Around the World in Analogue: Slovenia (Ljubljana & Idrija)

In this edition of Around the World in Analogue, we learn about film photographer Sara Brunacci's recent visit to Slovenia's capital of Ljubljana and the UNESCO World Heritage town of Idrija, which is known for lacemaking and mining.

She took photos using the Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal, loaded with an expired Lomography Earl Grey B&W 120 ISO 100 film stock. Let's hear her stories!

Name: Sara Brunacci
LomoHome: @saragypsy
Social Media: Facebook – Sara Gypsy Brunacci
Camera: Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal
Film: Earl Grey B&W 120 ISO 100 (Expired)
Location: Slovenia (Ljubljana & Idrija)

The mountainous and heavily-forested country of Slovenia is known for its rich culture and diverse terrains. Bordered by Austria and Hungary in the North, and Croatia and Italy on its East and West, respectively, it boasts Alpine regions, lush river valleys and diverse flora and fauna.

My partner and I went on an adventure in Slovenia this summer. We planned to visit Ljubljana and we made a spontaneous pit stop in Idrija on the way to it. Slovenia is such a generous country. Whether you happen to savor the countryside or come across a lovely city there is always something to uncover.

Idrija is mainly known for mercury mines and lace-making, only known I’d say. Indeed, we were lucky to stumble upon the žlikrofi festival that day, namely a celebration of the Slovenian traditional miner’s food that resembles our Italian tortellini, stuffed with all sorts of delicacies and served in different ways.

The festival’s program included theatre shows, concerts, stands introducing local/regional cuisine and environmentally-friendly workshops. Some photographers stopped by and congratulated us for using analogue cameras, one of them himself took a picture of us, and then invited us to a local party taking place the same night.

The next day we visited the church atop Rožna Hill overlooking Idrija below - that was built by the town’s miners in honor of their patron St. Anthony of Padua, which by chance is where we both come from. Here I took a few pictures of the breathtaking view while hiking up and down the steep staircase of the hill.

We arrived in Ljubljana later that day, and it felt like time-space travel. I’ve loved the city since I saw it for the first time: green, picturesque and baroque. As a traveler, you can smell freedom and diversity. It is known as the “City of Dragons”, you will see them wherever you go. It's funny because a rainbow suddenly appeared behind one of them, and I wanted to see what would happen if I photographed it with a black-and-white roll of film.

The outcome is not quite what I expected, but something turned out nonetheless. Graffiti is to be admired on most walls and surfaces - in Metelkova in particular, an autonomous social and cultural center with a wondrous artistic quality. Out of respect for that place, I haven’t taken any pictures there, but anyone should go and see it themselves!

For those planning to visit Slovenia for themselves, Sara recommends bringing along multiple cameras you're comfortable with, and a selection of various rolls to capture Slovenia's charming and vibrant colors.

Before leaving we sat for a coffee and I had a chance to imprint on my Lomo Lubitel some of the figures that were strolling us by. My major aim was to take a maximum of a couple of frames, and they alone had to capture the soul that the city had in my eyes...it did happen!

I suggest getting lost and lost again. Slovenia is beautiful and diverse: from the green and blue nuances prevailing in its nature, to the greys and browns of the city with vivid splatters. Always be versatile and able to explore a wide spectrum of possibilities.

In Metelkova, for example, color is the best idea. You are not supposed to take pictures of people, for privacy reasons, but you are allowed to photograph the art, which is astonishingly tinted and varied. Also, it is likely that you will be delighted by a sudden rainbow!

This trip has inaugurated my first black and white, and 120 film format. I am kind of new to the camera, so I forgot to wind on between frames and these were indeed magnificent mistakes! I ended up with unexpected and tasty multiple exposures.

In any case, I have always favored color photography, and my other two 35 mm cameras over this one, but since I have used this Earl Grey B&W 120 ISO 100 on my Lomo Lubitel in Slovenia I have learned to experience a new way of looking at the world, so much that it has replaced the others for my day-to-day shots.

An ongoing solo exhibition of my color photography project is taking place in Padua until the end of January, after that, I think I am going to organize the next one…including only Earl Grey and other black-and-white magic. Una sola moltitudine is my first photography exhibition project.

Sara's first exhibition Una sola moltitudine features 12 photos taken in Italy and Germany. According to her, the photos "manifest a world of beautiful mistakes - spontaneity without rules, poses or tripods."

It is a hymn to human, animal, vegetable, and stone life. A glorification of contradiction, I would say. The 12 photos portray lone subjects as I feel that we all are: separate universes, though relating to each other. I conceived them as opposing couples, each standing in contrast to the others. The exhibition at RetròGusto Bistrot in Padua started on the 8th of November 2022 and will stay up until February 2023.

I mostly used LomoChrome Purple, LomoChrome Metropolis and some expired rolls. The cameras are a Nikon Fe10 and a Zenit 122. Apart from some minor adjustments, I haven't seriously edited any pictures. I like my photos in their birthday suits.

Many thanks to Sara for sharing her images and stories with us! We wish her best of luck on her current and future exhibitions. To check out more of her work, visit her LomoHome.

Want to take us Around the World in Analogue? Drop a line to aj.bajo@lomography.com with the subject Around the World in Analogue and share your unforgettable travels with the rest of the community! Read the guidelines here.

written by sylvann on 2023-02-24 #people #places #around-the-world #slovenia #ljubljana #lomo-lubitel-166-universal #around-the-world-in-analogue #earl-grey-b-w-120-iso-100 #idrija