Portrait of Jeanne Nokin by Georges Gilon c.1913

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Night on the Sea

A heavy glow of after burn was lingering in the sky as I took these images. I vividly remember coming up to the edge of the beach, setting up my tripod, and gazing into the distance. Everything was calm and at peace. Sounds of birds could be heard in the far distance, and the waves were slowly arriving at the shore, making the most tranquil sounds.

The sea was very forgiving and calm, which provided great opportunity for some long exposure photography, but more on that later.

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Somewhere in the distance, far city lights are burning up and getting ready for the night ahead.

I shared this image before, but wanted to do again here, since it belongs in this set with the others. This pier was so beautiful to walk on. The steps leading into the sea added a special touch.

This is an example of long exposure photography. I shoot this in manual mode, and a 25 sec exposure. This created a milky effect on the surface of the water which was moving. The stones remained untouched and sharp. What fascinated me later on, was how deep into the water I could see.

Then the moon shoved up from behind the hills. Heavy set with an orange glow. What a sight in person. Another long exposure shot almost did this sight justice.

I hope you enjoyed taking a stroll with me on the nightly beaches.
Are you a fan of long exposure photography?

Georges Gilon c.1913

Family portrait at roannay, belgium photographed by Georges Gilon c.1913

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Three Layer Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

I know it seems like I have spent April baking cakes and cooking dinners, but it is the month of my dad's and mom's birthdays. Having made a Traditional Chocolate Cake for my dad recently, it was time to do something for my mom's birthday, which is today. I settled on a creation of my own: a three layer chocolate cheesecake. It has a nice digestive biscuits crust, a rich chocolate cream layer, a traditional cheesecake filling and a lighter sour cream vanilla topping. Even though it sounds like a lot, it's actually a very simple cake to make, that doesn't take many steps.

I made this late at night, so I didn't have the proper light, nor the patience to shoot the process, but I just couldn't not share this delicious cake with you.

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Ingredients: 

Crust
280 gr (9 ounces) of digestive biscuits
100 gr (1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
150 gr (10 tablespoons) of melted unsalted butter

Ganache
350 ml ( 1 1/2 cups) whipping cream
400 gr (14 ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Cream Cheese Filling
600 gr (20 ounces) of cream cheese, at room temperature
150 gr (3/4 cups) sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs, large

Topping
360 ml (1 1/2 cups) sour cream
60 gr (1/3 cup) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Make Crust:Grind the digestive biscuits (you can use other cookies you like) and then add them together with the sugar into a bowl. Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch-diameter spring form pan. Wrap plastic wrap around fingers and press crumb mixture firmly up the sides and bottom of pan.

Make Ganache:Bring 300 ml (1 cup) cream to simmer in large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Whip the rest of the cream (50 ml - 1/2 cup) until soft peaks form. Fold in the beaten cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour over the crumbs in the pan and freeze for 30 minutes until ganache layer is firm.

Make Cream Cheese filling: Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 175°C (350°F). Using electric mixer, beat the cream cheese (I use Philadelphia) and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Scrape down bowl, making sure you get to the bottom, where little pockets of unmixed cream cheese love to hide. Beat in flour. Add the vanilla and lemon juice; beat into cream cheese mixture. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition.

Pour filling over cold ganache in crust — it will go nearly all of the way to the top, but that's how it should be. Place cheesecake on a baking sheet. Bake until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges, and the center two inches moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 60 minutes. 

After baking cool the cake 15 minutes while preparing topping, but maintain the oven temperature.

Make Topping:Whisk sour cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a medium bowl to blend. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Make sure to do this gently, because if you just pour it over all at once you could crack the gentle top layer. Bake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and let it cool. Refrigerate the cheesecake until cool, about three hours, but it's best when you leave it over night in the refrigerator.

I hope you enjoyed the post and that you liked the recipe. Are you cheesecake fans? If yes you will definitely enjoy this decadent version of it.

Jules Gervais Courtellemont 1929

View of the city as seen from the fountain of Santa Maria in Santiago de Compostela, Spain by Jules Gervais Courtellemont 1929

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In the Land of Awakenings [Spring Impressions]

It's a comforting notion that spring returns and comes to bloom every year. Right now we are experiencing the full palate of colors and smells. Out of them a beauty is born. It may not be the same everywhere, but it is there nevertheless. There is nothing quite like nature to provide colors, depth and emotions. 

These shots were taken not far away from our weekend cottage. I love the rich colors that I was able to get because of the weather we are having right now. I deliberately lingered on close-ups, since I wanted to show as much details as possible.

"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."
~ Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

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Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed the shots!

Lagartera, Spain by Jules Gervais Courtellemont 1914

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It's almost that time of year again...

...when life is careless, days are long, nights are warm, and the sun sets with the most glorious colors. There is nothing like a sunset on the open sea. Sometimes I long for those colors. I wanted to share some of them with you in the post and I hope you will enjoy them. 

Let's daydream for a moment together.

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I also wanted to mentioned again that you can find my photography page on Facebook. If you have a Facebook profile, simply click here to visit and make sure to hit the "Like" button to like the page, so you can stay updated. I'm planing some good stuff for the page!

Jules Gervais Courtellemont 1924

Woman dressed in clothing typical of Lagartera in Toledo, Spain by Jules Gervais Courtellemont 1924

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Jules Gervais-Courtellemont (1863–1931) was a French photographer who was famous for taking color autochromes during World War I.

Above the City [Part 3/3]: Return into the Valley

In the final part of the "Above the City" series, we make our way back the city, driving down the hills, back into the Mostar Valley. Some of the darkness had lifted, and the clouds parted to make room for the sun, which gave a beautiful light to the surroundings. Let's take a final look at the slopes around Mostar...

This is a multi-part series. Other parts include:
Part One: The Great Plains
Part Two: Mountain Velez
Part Three: Return into the Valley

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When you view this rock from the city, it seems like it's just part of the mountain slopes, but when you drive up and look at it from behind, you will see the slopes leading up to the rock itself, dividing it from the rest of the landscape.

Can you spot the sheep on the slopes? They are a bit blended into the grass.

After a couple of minutes, the hills gave way to the view of the city.

The southern part of Mostar. From up here you can see it all.

This was a perfect place for another short stop. I like this shot, because it perfectly combines nature and city, which is something these regions are known for. You never have to drive far to see some beautiful nature. 

Another shot of Mostar. The last image I took. The rest of the way, was our drive back to the main road from which our journey started.

- The End -

Update: For those of you who have Facebook, I wanted to let you know that you can find "Mersad Donko Photography" on Facebook. You can like the page and stay updated with new images and behind the scenes shots. The page is www.facebook.com/mersaddonkophotography

 

Dovima 1958

Dovima wearing a dress with cape by Norman Norell for Harper’s Bazaar, February 1958

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Above the City [Part 2/3]: Mountain Velez

In part two we visit the summit of mountain Velez. In part one we made the drive up to the plains above Mostar, and in this second part we drove further inland, closer to the mountain.

Velez mountain is a mountain in the south-central part of the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The three largest communities in the Mount Velez Region are Nevesinje, which is located in a secluded mountain valley; Blagaj, which is located near the source of the Buna River (click here to see that series); and Podvelezje which is situated below the summit of Velez (which we are visiting in this series). 

The mountain overlooks, Mostar. The Velez mountain was named after one of the old Slavic gods Velse. The highest Velez peak is called Botin and it is 1,969 meters high.

This is a multi-part series. Other parts include:
Part One: The Great Plains
Part Two: Mountain Velez
Part Three: Return into the Valley

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These parts are mostly barren landscapes, but this pine tree forest, located just along the road, was a welcome sight. We even saw a rabbit jumping happily along.

The first houses show up, just a couple of miles after you reach the plains. The harsh living conditions, caused by wind and snow, sometimes cuts these houses off from the rest of the world.

On top of this hill we found an old, run down structure, which I believe was a army base in the second world war (judging from the looks). If I find out more I'll let you know.

After visiting the mountain slopes of Velez, we took the drive back into the valley, where I made some of the best photos from this trip. But I'll share those in the final, third part!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend.