Stunning Photos of Dalmatia by Vjeko Begović

 

Vjeko Begović is a photographer from Makarska, a part of Dalmatia in Croatia, who makes stunning pictures of his homeland. When you look at his photographs, the passion he possesses is obvious. Our team was lucky enough to make an interview with him and he acted as a true professional. Besides having outstanding photographs, Vjeko had a really good story to tell about himself and about some of the photographs.

Slavic Chronicles: Where did you get the inspiration to photograph Dalmatia?

Vjeko Begovic: I’ve been living in Dalmatia my whole life (55 years), in its heart –  my homeland, Makarska. So it’s not so hard to figure it out, especially when you love and respect the nature surrounding you. I simply adore this slightly rough and inhospitable heap of rocks, the mean earth tempered by cold tempests and scorching sun. This whole inhospitable scenery in contact with the sea creates a magic blend, and everything becomes adorned with a fascinating look and imbued with a different appeal.

SC: What does Dalmatia mean to you?

Vjeko: The love for Dalmatia simply gets under one’s skin and it never ceases to exist. I always like to say that I try to get all my photos to taste like salt, and many people do in fact experience it.  I always like walking down the cobbled streets of Dalmatia, walking by the old stone houses, to stop by an old wooden boat, saunter on the beaches by the sea, watch the romantic sunset to the tune of crickets and the hum of the sea. The sun, the sea and the rocks are my everyday life.

SC: How did it all begin?

Vjeko: I had gone through a heart attack and had had three stents installed, so I decided to change my life. I closed my PVC and aluminum house pieces factory and I haven’t been working ever since. My doctor’s advice was to walk a lot, but ambling with no aim in mind became a bore rather soon, since I was used to being active all the time and I felt I had to do something real. I’ve had people tell me I should get a dog, but that would have been a great chore – taking care of another living being, when I had to take care of myself first. Then it occurred to me that I could take up photography, which I had been into briefly in my youth.

I bought my first camera, and everything somehow clicked and started rolling. I enjoyed walking and taking my camera along, I studied the basics of photography, I devoured everything connected to it I could find on the Internet. I taught myself to work on the computer and also to process the photos. I was simply enjoying myself. My work soon started being widely accepted, even by those who were in awe when they first saw me holding a camera. Makarska is rather small, so a lot of people thought I had some bolts unscrewed from my head hahaha. I made a page on facebook right away, and it now has almost 27 000 fans from all over the world. I also received some awards for my photos, but most importantly, I enjoyed every moment, and so did my faithful fans.

SC: For how long have you been doing this?

Vjeko: It all started three and a half years ago, on 7 October 2013, to be more precise. That’s when I bought my very first second-hand camera, Nikon D5100. As I was quickly moving along my path, I frequently changed my equipment; I was buying and selling until I realized I actually loved it and I wanted to do photography for the rest of my life so I decided to sell every piece of gear I owned at the time and buy state of the art, professional gear. I’m still using Nikon, but now I’ve got a really good camera and several top lenses. The gear is extremely expensive, but I somehow manage to acquire the money: I shot some apartments to make a few bucks, I sold a few photos to traveling agencies, hotels, there was even one American agency which does cruises on the Adriatic, and I invest it all into gear. A lot of people help me – many of whom I have never met, but they know me through my photos on facebook, and they offer help by wanting to bring me gear from all over the world: Canada, Austria, Germany, Australia, Britain… where it’s much cheaper. They say I mean a lot to them as well, by bringing a glimpse of our homeland into their new homes abroad.

 

 

The photo above was taken at sunset with gale winds of over 150 km/h blowing. It was elected photo of the month on TV RTL,  and came in as third best photo of the year in that competition.

 

This one was not taken via a drone, I was actually parasailing when I took it. A speedboat was tugging a parachute on a rope, and I reached the maximum 600 meters altitude. It was a rather unforgettable, adrenaline-inducing experience.

For the photography above I had put at stake not only my gear, but also my health and even life. The first month of this year saw an extremely cold winter for Makarska. The temperatures went as low as -8 C, but when you add the strong gusts of wind, one felt as if it were -30 or more.

The gale swayed the sea which froze instantly on land and thus produced many ice sculptures. One must be pretty ‘crazy’ to get out of the house on such days, and especially to come to the place where the wind is the strongest and take photos of it all. I dressed myself so thoroughly that only my eyes could be seen from the outside and I set off for the task. I tried a dozen times but the forceful gale kept pushing me back. There was with me another fellow photographer whom the gale had knocked down and who got a little bruised, but was delighted when he saw his equipment was safe and sound. For a few moments there was a calm, maybe seven or eight seconds, and I ran out of my cover and shot the bench rapidly and then fled for my life.

Over 100,000 people have seen this photo on facebook. What’s more, that day I was also taking photos of a fellow compatriot who swims in the water every day, and that day was no exception. I was freezing my guts off, and he was right there swimming about in the sea all the while being a good model for my photos.

 

 

 

 

SC: What does Dalmatia mean to you?

 

Vjeko: The love for Dalmatia simply gets under one’s skin and it never ceases to exist. I always like to say that I try to get all my photos to taste like salt, and many people do in fact experience it.  I always like walking down the cobbled streets of Dalmatia, walking by the old stone houses, to stop by an old wooden boat, saunter on the beaches by the sea, watch the romantic sunset to the tune of crickets and the hum of the sea. The sun, the sea and the rocks are my everyday life.

 

This photo has become very close to my heart and it in a way symbolizes Dalmatia (at least the way I see it). A harsh environment, jagged reefs jutting out of the water, a spiky agave, and the sea sun-drenched in the back -all those pieces form a harmonious whole which nature has given us.

 

 

 

SC: Any plans for the future?

Vjeko: I must admit I’ve got only one plan – to enjoy walking and taking photos as much as possible, which becomes even better when I consider the fact that my work will put a smile on someone’s face. Yes, I do in fact have a plan: to be happy and to make other people around me happy as well.

Slavic Chronicles: Thank you for this wonderful interview! It has been a pleasure talking to you! And thank you for sharing your photos with Slavic Chronicles so our fans from all over the world will be able to enjoy them too.

If you liked these photographs, we highly recommend you check Vjeko’s fb page Vjeko Begović Photography for more.