belgrade

backyard vegetable garden update

---- our garden looks amazing, it's growing like crazy, we already ate some radishes and lettuce ....

back in nyc

commie spot

This is the best trip to Belgrade so far. I'm even having a better time than when I lived here. We are meeting some very friendly people every day, and people are in general very good to us. I guess it's because we are positive so people feel good energy from us.
The other day we were walking around the neighborhood taking pictures, and some drunk guy invited us to his 'basement bar' to show us something interesting to shoot. Oh my god! Old communist flags, big framed photo of TITO, all kinds of communist memorabilia .... later I found out that this is where all the local alcoholics hang out in Winter (I guess in the summer they're just roaming the streets)

here are some snaps that my wife took

maya loves tomatoes, dogs too

DREZNIK

The other day we drove 3 hours south-west of Belgrade, to the village of Dreznik - up in the mountains, 8km from the main road, 650 meters above sea level.
Amazing. People greeted us like we've known each other forever, served us homemade rakija, spinach pie, cheese, kajmak and bread; and when I say HOMEMADE, it's literally all grown on their land. They have their own wheat fields, they mill their own flour, they have cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, they grown fruits and vegetables. 4 generations of the family live on that property.
The air is fresh there, I think spending 2-3 months per year in that environment would extend your life for 10 years.
People are unspoiled, simple and honest, kind and generous. You can't find people like that in any city. Cities suck.

if you are in London

Check out the group exhibition that I'm a part of at the LAZARIDES GALLERY'S new location @ 11 RATHBONE PLACE.

2/3 of my intern force, brandon and jook

my dad's minox/leica

I was digging through some of my dad's old equipment and found this MINOX - LEICA COPY 3 megapixel digital camera I got for him 5 years ago ... cute little toy + it's the closest I've ever gotten to owning a leica.

new belgrade etc

my wife's photos are getting better and better -----> here are some snapshots from yesterday - we walked for miles, crossed the bridge to New Belgrade, got really tired, took the bus back. I'm shooting like a madman, so inspired. And it's mostly color, so whatever I already shot in b&w now has a completely different dimension .... ok, I'm shooting some b&w too, although we all know that's for total losers.

the cutest + the smartest baby ever!

digging through some old photo albums, here I am as a baby - shot by my dad; the negatives don't exist anymore - a whole box full of his + my grandfather's negatives got stolen when we moved. aaaaaaaaaaaaagh !

KORACICA, KOSMAJ

Our friends live on the mountain of Kosmaj, in KORACICA village, an hour drive from Belgrade. He is French, born in Paris, she is from Belgrade but lived in Paris for 40 years. They came to Kosmaj to visit 8 years ago, and never left. It's obvious why.
We had a blast - amazing spaces, feeling of freedom, fresh air, friendly locals who took us into their house and served us rakija, chickens, goats, sheep, simple but great life. People who live there live a self-sustaining lifestyle, they produce their own food, brew their own booze, and just do some part time work for time to time.
Life is more physical, probably not easy, but people look happy and totally ok with themselves, they are kind to each other and to strangers ... complete opposite to the angry faces that you see in big cities, wheather New York or Belgrade.












We drove around a lot, went to the mountain top and then on the way back visited TRESIJE, the local monastery. One of the monks greeted us and invited us in, great great energy. As we were leaving the monastery, a little boy ran to my wife and gave her a flower laurel that he made ... very very very touching.


From here, life in New York feels like a bad dream, like a prison sentence. Anger, frustration, life that is about money and fame, and other ridiculous things. Do I feel like going back? ha, of course not. Who knows, I might just stay in KORACICA for a while. I wish.

cheers,

BOOGIE, KORACICA BASED PHOTOGRAPHER :)