Welcome / Dobrodošli — and thank you for visiting my photography website!
Originally from the beautiful city of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, I currently reside in the Seattle area, Washington state. If you happen to wonder where Bosnia is, it’s situated in Southeast Europe, or as many historians and travel writers would say, it’s located right in the heart of Europe (also, Bosnia is heart-shaped, so it is the heart within the heart). Bosnia is famous for the world’s most delicious coffee, which has to be savored with a rose or walnut lokum on the side. Also, it is the only country in Europe which actually has a rainforest! Not to mention that more than half the country is covered in magnificently beautiful mountains and mountain lakes. In many ways, the nature is pretty similar to what you see in the Washington state, which is largely why I have gotten accustomed to calling this part of the U.S. my second home now.
How I got into photography? I am not a professional photographer by training (I work in the global health field), however, photography has been my hobby and passion for more than 20 years! Some of my first baby photos include me chewing on different parts of a camera, ranging from a camera stand to lenses and a detachable flash mount (most certainly, not the best baby food!). During my childhood, I found cameras very fascinating. The whole process of capturing a life story, a memory, the emotions and shared moments with family and friends seemed enticing. My father — an electrical and software engineer by training — has always been an avid fan of photography, with an amazing collection of encyclopedias, photography guidebooks and manuals, and a small but beautiful collection of analogue cameras and equipment. I remember rushing back home from school to read all these encyclopedias and manuals, and to work with my father on developing photographs directly from a film reel. My parents and I would often go on field trips in nature, where we would use up at least two entire reels of film per trip. This would be followed by several days of film development, and then the joy of sorting the freshly developed photographs into one of those heavy photo albums (so that it stays as a memory to peruse through time and time again). Overtime, photographic processing has become more complex to do in one’s own home, given the replacement of analogue cameras with the digital ones — and in most instances, acquiring film and all the remaining equipment needed to develop a photograph has become increasingly difficult and costly.
Why the focus on animal and nature photography? We live in a world of rapid development and production, where the places around us are exposed to major changes all the time. While these changes have brought along many conveniences, they have also resulted in the destruction of natural habitats, air pollution, deforestation, the eradication of a number of animal species, and reduced biodiversity. In the last four decades:
- Wildlife populations have dwindled.
- The population of freshwater species has declined by 76%, according to the London Zoological Society.
- Due to unusually high temperatures in the region–after 75 years–anthrax has returned to the Russian town of Salekhard situated in the Arctic circle, resulting in 2,300 deaths of reindeer and infecting five adults and two children.
- Coral reefs around the world are dying.
- A recent study published in the Nature Climate Change predicts that polar bears will likely become extinct by 2100.
- Many places once abundant in vegetation and wildlife are now covered in industrial waste.
What I’m hoping to accomplish through my photographs is to show animals in their true essence, beauty, intricacy and spontaneity, and in harmony with nature and its surroundings. Photography is largely about telling a story through a visual medium, and my photographs aim to tell the story of the necessity of wildlife, our rootedness with the spirit of place, and the interdependence between humans and all living and non-living things on this great, sacred sphere we call Earth. I am also hoping that my photographs inspire each and every one of us to take better care of our environment and to respect our remaining natural habitats. Finally, I am hopeful that the world of nature and animals depicted through my camera lens can broaden one’s perception of the world and raise awareness of the importance of every plant, insect, bird, beast, and flower on this planet.
I challenge you to sit back in your most comfortable spot in your home and immerse yourself in the world of nature and animals through my photography!
Maja Pašović