Petrified: Nenad Saljic

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

Croatian photographer Nenad Saljic was born in 1961. Since he was12 years old, Nenad has held a fascination and passion for photography that has evolved into his present black-and-white practice. While also establishing a successful industry career in Croatia, Nenad’s enormous skill and photographic sight offer us a plethora of images rich in both contrast and content. As a a Certified Caving Instructor and Mountain Rescuer, Nenad is able to capture the beauty of the under-belly of a natural world so few of us are privvy to, creating sublime imagery brimming with myth and beauty.

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

About Petrified

”Caves, together with the oceans, are the last unexplored areas on Earth. Geological forces have been shaping some astonishing natural forms in caves for millions of years. This is a hidden world full of disheartening beauty, fantastic and mythological creatures, organic shapes and forms beyond our wildest imagination, spiritual and religious symbols, pictures and objects of striking beauty.

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

As a caver I have an opportunity to see unseen places – our planet’s interior. By photographing in the caves one is facing with two opposite problems: not enough light, and too much light – at the entrance which is usually visually the most attractive place. However, the abundance of directional natural light actually impairs vision and makes a radius around the entrance hardly visible for naked eye. Specifically this zone between the light and total darkness is the object of the “Petrified” series. I was interested in this area from the beginning of my speleo-photographic journey, however it took years to change my habits of observation and to discover new and far greater dimensions in semidarkness.

I am discovering the underground world that has not been seen this way by human eyes until now; a world which lets your imagination flourish and petrifies your body.” – Nenad Saljic.

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

From ‘Petrified’ © Nenad Saljic

To view more of Nenad’s work, visit his website here.