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Grega Stamenovic
@grega.stamenovic
Landscape photographer based in Slovenia
I think that my passion for photography comes from the enjoyment I find in looking for stories and telling them; I was always interested in the hidden meaning behind things and collecting intriguing details about life. So photography is in some way an outlet for my excitement regarding storytelling, highlighting particular aspects of life and nature that intrigue me.
"To be able to bring to people stories and feelings that they might otherwise miss, is something that I strive for as a photographer."
And if, along the way, I am able to change our world towards the better, at least a little bit, I’d be even happier. As for traveling, everything started when I began rock climbing as a kid. Being outside in the untouched nature just brought me a certain peace and serenity that I’ve always been chasing after ever since. So the combination of travel and photography allows me to balance and express myself, it’s kind of a necessity.
"Slovenia has definitely played a role in constructing my love for nature and photography."
I grew up in a land full of greenery, mountains and lakes and that will stay embedded in me forever. I got to know the opposite as well, as I was provided with a fair share of big cities and urban jungles when I was living in London during my gap year. It was a very different experience from what I was used to. Slovenia is a small country and I think that reflects on our mentality. We value little things in life and our wanderlust is strong; we travel a lot and try to get to know as much of the world as possible. Nevertheless, we always return home, to our little hidden jewel.
The photographic community is very strong in Slovenia, so there are a lot of opportunities to get ideas from others and to interact with fellow photographers. It’s also because of my studies that I know many of them as I am currently studying photography at Higher School of Applied Sciences (VIST). While I am working towards my Bachelor’s degree, I work as a florist in a family business where I do some product photography. Occasionally I also do some event photography and I am striving for more, for example by looking for jobs as a portrait and product photographer. After all, if it’s photography that is filling my day, I am happy. Actually that’s the case most of the time since photography dominates my everyday life, so to say.
"Although I love photography, if you spend so many hours studying and practicing it, you have to keep doing new things, be innovative and critical at the same time."
I usually try to put myself out of my comfort zone, because then the fun part of being a photographer really kicks in. I challenge myself with trying to see what other people miss and I often revisit my previous locations just to try to catch something new or improve on my old shots. I have been chasing a scene of Mount Razor in Slovenia for the past two years and I think that I finally have it. I also have a very strong connection with Lake Bohinj. I keep returning there every year, like a tradition, because the location and scenery are incredible.
"Hidden amidst mountains, camping in the forest... That is what I can call a happy life. It’s where I feel most free and where my work excels."
Most of the time when I am doing travel or landscape photography I put myself in the same kind of mindset as when I am taking a portrait: I try to read the land or the situation and establish a connection, as I would do it with a person. I think that’s also the reason that I like to take close up shots from nature. I try to find all the details hidden in the whole. I think that details are often overlooked for the bigger picture or wider shots that are trending these days. My strategy is to be alone and to observe… Most of the time, the best shots are waiting for you on the way back to your car.
"You just have to be patient and the frames will start to compose themselves. A step to the left or right also usually does the trick."
Of course I had to learn to look at my surroundings this way, and I’d say that it’s thanks to photography that I look deeper into things that seem to have no or little importance. I search for stories in everything and communicate them to the outer world in the way I see and experience them. I want to achieve that the picture conveys the same emotions that I felt when I was on location taking it. It is important to me that I get the message across to the viewer. I mostly try to convey emotions such as loneliness and depression, all of the kind of emotions that we try to repress and avoid. I am currently in the process of finishing my first photobook, where I’m dealing with mourning and loss. These are very important themes for me and I’m trying to explore it further, getting into it more profoundly.
"I find it indispensable to put emphasis on these type of emotions in a world filled with fake or even forced happiness, so that we don’t forget to deal with that."
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