Taken in Tirana, Albania, 2010.

Saranda, Albania, 2010.

Kruja, Albania, 2010.

Kruja, Albania, 2010.

Himara, Albania, 2010.

Syri i kalter/Blue Eye, Sarande, Albania (see the "F"?)

Lake in Pogradec, Albania, 2010.

The Blue Eye is a natural phenomenon occurring in Saranda, Albania. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than fifty-meter-deep pool. Divers have only been able to descend to fifty meters, and to this day it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is.

Munich, Germany, 2010.

Castle of Kruja, representing the Albanian national hero of the fifteenth century – Gjergj Kastriot Skenderbeg. It is evaluated as one of the most significant medieval constructions in Albania.

Munich, Germany, 2010.

Toronto, August 2010.

Toronto, July 2010.

My main objective here was to form some eye-catching lines through ordinary objects. Lines can be useful in helping the viewer work his way (or her way, for those feminists out there who like gender neutrality) through the image. So they help add a powerful dynamic to a photo. In this image, there are two main layers of interest: the straight vertical lines, and the diagonal lines formed by the intersecting circles. Also, the distinct contrast of the dirt and the black and white effect just make it look, so, damn, cool. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find some beer to wash the taste of nerd out of my mouth.

This photo, taken in Porto Palermo, Albania, contains the fortress of Ali Pashe Tepelena, an Albanian ruler during the 1700s. The fortress, in case you can't see it, is located in the small island in the middle right side of the photo. And yes, the picture was taken from a moving car. While taking photos from the car, train, or any other moving vehicles, the closer objects will be shown as the most vague, which explains why the blurriness is especially visible on the bottom left corner of the picture, cleverly covered by my signature. The ones in the remoteness, such as the mountains and the tiny fortress, will be vague the smallest amount. And in case you're thinking that the picture looks ill-composed, that the fortress could have been more of a focal point, and that I should have probably taken the time to get out of the car and take a proper picture of a national treasure with great cultural significance, well, maybe you should stop being so critical! It's the thought that counts.

I took this photo in Durres, Albania, just half an hour drive away from the capital city of Tirana. It was early summer, which explains the lack of crowds there. The focal point here is the tree, as it breaks the otherwise peaceful, if not dull, imagery and it provides for a place for the eye to rest. Another thing to remember is that horizons should never be sloping, but should almost always be horizontal. This photo is best enjoyed when having Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" playing in the background, while imagining an inadequately clothed Helena Christensen look-alike dancing around. Imagination, it's a good thing.

Here's a photo taken in Dhermi, Albania. Travelling and getting out in nature to capture some of the amazing beauty that you see is one of my favorite things to do and photograph. Being able to afford to travel and to find the time to get out is a different story. (Subtle hint: Click on the ads to the right.) It also comes down to being lucky while scoping out different locations, as oftentimes they are rarely the magical places that you expect them to be after hearing your grandparents fondly describing them as such with tears rolling down their wrinkly, tubby, smelling-like-freshly-baked-cookies cheeks. Mmmm. Freshly baked cookies.

Night photography can be a fun activity. That is, if your definition of fun involves taking photos in the coldest part of the day and waiting for long periods of time for the right exposure. The results, however, can be rewarding, as the camera is able to pick up details that will often escape our human eyes. This photo is best enjoyed if stared at pensively from different angles with squinty eyes, preferably while having some Shakira playing in the background. Yes, Classy is my middle name.

This photo was taken at a rocky beach in the south of Albania. Walking there can be tricky and a bit of a pain. This was a shell I almost stepped on while going for a swim, but instead I decided to take a photo of it. Then, I furiously and repeatedly stepped on it, breaking it into tiny little pieces. No, I actually brought it home with me and managed not to break it. True story.