The global scope of GFF is once again confirmed as we present Montenegrian fishy photographer Nikola Novovic
Nikola Novovic sent me a mail:
"Hello, I am from the small country Montenegro, at the Mediterranean in southern Europe. My country has become a very popular destination for fly fishing in the last few years, because we have a large number of very clear mountain rivers and lakes with only wild fish, just one hour from the sea and beaches.
Trout, grayling, marble trout, softmouth trout, hucho-hucho, endemic trouts... all are common spices in the Montenegrian rivers. I have been a fly fisherman for ten years, and also a photographer. I write articles for fly fishing magazine in our country and columns about fly fishing in a daily newspaper. I saw your page about photography and I wanted to share my photos with you and your readers. If you want I can send a link to my web site to see some of my work.
Regards."
I immediately returned to Nikola with the usual pitch for the Fishy Photographers, and he soon replied. Here's what he wrote back:
a) How did you start photographing - and what made you choose fishing related photos in particular?
When I was a little boy, my father bought a Polaroid Color camera for our family trips. I was playing around with it and now I know that the passion for taking photos was started there, in my young age.
I started fishing 20 years ago, when I was a teenager, and soon I bought my first digital camera, because I found it very important to show to my friends all the beautiful scenery that was in front of my eyes every time I was fishing.
For the last couple of years I have started to work as a guide through the Simms Fishing Guide program at the travel agency Montenegro Fishing Paradise (formerly Montenegro Outdoor & More), specializing in fishing, because for the last years my country has become a popular destination for fly fishing in Europe.
So I invested in some professional photo gear and took my passion for photography to another level, taking photos of my friends from all over the globe. Now I find myself mostly catching a moment through my lens, and fishing only when need to show some tips for inexperienced anglers. Of course, I do a lot of fly fishing just for myself, because I think it is a good recipe for a long life.
b) Do you have a particular subject, region or a style of pictures that you mainly shoot or are you more all-round?
I am in love with nature. I am a family man with a full time job, but for me it's very important to spend a lot of quality time outdoors.
My country has the mountains in its name. It's made of mountains and rivers and lakes, but still have a beautiful Mediterranean coast and sunny beaches. So I often find myself outdoors, looking at that beautiful landscapes through my lens. Of course the unique moments from my fly fishing trips are my main points of interest.
c) Where are your photos used? Books, magazines, brochures, ads, web sites, prints, gallery exhibits or other places?
I write articles about fly fishing for a daily newspaper and a local fly fishing magazine, and some of my photos are used for advertising for fly fishing in my country and by the travel agency I work for. I hope that my photos will catch some interest internationally, especially now that I work as a guide for people from other countries.
d) Is photography your main source of income - if at all a source of income - and do you do other jobs as a supplement?
No, I have a full time job that helps me enjoy my two passions: fly fishing and photography. So maybe the word "freelance" best describes me as a photographer.
e) Can people buy your pictures and if so, then in which form and where?
Yes, I have my photography web page, and my Facebook profile, so everyone can contact me. I have a lot of unpublished photos, so only a part of my work is in my online portfolios.
f) Where do you currently live and work?
I live and work in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro in the central part of country. My country is very small, so from my town I only need to drive one hour to get to the north by the deepest canyon in the Europe below some of the highest mountains. If I drive about half an hour from my town to the south, I am at the sunny Mediterranean beach.
g) What's in your bag? Preferred cameras, bodies, lenses and other gear?
My gear list is short, because I find it hard to bring all the gear I wish to have. After some time I found that two or three lenses did the job for me.
So I am equipped with a Nikon D300s body, a Nikon 50mm prime lens, a Tamron 17-50 f2.8, and a Nikon 70-300mm zoom lens.
In my bag I also found room for a flash, triggers, ND Graduated filters, CPL filters, a light carbon travel tripod, spare memory cards, and extra batteries.
For great macro shots, especially in some hard angles, I found that a Canon G12 is an outstanding little camera with full manual controls and the capability to take a RAW files.
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