Winter lace (7th of February 2011)

spruce, hill, snow, PovRay

On Thursday, 3rd of February, I travelled to Opatija. In the direction of coast I usually travel in some warmer times, earliest around Easter, so that this was a new experience for me. It is certain that I, as a child, travelled with my parents to Mošćenička Draga and Lošinj, but I really can't remember it well. Time... This was a journey that I will remember for long time.

spruces, snow

Croatia is a beautiful country. All who have been here know it well. Zagreb is not a good representer of that beauty. It is murky and gray, moist and sticky. That is where I started from around 09:00 am.

Gorski kotar, snow

No sun, its presence can be felt only indirectly, equally from all sides, the sky is a source of ambient white-gray light. Shadows are soft and localized underneath the objects. Karlovac. Gorski kotar. Gorski kotar!

Gorski kotar, snow

White lace of trees covers the hills. Bigger lace made of spruces and smaller lace made of birches?

Gorski kotar, snow

The lace becomes lost in the distance, it merges with the grey sky, and it flashes as I approach to it. I thought to myself how unfortunate it is that there is no sunshine so that the whiteness can flash and stun me even more.

Gorski kotar, snow, spruces

And then, at the place where the mountain surrenders to the sea, where one can almost smell Rijeka, the sky opened. A piece of blue broke through, and almost in the same moment I felt the warmth of orange. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to photograph it so you can only trust my word.

Gorski kotar, snow, spruces

From sticky and moist Zagreb across starched Gorski kotar all to the soft and warm Opatija. Sun. Sea. And it is February!

Gorski kotar, snow, spruces

This "project" started for some other reasons, for the image of hill that I glimpsed somewhere near Lukšići with a view on Medvedgrad. I was shocked then by the nature of light and as soon as I got home I wrote down the following note:

In winter days with lot of clouds, a totally indirect, ambient light, from all directions in about the same manner, is common. This happens due to many clouds and complete hiddenness of the sun and pronounced scattering of sunlight so that the light that comes to the ground, comes practically equally from all directions. It often happens that in addition to this effect there is a white fog. Due to both of these effects the landscape in the distance completely softly merges with the sky, it all "goes to white".
simulation, winter lace

The two images that opened this post are simulations of the light described above, while one can discern a directional source of light in the image above and below.

simulation, winter lace

And, in the end, another simulation of completely indirect light (below), perhaps the most similar to what I saw in Gorski kotar.

simulacija, zimska čipka
<< Pine haiku Swifts in Dubrovnik >>

Last updated on 8th of February 2011.