beauty survived the war

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beauty survived the war
Photo Information
Copyright: Michal Grabowski (cedryk) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 956 W: 57 N: 1608] (4945)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08-28
Categories: River
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 8700, 80-210mm, @ ISO 200, Hoya UV Filter
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/34 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 40-49 Points (Chapter 4), Rivers [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-12-19 5:59
Viewed: 1272
Points: 50
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I don't present today's photo because I think it's an excellent work, and there are some technical flaws either. Simply, I want to show you a very special place that probably most of you didn't have occasion to see.

Generally, there are not many tourist visiting Bosnia & Hercegovina. People are afraid of mines... but there are only limited area of mine-fields and they are indicated. People are afraid of war memories and signs - it's so frustrating to have war almost in a centre of Europe. But this attitude is so much wrong. Bosnia and Hercegovina is a safe country, friendly for tourist and very beautiful.

It was a third day of our trip from Poland to Albania. We spent a night camping in the mountains some 100 km north from Sarajevo and then devoted most of the day to explore this fascinating town, which revived from the war and with ongoing renovations becomes now a true pearl of history and architecture.

Later we wanted to visit Vrelo Bosne, a place from where two endemic species of crustaceans were described. I needed comparative collection of them for my work. We had some troubles with finding the place but finally managed it. Unfortunately it was already late, too dark and hazy for a good shot (and I didn't have a tripod) - at the end of August days are very shorth in the south...

Vrelo Bosne is a huge spring in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the source of the river Bosna, and one of the country's top natural landmarks.

In fact it is located on the outskirts of Sarajevo, near the small settlement Ilidza. Being one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region, it is ironically located in Sarajevo's metro area.

After lack of maintenance during much of the 1990s, a giant revitalization project was launched in the year 2000. Local teenagers were led by international ecological organizations in the clean-up. By the end of the year, Vrelo Bosne was back to its former glory.

Today Vrelo Bosne is a thriving tourist attraction, both for foreigners visiting Sarajevo and for locals who wish to enjoy the nature. It consists of a number of small islands connected by bridges over many spring-streams. A number of animals are kept in the park as well, such as ducks and swans. There are also numerous minor attractions in the park, such as horse rides, picnic sites and restaurants.

For me the main attractions were endemic amphipod crustaceans living in the spring: Gammarus bosniacus and Niphargus illidzensis.

(source: Wikipedia)
JoseMiguel, scottevers7, red45, mikou, SunToucher, cataclysta, jmp, ramthakur, Robespierre, Dave, marhowie, uleko, blakitan, SkyF, biero, Evelynn, delic, sily has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

hi michal,
nice post,
lovely pov, well saturated colours,
tfs & regards
pankaj

Hello Michal,
It's so charming the lanscape you present us!
I like specially the light, this illumination makes a very intimate atmosphere here.
The composition is so good, with the folding side tree filling across the upper middle, and the ducks? swinming under.
Excellent the POV and nice color saturation.
Very interesting and helpul your comments on the note.
Kind regards and thanks for share,
JM

Quizá un poco saturado de má, pero agradable.
Hermoso paisaje.

Hi Michal,
A very peaceful and tranquil scene. Looks like a place to get all kinds of nature shots. Very informative notes. Glad to hear that things are returning to normal and going well in that part of the world. We only tend to hear the bad stuff. It is good to hear life is much better.
Scott

hello! fantastic place! TFS

Hello Michal,
That tree is fantastic and the place is most picturesque!
Beautiful composition, great colours and sharp fine details!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2737 W: 75 N: 7366] (24625)
  • [2006-12-19 8:56]

Hi Michal!

Beautifull photo, very calm and opposite to war stories. Green underwater plants look superb, same as composition with lonely tree. I was in Bosnia last summer and agree - it is beautifull and friendly country now. But we travelled via Sarajevo and Mostar - these two cities still carry many signs of war. Especially Mostar.

BTW - beltanie wody z endemicznymi kielzami to musiala byc prawdziwa radocha :-)

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 903 W: 79 N: 1362] (5261)
  • [2006-12-19 9:06]

Hi Michal.
Place is amazing.Beautiful lighting gives splendid colours and interesting atmosphere.Big peace and cleanness radiates from here.I like also green carpetings vegetation out at elbows.Perfect angle look and beautiful composition.
Well done.TFS.
Greetings Milos

Hello Michal,

Excllent work, great colors Bg POV DOF perfect details very crisp, nicly composed and capture photo, Perfect work,

TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 436 W: 72 N: 1007] (4233)
  • [2006-12-19 10:17]

Hello Michal,
as I understood one of the reasons you took this picture was to show the beaty of this place. And I can say, you succeeded. Despite all the post war disaters which are left behind the beauty itself shows. As a keen herpetologist I am very curous ofcoarse what species inhabit these waters.
Regards,
Jacob

  • Great 
  • marcin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 148 W: 0 N: 153] (1357)
  • [2006-12-19 12:17]

witaj Michale, piekne ujecie, milo popatrzec na cos takiego gdy za oknem nieciekawie, pozdrowienia

Hi Michal,
A beautiful place and you captured it very good. The shape of this tree is awesome. Love the clarity of the shallow water and all the patches of water plants.
TFS,
Niek

Czesc Misiu
Fajna fotka i jak zwykle ciekawa historia. Czekam na wiecej
Pozdrawiam
Krzysiek

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1898 W: 94 N: 2375] (8394)
  • [2006-12-19 18:07]

Hi Michal,
Beatiful view and interesting notes. Composition and colors are wonderful!
José M.

Yes, these war-torn countries were uppermost in the human mind for quite sometime, Michal. Thank God, the nightmare is now long over and things have returned to normal.
You bring us this image of hope with lot of feelings and I personally appreciate your effort.
The image is interesting in that the park is submerged in water but we can still see all the details in the foreground!
A scene that is truly an antithesis to war in terms of the sense of peace and tranquillity it conveys now.
Warm regards,
Ram

Hi Michal,
This picture breaths a very calm and peaceful atmosphere. A simple but fantastic composition, with the tree in the right position. I like the light-fall and the colors very much, it is soft and fragile.
Informative note too.
Compliments.
TFS and regards, Ruud

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 516 W: 47 N: 672] (2119)
  • [2006-12-20 20:56]

Michal,
You have done a superb job of capturing the essence of this place! The picture is beautiful, and the note inspires me to make a visit if only the means were there...;-)
Great work!
Thanks & TFS,
Dave
ps I've been very busy lately and not able to visit TN as much as I like...:-(

Well done Michal.
Peaceful setting and I like the greens throughout the frame..from the algae up :)
Even the barely visible ducks add to this tranquil scene.
Happy Holidays mf.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2230 W: 168 N: 6482] (20348)
  • [2006-12-21 13:14]

Hello Cedryk,
Yes, this really looks like a very beautiful, peaceful place with clear water and beautiful trees - a place to "make love, not war!". Very nice composition and lovely colours.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Hi Michal,
Indeed, this is a very beautiful place. I would like to visit this part of the world someday.
Excellent shot and very informative note.

Ben Lakitan

Very beautiful. Yes, maybe the composition and cropping is not perfect but it still has a magical quality to it. Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2448 W: 207 N: 2034] (8111)
  • [2007-01-08 9:12]

Hello Michal,
wonderful scenery, colors and details are very nice. I love the POV and light. A wonderful tranquil mood that you captured.
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • sily Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 264 W: 6 N: 390] (1855)
  • [2007-01-15 15:25]

Hi Micha!
I apreciate the note and posting this photo, war took some 10 years of my life, nature is the only thing that can always heal us and itself, thank you.

  • Great 
  • biero Silver Star Critiquer [C: 21 W: 0 N: 3] (161)
  • [2007-01-16 0:09]

Bonjour Michal,

What a lovely place, I realy love this picture and this tree.
Thank's so mutch.
Pierre

This is a nice shot Michal and a very interesting note. I do like your composition with that great leaning tree framing the ducks and that clear shallow water. It is of some comfort to know that beautiful places do recover from the effects of war. I often wonder if there will be anything left of Iraq to restore once we are through with whatever it is we are doing there! Thanks for sharing

Evelynn : )

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