I’m an amateur photographer that was based in the windy coastal city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. But have just recently immigrated to Croatia. I would say I am a part-time or freelance photographer but have a feeling that it will take a lifetime to master this art form called photography. Well, that’s what I tell myself when I didn’t take that perfect photo. But I think that’s part of the fun and excitement that has drawn me to photography. And it does play hand in hand with one of my other significant passions, and that’s traveling.

My interest in photography started when I borrowed a Canon 400D body and kit lens from my friend Paul. It was love at first sight, the photography side of things, not the camera. Brand love and GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) kicked in a bit later, and that pretty much spiraled out of control at a rapid pace. My wife & bank manager is still reeling from the financial shockwave that hit them. Found myself upgrading from the borrowed Canon 400D to my very own 500D, then 7D, and finally going full frame with the 5Diii in record time. And with that comes all the glass (Lenses). That’s lots of sexy shiny bits of costly polished glass. Camera lenses are pretty much on every birthday or Christmas list that I hand out to the family each year. And not to mention camera bags of all shapes and sizes. Think I own more bags than my wife.

Ok, that’s all I have to say for the About Me page. I am not that much of a wordsmith and prefer to tell stories with my photos. I plan to add some food recipe pages and whiskey/cognac tasting to this website shortly. Cooking has always been a passion, and of late, whiskey and cognac tasting has grown into a pleasant pass time/hobby. Must admit that wine has never been of interest. Strange as most people into cooking also rave about the different wines they like. It might be that I drank way too much Katemba (Red wine & Coke) when I was young. In Argentina, it’s known as Jesus Juice. In Croatia, Bambus, and Chile, it’s known as Jote, which translates to Black Vulture. And that’s just some of the weird and funky names. But most people know it by its Spanish name Calimocho as it’s believed to have originated from Spain.

And on that rather alcohol-infused ending. Cheers for now!

PS: I recently purchased a mirrorless Fuji XT-1 camera and upgraded it again shortly after that to a Fuju XT-3 body. I got my wife the XT-10 to take on our travels. I will post more information regarding our evolution to this incredible mirrorless system to follow in the coming months. I will probably have an XT-5 by when I get time to update this website again, LOL!

Here are some photos that were taken of my home studio when I first started.

These photos are from our yearly Barbalich Photo Expeditions. Some people call them “holidays,” but we tend to turn them into full-blown expeditions exploring and taking in the local cultures and landscapes. I will be adding some more behind the scenes photos over the coming months. My wife and daughter take most of them.