My First Photography Trip - Part 2
Before you start reading this, check the first part HERE
So ended the first part around 11PM with an idea of taking a nap in my pickup so i would be up around 4AM to wait for the sunrise. Great idea, but i live in wrong time zone :) My regular sleeping time is around 5AM so trying to fell asleep at 11PM in a car, well it did not really happen.
So I learned that important thing in travel photography trips is to be in photography time biorhythm :) (go to bed after sunset and wake up before sunrise).
So after half an hour of trying to sleep, and in that also realizing that my car charger for the phone is not working (battery on 20%), i decided to go for a walk, then for a drive, then went to the gas station, spent 20-30 minutes speaking with a worker there about the town and where to go next. So about 2AM tried to sleep again, not working, so went for a drive again. You would think that this would be great opportunity to take stars/milky way photos, and the sky was clear of clouds, but also it was almost full moon and it was high on the sky.
One of photos while i was bored of not able to sleep
Around 3AM decided to go to the fortress and slowly get ready, i can't sleep anyway.
Parked the car on the side of the road (is there to much "the" in this?), got in the back, got my camping light on and started to fiddle with my gear. In one moment i noticed a flashing light. Remember the night guard that was not sure if i am really ok in my head :) well he was still not sure :) . Asked me what am i doing (the same thing i did 7 hours ago) and said he has to write down my licence plate and call the police. I was to nice and kind in replaying so i think he never did call them, or they just did not care because they didn't came.
Sun started to rise. I love the contrast of windmills and old Golubac fortress
Left my camera to take timelapse and started looking around. Just behind me was this, it was a mine of some kind. Down in the right corner you can see my pickup
Just before 6AM my timelapse settings started to be to bright and the sky was blah with no clouds, so i decided to go, with no real plan where.
After about a hour drive with stops to photograph(one of the photos from the stops)
I seen a road sign for Lepenski vir. I got there at 7AM and they open at 9 so decided i should really finally sleep at least till they open. So 2 hours of sleep, woken by other tourists, decided it was enough of sleep.
Lepenski vir is an important archaeological site of the Mesolithic Iron Gates culture of the Balkans. The latest radiocarbon and AMS data suggests that the chronology of Lepenski Vir is compressed between 9500/7200–6000 BC.
even in 7000 BC art was important :) one of the sculptures found on the site
The Iron Gate of the Danube, really nice part of Danube where it runs through a canyon.
What remains of Fortress Diana. Fortress was built in the late 1st century.
Around 2PM i decided to go back, wanted to get to the Golubac fortress at working hours to get some photos from inside the fence. One of the stopping points:
viewpoint Kapetan Mišin breg. Small etno village with a great view on Danube.
Around 5:30PM i was back at the Fortress. Went to the reception to pay for my parking, asked them if they could charge my phone so i have it working if i get lost and to just call in that i am still alive :) As i was standing there i saw that people are going in to the next room so i thought it is what you need to do. There was a free place in the first row so i set there. And then the guide started to talk, and the man beside him started to translate to Hungarian :) I was nodding and making thinking faces to everything that the translator said (did not understand a word) just to keep my cover :) So i got free history lecture in two languages by accident :)
Sunset was not promising, as there was no cloud in the sky, so decided not to wait for closing time and start my ride home. I must say, nice people work at the fortress, they were even looking for me on the complex concerned that i forgot my phone.
Around 550km for 44 hours, 2 hours of sleep, lots of photos, some of them really nice, and what did i learn.
- Planning is important, not everything must be planned, but not so pleasant surprises could be avoided by planning.
- Check your gear, check it twice, if you don't have a place to stay, bring power banks for your devices.
- Sleep, it is important to be rested, you will remember more :) and you will have more patience for photographing when you are rested.
- Don't try to see everything, especially if not rested. Part of that day two is just a blur, luckily i have photos :)
- Travel, discover new places, revisit old, it is fun :)
A short video of my trip (click the photo)
Upvote, resteem, comment, discuss my not that great camera work, tell me what you think!
Did a great job taking photos! I like the views of the water especially
Thanks. Most of them i did no justice as it was really sunny but i did what i could.
effort is what counts
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thanks
Beautiful travel essay and post @bil.prag. Your time lapse photos are amazing as are all of the images you've shared here.
I hope you get more sleep. Driving sleep deprived can be hazardous :)
Thanks.
i must admit, last 20km driving was not really a smart thing to do, but i was almost home so.
Ouuuuu i hate that morning hours. Here in Vietnam is ridiculous. Sunrise is at 5 am for fuck sake! But I will wake up early one day. Not for colours but beacuse tourists. :)
i really don't mind it, if i have where to sleep after the sunrise :D car with no shade is not that great option :D