ChrisLast summer we were in Slovenia, including at Lake Bled. We were on our way home when we returned from our roadtrip by Croatia and decided to linger for a few days. Lake Bled, located in the Julien Alps on the border with Austria, is truly as serene and magical as it looks in pictures. In fact, a visit to this romantic lake is so surreal that your brain can barely comprehend it. I know, these are bizarre claims I'm making here but I'll prove it to you!
What I want to show you in this article are the unique images I made there, from the air with a drone. They may be the best photos and videos from my personal archive and I hope you don't enjoy them as much as I do.
Cinematic Drone Video of Lake Bled
Let's start with the beautiful cinematic drone video I shot there, you can watch it at the top of this page ☝️☝️☝️
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This day we got up especially at 06:00 to take a fresh morning dive in Lake Bled and to be able to fly the drone early in the morning, so that we are not a burden to anyone.
The water was quite fresh, despite it being the middle of summer (August). The area is located in the mountains and it cools down quite a bit at night, but don't let that stop you from taking a fresh morning dive! Jump into the clear, mirror-smooth water as the low-hanging clouds move between the mountains around you. No sound of cars or screaming children, just you and nature. Getting out early is really great here.
After this lovely fresh morning dive I conjured up the drone. Traffic started slowly as the town awakens around 06:30 am. The sun could already be seen behind the mountains and slowly it became light. The rest is history.
Also read: Amsterdam from the air (with a drone) in 4K
From December 31, 2020 it is mandatory for individuals and companies to obtain an EU Drone Certificate. You can achieve this quickly and easily via Drone Class's online courses with exams. This allows you to fly in a responsible manner.
The 'EU drone driving license' is also accepted outside the EU in most cases, so it is advisable to have it with you at all times when you take your drone into the air, anywhere in the world.
- 100% success rate
- profitable price
- online training
HDR Drone photos of Lake Bled
If you're wondering what I'm flying with: I'm flying with the DJI Mavic 2 drone because it is super compact (so ideal for traveling), yet it is equipped with a 4k camera. At the time of writing, this drone with all the necessities (Fly More Pack) costs about 900 euros. If you want to buy one for yourself, it's for sale here via bol.com!
That said, of course I also took some beautiful HDR photos of Lake Bled. The photos below were all shot with the drone in 5-layer HDR. That is, each photo you see below is 5 different photos taken at the same time, very quickly, one after the other, each with a different exposure. When you put these on top of each other, you get a great HDR effect. Google Photos automatically does this for you if you have one. I have not edited the photos further these are just the originals I uploaded and after 5 minutes Google gives me the HDR versions which you can see below.
Enough about the technique, time for some unprecedentedly beautiful pictures of Lake Bled, from the air. Which of the 6 photos below is your favorite?
Also read: The Azores | Breathtaking destination for drone photographers
Hiking around Lake Bled
Of course you can also enjoy this beautiful lake without a drone. If you continue for about 1,5 hours, you can take a lovely walk around Lake Bled during this time. We did this in the early morning but also at sunset. If you allow 2 to three hours, you can walk around Lake Bled, relax on a bench now and then and just really enjoy it. It doesn't matter from which angle you look at this beautiful lake, no photo can seem to fail here!
Also read: Drone images scooter safari | Murchison Falls
Finally,
Lake Bled is a bucket list destination in my opinion. Have you never been to Lake Bled? Then the images above have probably already convinced you to go! Bled is a breathtaking destination for everyone, but perhaps even more so for drone photographers. If you have a drone, you really can't skip this beautiful place.
It is not a cheap place by the way: the campsites and hotels are expensive and the food is pricey by Dutch standards. But don't let that stop you from going. In a day or two you can view and experience the lake from every angle, it will be beautiful images that will remain on your retina forever, even without a camera.
PS. Do you want to print one of the photos above or use it for something else? That's possible, but please contact me first† They are copyrighted, but I may sell them so that you can hang them on the wall at home.
Until the next blog!
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