How To Create Moody Monochrome Landscapes

Moody monochrome landscape photography is an art. With just a change in how you see the landscape, through your eyes and through the camera lens, you could get some great black and white photos of the outdoors. This article will give you tips on how to capture those magical moments for making the best out of all kinds of outdoor photography. We will look at techniques, equipment, and other important factors for creating timeless masterpieces in monochrome.

Monochrome photography is one of the more challenging types of photography to master. Even with the right gear, it can be difficult to get the proper depth of field that helps create a moody and compelling image. In this blog post, I'll share my tips and tricks for shooting in monochrome, so you can learn how to create your own moody landscapes in no time.


Monochrome photography can be a great niche for your e-commerce photography business. It's not very common to see monochrome product photography, and people often have a hard time imagining what it looks like. But monochrome is a versatile and interesting style that lends itself to a variety of photographic applications.

The most striking thing about monochrome images is their simplicity. There's no color to distract you from the subject. Whether it's a person or an object, all you see is black and white, which makes it easy to imagine the subject as it really is — something quite different from the way you perceive it in colour.

Monochrome pictures tend to be gloomy and serious, but they can also be quite cheerful. In fact, one of the benefits of shooting in monochrome is that you don't have to choose between warm tones and cool tones, because there are no warm tones at all. Any colour tone in the scene will look good with black and white, so you don't have to worry about "matching" one tone with another.

Black and White is an effective strategy to create your own style. When shooting in monochrome, the composition is the most important aspect of a photo. It's not about whether you use colour or not, it's about how you see the world as a photographer and how you capture that vision with your camera.

Tone and mood are very important when shooting in black and white because it changes the way people perceive a scene. For example, if your goal is to create a dark and moody atmosphere, then different elements need to be emphasized within your frame.

Below are some tips to achieve this particular look:

Forecasts that include the proportion of cloud and rain, the wind speed and direction, and the temperature become crucial. A forecast indicating a 50% chance of rain and a wind speed of 15 to 20 miles per hour can be encouraging. Essentially, seek out sunny spells punctuated by periodic showers.

Clearing (or approaching) storm clouds against a deep blue sky with dark patchy shadows scudding across the terrain are photographers' dreams, yet such dramatic settings come at a cost. By definition of desiring storm clouds, the likelihood is that you may become wet, chilled, hit by hailstones, or perhaps snowed on, but trust me on this one, it will be worth it.

Days with fog, low clouds, rain or snow could be perfect for Black and White photography

The more contrast on an image, the darker it looks. If you have a lot of light areas in your photo, then it will tend to look brighter than if there aren't any bright spots in the image at all. Shadows can add a lot of contrast to an image, so if there aren't any shadows present in your scene, try adding them with artificial light sources or reflectors.

Because brightness values are inverted when converting from colour to black and white, you can use your camera's exposure compensation function (often found under the "manual" mode setting) to make scenes brighter or darker in post-processing.

Creating moody images is about creating drama, and you can do this with filters such as gradients. When you're shooting in monochrome, you can use these filters to darken a scene, by introducing more shadow. You can also use them to brighten a scene if you want more light contrast. One of the most popular monochrome filters is a three-stop graduated neutral density (GND) filter: these come in a circular shape and darken skies evenly. A six-stop GND filter is also available, which allows you to darken skies even more. Another popular filter for landscapes is an 81B warm-up filter; this adds warmth to the sky, which can be useful when shooting in overcast conditions or at twilight.

Possibly the best-known software for creating black & white images is the superb Nik Silver Efex Pro. It is a very creative and powerful program with many presets but it too has its limitations. It can be a very aggressive piece of software so you need to check your images carefully for any deficiencies and imperfections that it may create.

Taking a B&W photo means choosing which colours are important enough to preserve and which ones to discard. This isn't hard if you're taking a picture of something like a red barn with a blue sky behind it. The blue sky is irrelevant and the red barn becomes the subject of the photo. But take a landscape photo where every detail is equally important — for example, an image shot in soft light with a lot of subtle colours — and you'll have a lot more decisions to make about what stays and what goes.

Black and white photos appear timeless because they work with the viewer’s imagination. You see the value of a black and white photo very quickly and easily, while color often distracts us. The fact that no one has created the same image before you will free you up to create your own vision.

How to Photograph Your Winter Landscape

Winter presents a photographer with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. The cold temperature and lack of sunlight in winter can make it hard to take good photos, but they also create some beautiful effects. Snow reflects the light differently than other subjects and brings out the contrast in your images.

Take advantage of the low light and contrast of a snowy scene

If you're brave enough to go outside, you can capture some breathtaking scenes. Here are some tips that will help you photograph your winter landscape: Use the right equipment. When it's cold out, it's important to protect your camera from the cold. Bring along a protective cover for your camera and use gloves or hand warmers when handling your gear. Even if you don't feel like it's that cold, keep in mind that your fingers will get cold and start to lose feeling after just 15 minutes of exposure at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting up a tripod is important because camera shake is more prevalent during very low-light situations and will result in blurry pictures that you don't want to have to deal with later on. Work fast. The only real way to capture winter light is right at sunrise or right at sunset, so work quickly when shooting those times of the day. If possible, try to time your shoot so that there is still some light left in the sky while

Play with shadows

Lighting is what makes landscapes special. There is something about the way a camera sees these natural scenes that is different from how the naked eye perceives them. The difference between a landscape photo and any other photo is the way light plays on the scene. It can be harsh, or soft, but it is always special. The most important part of photographing a landscape is getting the exposure right. This means making sure there isn't too much light or too little light on your subject. You measure this by using your camera's histogram to see if the image has bright areas, mid-tones and dark areas all in proportion to each other. While you are at it, check your overall composition as well. Try taking several photos of your subject with different exposures (your camera will do this automatically) and then choose which one looks best.

Be patient with your camera

There are a few ways to photograph the winter landscape: some more complicated than others. The following tips will help you get great winter pictures of your surroundings in any season. The first thing to remember is that with a digital camera, you can take as many pictures as you want without paying for film or worrying about whether you have enough room on your card. It's easy to shoot several frames of the same scene, and then choose the best one when you're done. Be Patient With Your Camera If you're just starting out with taking pictures, it can be tough to get everything lined up perfectly on the first shot. When photographing the winter landscape, it might be tempting to walk around the area until you have everything framed the way you want it - but if it's windy out and there isn't much snow on the ground, that could be dangerous. Be patient, and try to get everything lined up as well as possible before pressing the shutter button.

Go wide

Going wide is a photography term meaning, "zoom out." It's the opposite of getting in close. And in landscape photography, it is often the way to go. When you're photographing mountains or valleys or any other expansive vista, you want to get as much of it in your frame as possible. You want an environment that feels big and open and full of possibilities. Going wide gives that to you. The best way to do this (if you're using a standard point-and-shoot camera) is to simply zoom out all the way, which will probably put your lens out of its normal focal range. That's fine—you can switch back and forth between that and the zoomed-in view on your LCD screen until you find the combination that works for you. If you're using an SLR camera, there are a couple of extra things you can do: Stack lenses: If your lens has a smaller focal length than what you want, you can use an additional telephoto lens with it to get closer to your subject while maintaining the wide-angle view. You just have to make sure both lenses are compatible before buying them.* Use a wide-angle lens and shoot at a longer focal length: This is particularly handy

You don't need a lot of gear to take great photos of your winter landscape

There is nothing quite like a winter landscape. Trees and bushes are covered in snow and the ground is blanketed with pure white powder. It's a magical time of year, and you'll want to capture this beauty for future enjoyment. There is a lot you can do with your camera to make the most out of your winter landscape photos. You don't need a lot of gear to take great photos of your winter landscape, but there are some tricks that improve the quality of pictures significantly.

Hotels etc My New Favorite Travel Website To Save Money

Hotel etc is a travel hotel club reservation system, which will provide you with the most comfort and maximum discount. You never have to worry about prices.

Once you become a member, we will offer you the best hotels around the world at great prices for every occasion.

Hotel etc is also a worldwide travel club, which offers its members the following benefits:

  • The best rates on hotels and flights

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TRAVEL YOUR WAY - Find all types of Hotels from luxury to budget hotels across the globe. Compare prices, amenities and read reviews from real travelers.

EXPLORE THE WORLD - Book flights, rental cars, vacation packages and city tours to destinations around the world with Hotel etc.

SAVE BIG - Save up to 70% in local currency on your hotel bookings using Hotel etc' s exclusive corporate & group travel savings.

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BEST RATES GUARANTEED - Get the lowest rates on hotels and be sure that they won't go higher on any other website.

I use Hotel etc travel hotel club reservation system. I have been able to get maximum discount on city hotels, flights and rent a car. It is easy to use service, with no hidden costs, just great deals. I advise everyone to visit Hotel etc website and join this wonderful club of travellers!

I am a frequent traveller and I always love to book my hotel using their system. This is the best travel hotel booking website that offers the maximum discount on its services.

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Ljubljana: Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Ljubljana is tonight going to sleep covered in a soft mantel of snow!

You can check the small gallery below, making it a full size and scrolling through the images with the side arrows.

Catching the Social Media Wave

For many years I have had what I consider a strong and successful presence on Social Media:

  • I have more than 50,000 Followers

  • All my Social Media Accounts are Verified

  • Most of my sales happen through Social Media in different forms and way

  • I am Ambassador for quite a few brands

  • I have several Paid Posts/Adverts per month

  • My yearly turnover is above 100,000 per year

I am often asked what is the best way to succeed in Social Media so I decided to prepare a few posts .

Getting yourself set up online with social media is now becoming an absolute necessity for any business, whether based in a physical location or explicitly online. This article will show you how to effectively market your company using this new marketing outlet. It's not as hard as you might think it is.

This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission but come at no extra cost to you.

To use social media marketing successfully you must be creative. The same material, sales, offers, and content will ultimately annoy your customer base to the point that they remove you from their page. Keeping things fresh and interesting makes sure they keep coming back for more, which means more sales.

To get a leg up on the social media marketing of competitors, embrace all forms of social media. Many companies assume that social media has matured and think they only need presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to cover their bases. Savvy social media marketers remember that MySpace is still out there. Use it plus rising newcomers like LinkedIn, SlideShare and Google+ to expose yourself where other players are not.

Respond with care to tweets that contain rude or hateful messages. Everything you tweet is a reflection of your business. It may be tempting to shoot back a sarcastic tweet but, that will harm you in the long run. Remain professional and calm when you respond. Remember, the whole world has access to what you tweet.

When deciding how to implement your social media marketing strategies, it is important to take into consideration the nature of your products and services. For example, if purchasing your products is something that most of your customers would prefer to keep private, then do not put Facebook-like buttons right next to the buy buttons! Eventually, someone will click it accidentally and then get angry at your business.

Make sure that your business social media content is fun, interactive, and interesting to read. People who engage in social media sites want to feel compelled to share information that they find. If they share your information, it is to your company's advantage. This is a great way to find new customers and keep the old ones coming back for more.

Keep your Facebook posts regular and consistent. People will look for new content from you when they check in on their Facebook page. If they don't see it regularly, they're likely to forget about you quickly. There are many businesses out there who do post regularly and those businesses are getting the attention of consumers. Make your business one of them.

Run fun and interesting polls on your Facebook page. This is a great way to engage your audience and involve potential consumers. Facebook has an easy to use a feature that can help you with creating polls, so take advantage of it. Polls don't have to be about information directly related to your business. They can be fun, interesting, and involve current events. The point of the poll is to keep consumers interested.

As you can see from this article, while social media can seem intimidating for someone who hasn't spent much time on it, it is really quite simple. As far as marketing goes, social media is actually something that is free and simple enough to do yourself without having to hire a professional.

There are several apps I use on Social Media but two that I use all the time and I would not be able to work without them:

  • Social Pilot : It is a social media management tool that helps you manage all of your social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and many more. It is the software I use several times a day for my Social Media.

    Social Pilot helps you schedule posts to your social networks with a quick setup. You can even create recurring posts for certain days or times so that you never have to worry about it again. You can check it out here

  • IQHastags: Skyrocket your Instagram profile! The most frequently used tool for Instagram hashtags and analytics. IQhashtags is the latest, complete tool for creating the most effective hashtags on Instagram. Avoid shadowban on Instagram - find banned hashtags that you use, You can check it out here

Social Pilot: n1 software to succeed in Social Media!

Social Pilot is a social media management tool that helps you manage all of your social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and many more. It is the software I use several times a day for my Social Media.

Social Pilot helps you schedule posts to your social networks with quick set-up. You can even create recurring posts for certain days or times so that you never have to worry about it again.

socialpilot

As a beginner, you should not be worried about the technicalities of your social media platform. It's better to concentrate on the campaigns and promotions you want to run.

There are a lot of tools available to help you do this, but few are as effective as Social Pilot. Social Pilot is a social media management platform that helps you automate your social media marketing campaign in a way that lets you monitor and manage them from one centralized dashboard.

Social Pilot offers a variety of features to help beginners start their social media marketing efforts. It has built-in analytics tools, which provide real-time data for monitoring the performance of your posts using Facebook Insights and Twitter Analytics.

You can also create custom reports from these data. You can also schedule your posts in advance to maximize their reach and impact among your target audience.

With Social Pilot's bulk posting feature, you can schedule up to 500 posts at a time. Social Pilot also offers an RSS feed importer that imports content from various websites into your newsfeeds for posting purposes. The RSS feed importer also saves you time by allowing you to import multiple RSS feeds at once .

Social Pilot's integration with Buffer allows you to add new content quickly from within Social Pilot or post automatically from RSS feeds using Buffer .

socialpilot

This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission but come at no extra cost to you.



Create Your Best Photos with Luminar

Luminar Neo is one of my favourite tools. I have been using Skylum software for years!

It has a powerful engine for higher performance and flexibility. It also packs exciting and innovative tools that let you fulfil your vision.

Channel your creativity with the infinite possibilities of the new Layers feature. Relight an image that lacks lighting sources based on image depth.

Remove the background behind a portrait and use AI-based masking to speed up your workflow (coming in future updates). And more.

This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission but come at no extra cost to you.

Luminar is a powerful, easy-to-use photo editor that gives you control over your images. Use it to fix exposure problems, remove unwanted objects from your pictures, and much more. Like most professional photo editors, Luminar has a range of tools for fixing exposure problems.

The Basic panel offers a comprehensive set of sliders for adjusting exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation and so on. The Advanced panel provides tools for correcting specific issues. For example, the color noise reduction tool can be used to remove unwanted colour artefacts from your photos. From there you can use Luminar's five different panels to edit your photo.

These include the Detail panel for sharpening or softening various parts of your image; the Tone Curve panel for manipulating contrast; the HSL panel for adjusting hue, saturation and luminance; the Effects panel for adding post-processing effects like HDR or Vibrance; and the Effects Generator panel for applying presets like Cross Processing or Early Bird.

With so many tools at hand you might think Luminar is hard to get the hang of. But it's actually very simple to use thanks to its excellent user-interface design and comprehensive in-app help guides. Once you know what each tool does, it's easy to apply them



 

The Beautiful Life!

Leen and Wouter moved to Rönök from Belgium 9 years ago, wanting to settle in an area that would allow them to live close contact with nature, which they love and respect, and live a self-sufficient life.
They bought land in the area, and for a brief time, they rented to tourists some of the buildings on the estate, but soon they decided to concentrate all their efforts in making it the perfect environment for raising animals, cows and chickens, and grow vegetables. They also started building their own house, with traditional methods and using stray and clay, and wood and the pretty-as-a-picture building is almost finished. Now they happily share their land with a herd of 9 beautiful Jersey cows, who happily graze in the fields in spring and summer, with a rotation system that allows them to access a fresh patch of grass every day. The rich milk produced by the girls, how Leen and Wouter call them - and of course, they call each one of them by their names - is then transformed with patient labour and lots of love into different varieties of cheese, highly regarded by their many regular customers.
Three years ago, Leen and Wouter welcomed their first child, Emil, and a new baby is now on the way....

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Leen és Wouter 9 évvel ezelőtt költöztek Belgiumból Rönökre, olyan helyen szerettek volna élni, ahol az általuk annyira tisztelt és imádott természettel szimbiózisban lehetnek és önellátó életmódot folytathatnak. Vettek egy földterületet, ahol az ott található épületeket turistáknak adták ki, ám nem sokkal később áttértek az állattenyésztésre. Olyan környezetet szerettek volna kialakítani, ami tökéletes élőhely lehet a marháknak, csirkéknek és különféle zöldségek termesztésének, teljes figyelmüket ennek a célnak szentelték. Saját otthonuk építésébe is belefogtak, amelyhez kizárólag tradicionális módszereket és alapanyagokat használtak fel, többek között fát és vályogot, mostanra az mézeskalácsház már majdnem elkészült. A birtokukon boldogságban együtt élnek a 9 gyönyörű Jersey tehénből álló csordájukkal, akik a tavaszi és nyári időszakban a vetésforgónak köszönhetően mindig találnak maguknak legelhető területet friss fűvel. A ‘Lányok’ - ahogyan Leen és Wouter általánosságban hivatkozik a tehenekre (fontos, hogy mindegyiknek saját neve is van) - rengeteg tejjel látják el őket. Ebből időigényes és bonyolult technikák alkalmazásával és sok-sok szeretettel különféle sajtokat készítenek, majd ezeket eladásra kínálják, számos törzsvásárlóval büszkélkedhetnek. A párnak három évvel ezelőtt született meg az első gyermeke, Emil. Hamarosan pedig a negyedik családtag is megérkezik. 

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Leen in Wouter sta se v Rönök iz Belgije preselila pred devetimi leti, saj sta se želela ustaliti na območju, ki bi jima omogočalo tesen stik z naravo, ki jo ljubita in spoštujeta, in hkrati samozadostno življenje. Na tem območju sta kupila zemljišče in za kratek čas turistom oddajala nekatere stavbe na posestvu, vendar sta se kmalu odločila, da bosta ves svoj trud usmerila v to, da bi na tem območju ustvarila popolno okolje za rejo živali, krav in piščancev, ter pridelavo zelenjave. Začela sta tudi graditi svojo hišo, in sicer po tradicionalnih metodah in z uporabo brezdelja in gline ter lesa, pri čemer je zgradba, lepa kot slika, že skoraj končana. Zdaj si zemljo z veseljem delita s čredo devetih čudovitih krav Jersey, ki se spomladi in poleti z veseljem pasejo na njivah po sistemu rotacije, kar jim omogoča vsakodnevni dostop do sveže trave. Bogato mleko, ki ga pridelajo dekleta, kot jim pravita Leen in Wouter - in seveda vsako od njih kličeta po imenu -, se s potrpežljivim delom in veliko ljubezni predela v različne vrste sira, ki so zelo cenjene pri njunih številnih stalnih strankah. Pred tremi leti sta Leen in Wouter pozdravila svojega prvega otroka, Emila, zdaj pa je na poti nov....

You can find them here https://www.facebook.com/szedervirag/

 

A Dream Come True

In the heart of Vendvidék, in Örseg National Park, in Apátistvánfalva, Adam and his family-run since 11 years the beautiful Apát Panzió and Etterem.
It had always been his parents' dream to open a tourist accommodation in a beautiful area of the Country.
During a visit to the area in 2008, they were struck by its beauty and decided that this was the perfect place.
They bought an older building already in use for guests, and after a lengthy refurbishment in 2010, Apát Panzió in 2010 was opened.
Adam ran it with his wife Kinga for a few years, then his brother Zoltán and his wife Kati joined what is now a thriving family enterprise and a reference point for tourists and locals alike.

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Az Őrségi Nemzeti Park szívében a vendvidéki Apátistvánfalván Ádám és családja 11 éve üzemelteti az Apát Panziót  és Éttermet. A gondolat, hogy az ország e varázslatos szegletében saját panzió kerüljön felépítésre valójában Ádám szüleiben fogalmazódott meg, ők szerettek volt egész életükön át ide költözve maradandót alkotni. Egy 2008 táján tett látogatás során, teljesen magával ragadta őket a hely szépsége és úgy érezték megtalálták a tökéletes helyet álmaik valóra váltásához. Megvettek egy már korábban is vendégházként funkcionáló, öregebb épületet és hosszas felújítási munkálatokat követően kapuikat 2010-ben nyitották meg. A panziót kezdetben Ádám és felesége, Kinga vezette, majd néhány éve a testvére Zoltán és felesége Kati is csatlakozott a csapathoz, így vált mára egy valódi virágzó családi vállalkozássá. Mára a helyiek és a turisták számára is meghatározó jelentőséggel bíró szálláshelyről beszélhetünk. 

Slovenian 🇸🇮

V osrčju Vendvidéka, v narodnem parku Örseg, v kraju Apátistvánfalva, Adam in njegova družina že 11 let vodijo čudoviti Apát Panzió in Etterem. Od nekdaj so bile sanje njegovih staršev odpreti turistično nastanitev na čudovitem območju dežele. Med obiskom tega območja leta 2008 ju je osupnila njegova lepota in odločila sta se, da je to popoln kraj. Kupila sta starejšo stavbo, ki se je že uporabljala za goste, in po dolgotrajni prenovi leta 2010 odprla hotel Apát Panzió. Adam ga je nekaj let vodil z ženo Kingo, nato pa sta se mu pridružila še brat Zoltán in njegova žena Kati, zdaj je pa uspešno družinsko podjetje in referenčna točka za turiste in domačine. 

 

Format: Design your own professional photography website

If you're a photographer, you can use Format to host your photographs online. This means that you can show off your photos to the world without the need for a dedicated website.

It also means that your work can be found by search engines, which is ideal if you want to find new clients or get people interested in your services. Image hosting isn't free – it will cost you a single cent per photo uploaded (although you do get unlimited storage), but it's worth the cost if you want to make money from photography. If you don't make any money from your hobby, then there won't be any fee to worry about.

Format is designed with photographers in mind; it's very easy to use, and there are no complicated procedures on the interface (although these are available for those who like things more advanced). Format is compatible with Linux, Mac OS X and Windows operating systems.

To use Format to host your images, first sign up for an account. You can then upload your images on the Upload tab on the dashboard of your account. Once they're uploaded, they'll be available on the browse page, where they'll be listed alphabetically by file name. You can also use Format if you want to share some images with friends or family

Flexible, customisable themes that make your work look great on any screen. The tools you need in one place: proofing, SEO, online store, blogging and more. Link Your Social Profiles. Unlimited Bandwidth. Mobile & Tablet ready.

No Credit Card Required. Free 14 day trial.

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Zsuzsi

Zsusi learned to make pottery when she was very young, after finishing elementary school, from both of her grandfathers.
Her great-grandfathers were also potters in the same village. She is now the fourth generation and the only member of her family who continues the family tradition and skills.

She is a highly talented potter. In addition to the traditional shapes and colours associated with Orseg, she has developed a "red" line of pottery: her recipe for the most exquisite shade of red has been dubbed "Zsuzsi red" locally.

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Zsuzsi még gyerekként két nagyapjától leste el a fazekasság csínját-bínját. Ugyanabban a faluban a dédapái szintén fazekasok voltak.

Negyedik generációs kézművesként, mára ő az egyetlen a családjában, aki a birtokában van a kerámiakészítés hagyományának és tovább viszi a családi örökséget. Kimagasló tehetségű keramikus.

Ráadásul, az Őrségben hagyományosnak számító formák és színek mellett, létrehozott egy speciális vörösben pompázó kerámiairányzatot is: ezt a rendkívüli piros árnyalatot a helyiek egyszerűen “Zsuzsi vörösnek” hívják.  

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Zsusi se je lončarstva naučila že zelo zgodaj, po končani osnovni šoli, od obeh dedkov. Tudi njeni pradedje so bili lončarji v isti vasi.

Ona je že četrta generacija in edina članica svoje družine, ki nadaljuje družinsko tradicijo in znanje.

Je zelo nadarjena lončarka. Poleg tradicionalnih oblik in barv, povezanih z Orsegom, je razvila "rdečo" linijo keramike: njen recept za najbolj prefinjen odtenek rdeče barve so poimenovali "Zsuzsi red".

 

Two camping sites on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia

Legend has it that Croatian campsites are some of the best in Europe

The most famous and visited campsites in Croatia are probably Plitvice Lakes National Park, Krka National Park and the islands of Cres and Lošinj. But there are plenty more where you can find peace and quiet in beautiful surroundings, away from the crowds.

Here's an overview of two campsites in Croatia, one south of Senj and one on the Island of Krk

RAČA EUROCAMP

The Campsite Rača in the Kvarner area of Croatia is a superb place to stay if you are looking for a quiet and clean campsite with good facilities and close to the sea and town centre.

The campsite is in a great location in a beautiful setting with two beaches nearby and only few kilometers from Senj and the town of Crikvenica.

The whole site is very well maintained and had an excellent onsite bar and restaurant, good WiFi access and even a small shop selling snacks and drinks all at very reasonable prices. The owners are also lovely people who were very helpful and will help you out with anything you need.

The pitches are spacious, flat, level and grassy with a good amount of shade from pine trees on some pitches. All pitches had an electrical hook up point but there was plenty of space between each pitch so it didn't feel crowded or cramped at all.

The toilets were spotless with plenty of hot water for washing up after meals or showers.

It is much easier to enter the campsite from the South entrance

CAMP GLAVATOK

The campsite Glavotok is located in a protected bay of the island Krk, by a sandy beach. It is known for its crystal clear sea and long pebble beach. The campsite is an ideal place both for an active holiday and for relaxation in a family environment. The camp offers rich services and accessories for its customers.

The campsite has a spacious parking area in front of the terrace, from where you can walk to the beach or to the restaurant. In the surroundings of the camping, there are many walking and bicycle paths that run through untouched nature.

Camping Glavotok has installed a modern system of water supply with drinking water from the fresh source, so you can enjoy this water during your stay at the camping. The campsite also has two playgrounds for children and several sports fields, which can be used by adults and children.

At the campsite Glavotok there is an indoor/ outdoor restaurant that offers fresh fish and seafood dishes prepared on a wood fire. There is also a shop where you can buy your daily needs, has fresh bread and lovely croissants,

Pitches are flat, great view, often with some trees for a nice shade. Toiles and showers are spotless!

A Photographic Excursion to Omišalj, Croatia.

Omišalj (Castel Muschio in Italian) is a coastal municipality in the northwest of the island of Krk in Croatia. The population of Omišalj itself is 1,868 (2011), while the municipality also includes the nearby village of Njivice, bringing the total up to 2,983 people. Omišalj is best known in modern times for hosting the Rijeka Airport as well as Port of Rijeka oil terminal.

Omišalj is located close to one of the oldest settlements on Krk, dating from the 1st century, when it was built by the Romans and named Fulfinum. The town was built on the cliff overlooking the bay of Kvarner, some 80 meters above sea level. It is the site of an early Christian basilica. The town was referred to in the 12th century as "Castri musculi": this is from the Latin Ad musculi meaning "the place of shells".

The land between the castles of Dobrinj and Omišalj, as well as the areas in and around Dubašnica and Poljica, were settled by Vlachs and Morlachs (originally Romanians who later diverged into Istro-Romanians) by Ivan VII Frankopan during the second half of the 15th century. They formed a community on the island of Krk that would last until 1875, when the last speaker of the Istro-Romanian dialect of the island died.



Why did I choose an Hymer as a travelling photographer

In my choice, the price was an important factor as well as getting a motorhome solid built with as many comforts as possible.

I wanted to have Air conditioning, proper heating, solar panels and a good reliable source of power to recharge my computers, phones, camera, drone etc etc!

I purchased a Hymer B584 motorhome because it is one of the best in its class. It has many special features, including dual-axle stability, German-engineered mechanical systems, and independent suspension on all four wheels for smooth rides over bumps.

The combination of traditional sleek styling, simple kitchen layout, and affordable price all lead me to choose the Hymer B584 to be my motorhome.

Hymers are largely manufactured in Germany by the Hymer Group, which also makes the Knaus line of campervans. The company was founded in 1920 by a man named Fritz Hymer as a coach-building company. In 1958, the company developed its first camper van, and since then it has been building campers of all shapes and sizes.

Hymers have been on the market for more than 60 years and have been updated as time went on to match updated industry standards.

Hymer is a lifestyle, not just a brand! It's an idea that there's more to life than the ordinary and that the journey is as important as the destination.

Few things were for me very important as a photographer, working from the motorhome

  • Power: I was able to add an extra battery, a large and powerful solar panel to charge all batteries. We have also a 1500W inverter. This should give me enough power when staying for a few days off the grid

  • Air Conditioning

  • Space I needed something spacious enough for my equipment, was able to install a safety cage to hold the most expensive items, and also with a large table where both I and my wife could work easily. Hymer has a lot of cupboards and spaces.

  • I installed some extra safety locks and alarms and also a mifi internet that is connected all the time

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Fiverr...consider it DONE!!

I use Fiverr only as a buyer and not as a freelancer but Fiverr is a good platform for freelancers and buyers, but it's important to rely as well on your own expertise. I tend to use the PRO option to filter or I check and read feedbacks and reviews of 4 and 5 stars. Having said that many times I have been successfully using newbies!


We used Fiverr as part of our quest to find a Translators, Copywriter, Marketing, SEO, contents writer, Social media or logo design service. We have never been disappointed and we always found super talented and friendly freelancers!

On Fiverr, you can instantly size up a freelancer’s ability to perform. All you have to do is check the seller level that appears near their username. This can save time by helping you quickly eliminate anyone who hasn’t proven themselves on the platform. A seller level is based on delivery time, customer satisfaction, and service quality.

These are the four seller levels:

New Seller – This is where every freelancer starts. It’s a sign that a seller is relatively inexperienced.

Level One Seller – A seller can reach the first level after 60 days, but only if they’ve completed at least 10 gigs with a high level of satisfaction.

Level Two Seller – Only sellers who have been on Fiverr for 120 days and have delivered 50 highly-rated and on-time orders will reach this level.

Top-Rated Seller – If a seller’s Top Rated, it’s an excellent sign that they’ll be reliable. These freelancers have been on Fiverr for at least 180 days, and have delivered over 100 orders (earning at least $20,000), all while keeping their buyers satisfied.

If you need a job done quickly, Fiverr could be the perfect solution. Most freelancers have turnaround times of 48 hours or less. Also, you usually have the option to pay a bit more to get your work done even faster. When you really need to get a project started as soon as possible, you can search for freelancers that are currently online and start the conversation immediately.

EASE OF USE

Fiverr is an incredibly user-friendly platform. The site is super intuitive and offers several great tools to help you weed through the massive pool of talent. Below, you’ll find some of the more notable features that make hiring on Fiverr a breeze.

PRICING

Making an account and posting requests to hire freelancers is completely free. The only time you’ll pay any Fiverr fees is when you buy a service. The charge is pretty reasonable and is based on a percentage of the total job cost. You’ll rarely pay more than a few bucks.

All payments are made upfront and held in escrow. Fiverr will not release funds to your seller until after you’ve approved the work. If the work doesn’t meet your standards, you can give your freelancer the chance to resubmit or cancel the order. And if you run into any problems, you can always turn to Customer Service to help mediate.


Click Here to visit Fiverr

Andrea and Zoltán

Andrea and Zoltán have been together for 15 years, and five years ago, they visited Orseg to conduct house viewings. Immediately fell in love with an uninhabited house in the pretty village of Szaknyer, necessitating quick action.

Thus, they returned home, painted their house, listed it for sale, and sold it! Finally, they were ready to buy and move with their kids.

They had been designing and creating gifts for a long time, and they continued to do so here. After renovating the house, they decided to retain an older room and convert it into a high-end gift shop with a fairy tale atmosphere.

They enjoy becoming involved in a variety of activities concurrently. They now have goats, sheep, pigs, hens, ducks, rabbits, and two Shetland ponies in their yard!

They realised a long-held dream in the summer of 2019 when they transformed the old shed into a vibrant, bohemian space where they serve visitors freshly roasted coffee made from coffee beans imported worldwide.

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Andrea és Zoltán 15 éve vannak együtt, 5 évvel ezelőtt pedig ellátogattak az Őrségbe, hogy megnézzenek egy házat. Mondani sem kell, hogy a kedves kis faluban, Szaknyéken található elhagyatott parasztházba azonnal beleszerettek. A látogatást pedig azonnali cselekvések követték. Ahogy hazatértek, kicsinosították az otthonukat, eladásra kínálták, majd gyorsan meg is váltak tőle! Így végül készen álltak arra, hogy a gyerekeikkel Szaknyékre költözzenek.

A család már régóta foglalkozott ajándéktárgyak tervezésével és készítésével, ezzel a tevékenységükkel itt sem hagytak fel. A megvásárolt ház felújítását követően, úgy határoztak, hogy az egyik régi szobát, elegáns, tündérmesék hangulatát idéző ajándékbolttá alakítják át. 

Ezzel párhuzamosan, a legkülönbözőbb projektekbe is szeretnek belefolyni. Jelenleg több kecske, bárány, malac, csibe, kacsa, nyúl büszke tulajdonosai, ezenkívül két Shetland póni is van az udvaron! 

2019 nyarán egy másik régóta dédelgetett álmukat is valóra váltották, a régi pajtából egy élénk, bohém kávézót varázsoltak, ahol a világ minden tájáról származó kávészemekből, frissen helyben pörkölve készülnek a csodálatos italok.  

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Andrea in Zoltan sta skupaj že 15 let, pred petimi leti pa sta obiskala Orseg na ogledu hiše. Takoj sta se zaljubila v nenaseljeno hišo v lepi vasici Szaknyer, ki je zahtevala hitro ukrepanje. Zato sta se vrnila domov, hišo pobarvala, jo dala na prodaj in jo prodala! Končno sta bila pripravljena na nakup in selitev s svojimi otroki.

Že dolgo sta oblikovala in ustvarjala darila, kar sta nadaljevala tudi tukaj. Po prenovi hiše sta se odločila, da bosta ohranila starejšo sobo in jo preuredila v vrhunsko trgovino z darili s pravljičnim vzdušjem.

Uživata v tem, da se hkrati ukvarjata z različnimi dejavnostmi. Zdaj imata na svojem dvorišču koze, ovce, prašiče, kokoši, race, kunce in dva shetlandska ponija!

Poleti 2019 pa sta uresničila dolgoletne sanje, ko sta staro lopo spremenila v živahen, boemski prostor, kjer obiskovalcem postrežeta s sveže praženo kavo iz zrn, uvoženih z vsega sveta.

Check their website here https://www.vadregenyes.bolt.hu/

 

How it all began: why buy a motorhome for photography

What are the reasons to buy a motorhome for a photographer?

There are lots of reasons, but the one that stands out is the freedom you’ll have to travel around with your family, no matter if is for work like me or for holiday

The following are my other reasons

1. You can sleep in it!

3. It puts you close to the action

4. Stays directly under the stars

5. Your motorhome is second living room

6. Travel where you want, when you want

7. Discover new areas

8. You don’t need to worry about the next destination, the motorhome has everything inside (tables, chairs, slide-outs, coolers). Once you distribute your time between work and play, you are free.

An RV is one of the best ways you can protect your investment. If photography is an important part of your business, living in an RV can be a great way to stay out on the road for longer periods of time without sacrificing adequate living space.

A motorhome is not only an affordable option for photographers, but it offers added perks like better fuel economy, more kitchen storage and workspace, and the ability to travel to locations that aren't accessible by car.

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Ralf and Kati

Ralf was born in Germany and is a former policeman In 2009 he decided to change his life and move to the Orseg area.

Six years ago, he met Kati, and they have been happily together since.

A few years ago, the local Restaurant asked them to prepare some Langos for an evening. Since that time, they have been serving excellent langos to the local community every Friday evening.

They also run a lovely buffet every day during lunchtime, and they prepare Kürtőskalács on Wednesday.

It is nice to have excellent traditional street food at your doorstep

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Ralf Németországban született, és egykor rendőr volt.
2009-ben úgy döntött, hogy megváltoztatja az életét, és az Őrsébe költözik. Hat éve találkozott Katival, és azóta boldogan élnek együtt.

Néhány évvel ezelőtt a helyi étterem felkérte őket, hogy készítsenek egy estére Lángost.
Azóta minden péntek este kiváló lángost szolgálnak fel a helyi közösségnek. Emellett minden nap ebédidőben egy kellemes büfét üzemeltetnek, szerdánként pedig Kürtőskalácsot készítenek.

Jó érzés, hogy kiváló hagyományos utcai ételeket kapunk a küszöbünkön!




Slovenian 🇸🇮

Ralf se je rodil v Nemčiji in je nekdanji policist. Leta 2009 se je odločil spremeniti svoje življenje in se preselil na območje Orseg. Pred šestimi leti je spoznal Kati in od takrat sta srečen par. 

Pred nekaj leti ju je lokalna restavracija prosila, naj za en večer pripravita nekaj langašev. Od takrat vsak petek zvečer lokalni skupnosti postrežeta z odličnimi langaši. Vsak dan v času kosila pripravljata tudi čudovit samopostrežni bife, ob sredah pa pripravljata Kürtőskalács. 

Lepo je imeti odlično tradicionalno ulično hrano pred svojim pragom! 

 

Reto and Gisella

Reto and Gisella are from Switzerland but have been coming to Orseg for many years. Now they are an active part of the Velemer community. They have been renovating their house for quite some time, making it a cosy home for them.

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Reto és Gisella Svájcból származik, de már évek óta járnak az Őrségbe. Mára Velemér közösségének aktív részeseivé váltak. A házuk felújításán dolgoznak egy ideje, hogy meghitt otthont teremtsenek maguknak.

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Reto in Gisella prihajata iz Švice, vendar se v Orseg vračata že vrsto let. Zdaj sta aktivna člana skupnosti Velemer. Svojo hišo obnavljata že kar nekaj časa, tako da jima je postala prijeten dom.

 

My Favourite online banks

In normal times I travel quite a lot and I invoice in multiple currencies from US Dollars, to Stirling from Pound Sterling to Hungarian Forint and from Swiss Franc to Euro plus I may pay in different currency and get money from an ATM quite often so I am always looking for lowest fees and a normal High street bank is not for me

Here are my fav. and the reason why


Transferwise

The TransferWise money transfer service has more than 7 million customers, 50,000 positive customer reviews and is rated 9.8/10 on Trust and Credibility, 9.5/10 on Service Quality, 9.0

TransferWise is an innovative money transfer service that's often dubbed the "Robin Hood" of the industry. They focus on making international transfers more affordable than traditional banks by charging low and transparent fees. In other words, there are zero markups on the exchange rate.

Their apps have great ratings (4.7/5 stars on 19,300 ratings and 4.4/5 on almost 80,000 ratings). Customers said the apps are invaluable for anyone transferring money internationally. The company has grown quickly

I have with them their standard account in 5 different currencies I love ..it is quick, secure and super fast!!

Click here to check it out


Monese

It was probably my first online Bank and I have a business company account as well with them, I had a major problem with them a couple of years back and the article is in their blog but the solved it at the end and apologised and most importantly compensate me! Since I had no other issues and all is gone smoothly.

Monese has a Trustpilot rating of Excellent with 4.3 out of 5.0 stars from over 15,000 reviews. 76% of reviewers rate it as excellent citing excellent customer service and claiming it is easy to transfer money between accounts. Only 8% of reviewers rate Monese as bad.

Monese is a digital banking app and card using smartphone technology to improve your banking experience. Monese is great for travellers and works well if you are looking to set up an account quickly in another country. It allows fee-free card payments and ATM withdrawals abroad, something you can only dream of with a traditional bank.

Monese works like a traditional banking system, but more streamlined. Like with most digital-only accounts, it’s all managed through the app, which has multiple tabs focussed on different aspects of your account:

  • Debit card. Order and manage your contactless debit card. You can see whether your card is active and get a reminder of your pin.

  • Support. The support tab provides customers with easy access to customer service via instant messenger or email. This tab also has an FAQ section.

  • My plan. Monese offers a free account and two paid account options. You can see what benefits might come from an upgrade or subscribe to the service.

  • Direct debits. View and manage your active direct debits. Your account number and sort code are provided on this page for you to copy.

  • Add Eurozone account. Add a Eurozone account at the click of a button. You can switch between your UK and European accounts at any time on the home page.

  • Invite and earn. Invite a friend and you will earn £15 once they deposit money into their account. They also get £15.

I have the standard account in GBP and Euro

Click Here to check it out


Revolut

Again one of my favourite and I have with them also a business freelancer account. Revolut is not really a Bank account so deposits are not protected. I tend to use it for purchases and cash withdrawals and leave ion the account a limited amount of money.

Revolut is basically a mobile banking app and credit card that is positioned as an alternative to traditional banking products, designed to fit the lives of those with a global lifestyle, or anyone who wants flexibility that you can't get from conventional banks.

I use a lot their function to buy cryptocurrencies in particular Bitcoins and Ethereum but also shared and stock. Super easy and super cheap to use these functions.

You can buy shares from 450 companies. The list includes well-known companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook and Uber. They’re all listed in the US. For now, Revolut doesn’t let you buy shares in any company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

You can buy fractional shares. Some companies’ shares are very expensive (in the order of thousands of US dollars) but Revolut allows you to buy fractional shares, so you can start with as little as £1.

Revolut isn’t covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, but is fully licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority both to deal in electronic money and to act as an investment firm. Client money has to be kept separated from the company’s finances, so even if Revolut were to go bust, you’d get your deposits back.

You can buy fractional shares. Some companies’ shares are very expensive (in the order of thousands of US dollars) but Revolut allows you to buy fractional shares, so you can start with as little as £1.

I have with them the Top Metal Account

Check it out here


N26

N26 is a great service that provides you most of the accustomed features of a regular bank but in a completely digital way. From cash withdrawals at ATMs to international money transfers at exchange rates with very low fees, they have a lot to offer.

With N26, you get 5 free withdrawals every month1. After that, you pay 2€ per withdrawal1. Most banks charge 2-5€ to use another bank's ATM. With N26, I haven't paid ATM fees in years. you can use it anywhere

The standard N26 account is free and is the one I have. It allows me to receive payment as a freelancer. It comes with a free MasterCard and a free Maestro card. Many banks charge a yearly fee for their credit cards, but N26 doesn't. If you look at their price list, almost everything is free.

The N26 MasterCard is amazing for travelling. There are no transaction fees and no currency conversion fees. You pay the real exchange rate1. You only pay a fee if you withdraw money in other currencies1. You can also get the travel card to pay fewer fees and get free travel insurance.

You will never need to go to the bank. Everything is done through the app. You also get a push notification for every transaction so it is super safe and very fast!!

Check it out here


Starling Bank

Starling has the key challenger bank features instant transaction notifications, savings sub-accounts (here, they're called "Spaces") with a roundup function and spending broken down into categories for better budgeting. Alongside a personal account, you can also add a joint or business account, as well as a Personal Euro account, handy for travellers or expats; there's a 0.4% fee on exchanging from pounds to euros, and then transactions are free.

Like other challenger banks, Starling's API allows third-party companies to link up with the app, such as PensionBee, Churchill and Flux, among others. Starling is the furthest along with this idea of third-party services, with its Marketplace already built into the app with a selection of 11 partners covering bill management, insurance, receipts, savings and more; a charity section is in the works. This all means you can add and manage such services, be it signing up for an ISA or tracking receipts, directly via the app. This is the promise of open banking, and with Starling, it's already a reality.

Starling is also streets ahead of challenger rivals when it comes to loans. Need a bit of extra cash, and Starling has an overdraft like the others, but it also has a built-in longer-term loan facility.

Check it out here


Curve

It is not a bank but a brilliant card to link and manage all your cards with one, so it is the only card you will ever need!

Curve is an excellent choice if you use many different bank cards but don't want to carry all of them everywhere. ... Curve supports cards of many currencies and also follows fee-free foreign spending, while useful additional feature are being added continuously.

I have the posh metal card with them!

Check it out here!