I got my first digital camera (canon powershot a590) in 2009 and there was no trip that i went without it. In 2014 i saved some cash and bought my first DSLR (canon 600d) and it took place of the powershot on my trips. I posted some stories about my travels on vacations (Platamon, Greece, Uvac, Serbia, Divčibare, Serbia, Apatin and Danube river, Stara planina, Serbia) but i never went on a strictly photography trip. I never went on a trip with a photography plan, having everything subordinate to photography. Photographing on trips was always a side activity.
I was always thinking about it, and i think SteemIt community kinda pushed me to finally do it. I had 2 days of free time so i started thinking where i could go. Decided on East part of Danube river in Serbia. It was not that far and i heard it is a beautiful part to see and experience.
In this posts i will try to convey the beauty of the place but also try to tell you all what i learned about Travel photography.
First and most important thing about this kind of trips is PLANNING and i did not enough of it :) I knew there is a Fortress in Golubac, and that i want it to be my main subject for this trip. I also knew that i want to get there for the sunset.
So i packed what i thought i need and started my trip at around 1 PM. My first check point was a ferry across the Danube and it was 96km away.
First photo from the trip: Samoš, 10km of the road is behind me :)
Few years ago Serbia started building windmills, in this parts Košava wind is blowing like half of the year so it was a logical thing to do. Few years and we will be like The Netherlands :D
Near Izbište
I got to Banatska Palanka at around half past 3PM. Here the ferry is driving people and vehicles across Danube (nearest bridge is 60km away in Smederevo)
I got there on time to keep my schedule but did i mentioned detailed PLANNING :) I checked the schedule of the ferry online and it looked updated, and there was the phone to ask about it, but it was not. The 4:30 round was canceled and i have to wait the 5:30 one. So lots of time to take photos and for my first coffee.
Two hours later i was on a ferry (it is a scary one :) )
Ram fortress from a ferry
Of the ferry and on my way. Wanted to drive beside Danube so i glanced on the map and got of main road. Did i mention PLANNING? Get your directions and places where you need to go ahead of time. And of course i got a bit lost. I already knew that i will not get to Golubac for the sunset, so i was not that pissed of, and i got lost on the right place :)
In Požeženo (small village of around 600 people) i took the wrong turn and finished on the blind alley, but the end was on Danube. So it was a lucky lost :)
15 to 20 minutes of photographing and i was on the road again. Google maps was not helpful to get me out of Požeženo, but the people of it was. After few questions of where are you from, how did you got here and why :) i was on the right track yet again.
After 160km I got to the Golubac fortress around 8:00PM and the sun was already down. Also when i got there i realized it was a closed site, and it has it working hours (see the fence :) ). And the working hours are not really a photographing working hours, from 10AM to 7PM. Did i mention Research and PLANNING?
Decided to take some night shots, and do some scouting and test shots for the sunrise. I got a visit from the night guard, he was checking what am i doing, thought that i am a bit weird, said that he can't let me in but the management is arriving at 7AM tomorrow so maybe they will let me in for the morning shots.
After some shots i decided to go back to Golubac and see the town. It is a nice little town on the Danube.
Around 10PM i found a restaurant near the river. As i sat down and put my bag on the floor, waiter came and said to put the bag on the chair. I was confused but then he said that he is also a photographer and he is sensitive to see the photo bag on the floor :D
So i had a nice chat while i was waiting for my meal, and i plugged SteemIt to the conversation :D
After the meal i decided to try to get a nap in my pickup and to wake up at 4AM for the sunrise.
I have quite a lot of photos that i want to share from this and i feel it is a bit to long, so i decided to make it a 2 part post.
If you like this story upvote, resteeme and follow me for more. But most important leave a comment and your thoughts about it.