Took his first pictures in the summer of 1972 with his dad's Зоркий-6 in Jezersko, Slovenian Alps. This camera was a Russian-cracked and copied 35mm film Leica, purchased by his father in Leningrad in 1965. It was much better than the more commonly found and much cheaper Зоркий-4. Dad's Зоркий-6 had an excellent leather cover + case and a small but solid Tessar 50mm f/3.5 lens (the original was f/2.8 - I've seen one these days). It even had a special smell, an odor of some high-tech luxurious sort of his own.

In 1973/4 he could not be stopped any more and started mountaineering but left dad's camera ever behind. He did his first ascents in the Alps in 1975 and first rock climbs in 1976. Visited Durmitor for the first time in September 1977. Made unforgettable two-month round-trip in the summer of 1978: Prokletije-Durmitor-Dalmatia-Italy-Julian Alps. All without a camera, though this period saw him progress and master the complete photography production process to eventually lead the photography workshops for students. In the winter of 1979 he saw a large retrospective exhibition of Ansel Adams and underwent a cognitive shock at the spot. He realized that it was possible to achieve what he used to regard unattainable - a true marriage of art photography conveying magnificence of the mountains and the magic of the moments there. By the spring 1979 some really nice shots were done on Fotokemika KB14 and KB17 black-and-white film using an orange filter high up in the sun-lit Durmitor snow-packed mountains.

It was not before 1980's that he got hold of his Nikon FM, albeit with a flawed copy of the standard 'nifty fifty' 50mm f/1.8 lens. On a trip to USA he acquired the Nikkor excellence, a wide angle 24mm lens, and a less spectacular but still useful 75-150mm zoom. From 1986 on he used various 35mm camera's and equipment for professional purposes. The 1990's were absolute recess due to the civil war in his homeland and his migration into a less favorable situation and way of life. But the divorce in 1996 meant a new surge for creativity and his Nikon FM was taken to the Dolomites in the summer.

Another incentive was the birth of his son in 1999 who inspired and triggered so much life's joy and enthusiasm, also for the photography. He resolutely rejected the idea of acquiring a digital camera thenatimes. In those days they were huge, dubious, clumsy and expensive. Late 2005 got himself his first Sony phone with a camera - the tiny K750i. It had just 2 megapixel camera but also video and - although this might sound ridiculous - the color science of this camera was advanced. The pictures were low-res but the colors were perfect. Had this phone on his first major mountain hike together with his beloved son in the summer 2009 to Wilder Keiser in Austria, and down south all the way to Rome. They returned to Elmau, Wilder Keiser, in 2011 by which time he had an iPhone 4 on him. Its fine camera made the first snapshots that have entered this photostream, and you can see one hovering above this text as the cover photo. First adventure to which he took the iPhone 4 with him was to Russia in May 2011, having witnessed a true miracle in the airplane on the first leg [somewhere above Vukovar or Apatin].

Was pretty content with this integrated "setup", but in early 2013 the internet lured and since 2009 he was convinced that Sony was the answer! A compact WX9 was his first "real" digital camera aside from those in the phones, and Sony was a step up in good direction and useful to learn, though its integrated zoom was awful at both ends.

Tentatively researching camera's on dpreview from 2014 on he casually ran across the sharpness test chart comparisons of Panasonic GH2 and was impressed. When a talented friend showed interest in a real camera, he bought one for him in Amsterdam in May 2016 but was so overwhelmed that he eventually decided to keep it for himself.

A stroke of luck blessed him with the excellent Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 II and Olympus 40-150mm f/3.5-5.6 R lenses for half the going price. Soon he would get hold of a Panasonic GM1 and an Olympus E-PM1, both fitted with a kit lens. However, the GH2 was vastly his first major break-through acquisition which not only got him back onto the photography track but also pushed him to seriously learn digital photography and make start exploring hybrid's video potential. The main reason for this was the excellent handling of this camera body and the smooth, analogue-like end results. A major setback came in February 2017 when all his gear got stolen. In May 2017, an Olympus E-M10 made it's way to his growing collection, an important newcomer in some ways even preferable to the GH2.

Then in the end of that year Panasonic G80 was his next acquisition that will again change his creative approach. It came with the small but superb Panasonic 42,5mm f/1.7 lens, the best lens he owned for quite a while. Seems though that he's stuck with those 16 Mp for some time to come... Unless a G9 happens to cross his path. And yes, bingo! It has!

Digital photography at the beginning meant (and still means) relaxed shooting. It has changed his long-time stiff approach to photography. The iPhone 4 first and the WX9 following blessed him with a new stroke of luck so he dared try new things and new style of shooting. And it payed. He has been awarded by a multitude of special moments ever since. He never regretted one shot he made. This only got nicer with the GH2 camera controls and performance. The old passion got fuelled with this camera's exceptional handling and potential. He photographs at long last the world he loves: his big spiritual family; the world and the culture of his compatriots (ethnic ways and habits fading out before his eyes!); the moments around him unfolding the stories which can't be told or memorised otherwise; and the landscapes of his homeland. The vista's of enchanting distances under the sky and in the sky. He hopes in the future to stitch his documentary clips into some valuable documentary films. But this is no doubt the most challenging and tiring part of the process, as it locks you down to the chair behind the computer screen for many a day after the magic of filming.

He welcomes your feedback on the images in his Flickr photostream.

Thanks for your visit!

The images published here are Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved, and may not be used without author's explicit written permission.

— CREDO —

Ако фотографија негде не дотакне раван поетике, на било који начин који има нарасполагању, – бар за нас саме, и макар и на неки скривени начин не сачува неиспричану причу – она није вредна нашег времена и труда.