SUNCE

My work with the Roma and refugees is at once enigmatically enervating and energizing. On the days when I'm drained by the enormity of the situation, glorious sunsets recharge my drive, and for that I owe them a great deal. So I'm dedicating this post to Apollo, the sun or sunce.

I recently posted some sunset photos from my room, but the following were taken from the glorious Kalemegdan Park, which Belgradians regard as the optimal sunset observation deck.

Meet "Pobednik" (meaning "the victor," the figure on the left). He was erected to commemorate Serbia's victories over the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Balkan Wars and WWI. Still he stands for Serbian might and patriotic ardor:

The following photos are from tonight's sunset as seen from a new spot in the fortress. I emerged from a 90-minute interview about the Roma around 4pm to see that the sky showed signs of a promising sunset, so I dashed to the fortress in an invigorating race against the sun. As a photo-dilettante I'm beginning to play with the manual features of my camera which has led me to realize what's been said many times over: it's all about how you use light. Since the light inevitably changes as the sun descends, it becomes a game of how best to tinker with the settings. These show the sky's transformation from a couple of angles:

Because I'm quite light-sensitive I usually wake with the sun (around 6:30am these days) and watch the sky change color from my room. Sometimes I'll seek out a better view. These three capture the sunrise taken on an overpass near the Dunav:

I wish you sunny days ahead!