Dubrovnik, Croatia

Photos of Dubrovnik, Croatia

I’ve travelled to some pretty photogenic cities.  Places like Paris and Rome seem to always have a great shot just waiting to be taken.  However, I’m not sure if there’s a place in the world as perfect for photography as Dubrovnik, Croatia.  

As you’ll see from the photos of Bubrovnik below, there is just such a wide variety of things that one can capture in the city.  From pictures of Dubrovnik city wall to wild seascapes, there’s really a lot to be taken.

Looking back at my images from Dubrovnik, I’m a little bit disappointed in myself that I didn’t spend more time trying to capture the human element of things in the city as well.  There were lots of interesting characters in the city worth of a photograph, but I was probably too focused on the non-living elements of the city.

Anyways, there are photos of Dubrovnik churches as well as lots of shots of the city wall being battered by the rugged Croatian sea below.  In case you’re interested, I’ve also included small captions in regards to how I shot the images within each photo.  Enjoy!

The Cobble Streets of Old Town

There are photo locations around every corner in Dubrovnik. In fact, you find so many great images just by walking around the old town’s cobbled streets and alleys. The pedestrian alleys are awesome especially at dawn as the city wakes up.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
We fought with rain a bit in Dubrovnik, but generally rain means nice clouds, and nice clouds tend to mean pretty pictures.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
The alley ways in Dubrovnik made for some cool images. I shot more than I kept, as is often the case with this type of photography. But this was an image I liked because it really seemed to tell a story.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
I used the rule of two/thirds and the line of the main walk in Dubrovnik for this photo. There really isn’t anything special about the way it was shot, it was just perfect light.

The Old Port of Dubrovnik

During the blue hour of morning, I headed out to the old port of the city. I was hoping to find a bit of a direct line of view of the walls of the old city. Instead, I found beautiful light and boats in the port. It’s not the best photo location in Dubrovnik, but it works.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
As the light turned blue at dusk, I headed for water. I wanted to use a slow shutter speed and create a smooth scene. I also used a gradient ND filter to bring the most out of the clouds
Dubrovnik, Croatia
This was the second dusk image I shot. I really wanted to give a fairy tale look to the image so I softened it by using a nice warm white balance.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
One our second day in town, we went up to take some pictures of Dubrovnik city wall and came away with some cool shots. Climbing the wall, I got a nice perspective of the city and was able to grab some photos combining the wall, the city, and the sea.

Photos from The City Walls of Dubrovnik

Easily my favourite place in Dubrovnik to take pictures is up on the city walls. You can basically walk entirely around the city on the walls and there’s a non-stop array of photos to be made from up here. In fact, I think my highest selling photo ever from Croatia is from up here.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Loved the rooftops in Dubrovnik and I probably took way too may images of them. This one was a keeper thanks to the church peeking out above all the red shingles.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Sometimes you just get really lucky with the light. This scene was painted by perfect afternoon light and a nice blanket of clouds.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
In my youth, I was a basketball player. Thus, seeing this amazing basketball court in Dubrovnik really made me want to strap on the kicks and get out there and play.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Another one of the pictures of Dubrovnik city wall that I liked. It reminds me of Game of Thrones, and I guess it should since much of the show is filmed here.

The Basilica and Main Square of Dubrovnik

In the main square of old town, there is a cathedral and some alley ways. You can find some fun angles to photograph the dome of the church. I think dawn is ideal as it’s the quietest time of day.

Dubrovnik church
When walking back to the main square in Dubrovnik to photography the church, I stumbled upon this scene. The framing of he church was perfect and made for what I think is a pretty cool image.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Another framing shot using the pillars and the Dubrovnik Cathedral.

Dubrovnik West Harbour

The west harbour grew in fame when it was featured so readily on Game of Thrones. In fact, there are walking tours of Dubrovnik entirely devoted to going to filming locations from the TV series. This is one of them, and it just happens to also be an awesome photo location.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
I love the power of this image. It just seems to look like a scene out of a movie. I got this shot by using a 30 second shutter speed and I again used my gradient ND filter.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
I think this is my favourite picture of Dubrovnik. It’s powerful and again has that movie scene look to it.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
The old fort in Dubrovnik made a challenging photo target as it was so brightly lit up and everything around it was so dark. Still, I think this picture came out quite cool.

Visiting Dubrovnik for Photography?

Obviously Dubrovnik is photogenic. And it’s a great place to visit any time of year. However, I’d highly recommend visiting outside of the usual cruise ship season. Town absolutely swells when the cruise ships are in port and it can be chaos. That said, you can still find lots of peace for your photography early in the morning.

Personally, I think you’ll want two full days in town to cover all your photo options. Ideally, three or four days are even better.