My wife is half Croatian and half Italian, so when we were planning where we would go on our next trip, we agreed on Dubrovnik Croatia. We heard about the beautiful Dalmatian Coast with its small coastal towns, bright blue water, crashing waves and old renaissance architecture. Plus the fact that the TV series Game of Thrones was filmed around Dubrovnik, we were sold on the visit.
We started the trip in Dubrovnik, the famous coastal town with its Old Walls, fortresses and many other must see monuments and buildings. One of my major goals was to be able to create an image that would capture many of these elements into one scene, that would form the foundation of my memory of visiting this fabulous city.
As usual, finding the ultimate location to take that shot will be my biggest challenge. I took many shots that day, but I still wanted to capture the one that I envisioned with the blue water crashing the shores, a fortress and old buildings. There are many locations within Dubrovnik and I did explore many of them. However, finding the perfect spot was still a challenge.
Through all the images I have captured in my lifetime, I know what are the key elements required to make a great image - composition, light, an interesting subject and a deep knowledge of your camera equipment. I will need to leverage all of these capabilities and experiences to capture the shot I envision.
With all my gear in hand we decided to walk around the entire old walled city. At almost 1.2 miles in length, you walk on the top of the wall which is about 13-20 feet thick and get to see some fabulous views of the old town, the sea and even of people engaged in their daily lives as they moved about their old homes. It was an incredible walk on the wall because at every turn you were able to see a new angle and new view that made you stop and take some pics. When we were walking on the part of the wall that went along the water, you could hear the water crashing on the walls maybe 50 feet below.
As we approached the final turn of the wall, I could not believe my eyes. There ahead was the shot I wanted to take. There was only one "major" problem, people. There were lots of people and they were crowded into the corner taking selfies just where I wanted to position myself. I patiently waited until the group left, and there it was - this image.
I was finally able to set-up and take numerous shots with various compositions and light settings. Fantastic - I got my shot. I felt elated to have captured the image I wanted. When I completed this image, I was pleased that it met my vision of water, fortress and old buildings and as bonus, it also included a view of the hotel we had stayed in. I now have a shot that will always remind me of the fabulous hunt for the right location in Dubrovnik.
