Nicely done, Patrick!

Lovely photos synchronized appropriately with the music. I really liked the way you did the ending titles. My only negative comment would be that I would have liked to see the waterfalls taken at a much slower shutter speed to make them more "silky" and smooth. But maybe that wasn't possible or maybe that is not your preference for waterfalls. In any case, thank you for sharing. You have made me want to visit there someday.

[David Porter]

My only negative comment would be that I would have liked to see the waterfalls taken at a much slower shutter speed to make them more "silky" and smooth.

Patrick, that is one of the things I really like about your show - waterfalls that look like waterfalls and not ectoplasm. I think the silky smooth waterfall has been done to death and when did you ever see a waterfall that looks like that? And the rest of the show was very good indeed.

[Antbrewer]

Patrick,

I have never been to Croatia but your wonderful images would tempt anyone I'm sure. A lovely sequence showing a beautiful landscape.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.I

Anthony

[d67]

Thank you mhwarner, Mickp and Antbrewer for your comments.

Concerning the waterfalls, I have no clear-cut opinion about how to take the photos. Some take advantage of high shutter speeds, other can be very nice with slow speeds but they can then look frankly unreal as for some HDR photos as pinpointed by Mickp.

As I did not take a tripod with me (just a little table tripod), the choice of natural, dynamic looking waterfalls was deliberate for most of my photos but in some cases, I tried slower handheld shutter speeds to give a more peaceful atmosphere: 1/10 sec was the slowest one (with a sharp photo).

In the case of the 2 parks in Croatia and more particularily for the most magnificent and visited one (Plitvice), there is a lot of problems that can make photos taken with a tripod impossible or very very difficult:

- the most beautiful spots are only reachable with wooden, little and narrow bridges/paths as seen in the penultimate photo of my slideshow. Therefore a tripod can be a real problem for other visitors.

- these wooden paths generate also very sensible vibrations at each visitor step so that it is a big issue for slow shutter speeds

- Plitvice lakes and waterfalls have a south/north orientation and the surroundings are composed of very narrow hills culminating at 800m. Therefore, most of the photo spots are backlighted or have no or very short sun light periods .... as you are not the sole to know this particularity (and other user also appreciate this few special moments), the spot can become punctually very crowdy, forbiding the use of a tripod.

Of course, after visiting this park, our first idea was to come back here again. But honestly, I think that you must go there not accompagnied, go there during the low season (november to May... but with great light and weather problems), plan meticulously you trip in the park (light conditions)... but overall, be furiously patient and lucky and go there several times

Here 2 links of photos of Plitvice park

Treakearth

and

Here a superb photo serie

Patrick

[Rickl]

What beautiful images! Croatia is so beautiful, and your images show it well...

The only comment I would make concerns the abrupt start of your zooms and panning... I presume you are aware of the animation settings in Objects and Animation.... I recently created an AV of the Grand Canyon that featured many panoramas, and was pleased with the change in Pan settings from 'Linear' to 'Smooth'...

Nevertheless, a great performance, and I have to stop playing it over and over...

Dick

[d67]

The only comment I would make concerns the abrupt start of your zooms and panning... I presume you are aware of the animation settings in Objects and Animation.... I recently created an AV of the Grand Canyon that featured many panoramas, and was pleased with the change in Pan settings from 'Linear' to 'Smooth'...

Hi Dick

You are right. I have problems with the zooms and pans. When I change from linear to smooth, the "trajectory" of the photo is curious so that I return to linear ... and try to hide the abrupt starts and ends with crossfading the animations of 2 slides.

In fact, until now, I did not take the time to learn how exactly these animations work. I will do it in the future because it is very frustating to renounce to use the proper effect!

[steven62]

Hello Patrick,

I watched this show some time ago but am only now replying. I really enjoyed this show. Your photos are splendid and was a very moving experience for me as I have never been to that part of the world.

Thank You,

Steven

[Esc]

Patrick, that is one of the things I really like about your show - waterfalls that look like waterfalls and not ectoplasm. I think the silky smooth waterfall has been done to death and when did you ever see a waterfall that looks like that? And the rest of the show was very good indeed.

Agree/Lennart