I’ve said it many times before – one of my favorite things to do is photograph a talented athlete in a breathtaking location. A photo shoot I did with Luka Kovačić, the Slovenian mountain runner, was nothing less than that. We visited Durmitor mountain range in Montenegro just before the Durmitor Trail Run in which was competing. I love Durmitor because it is an outstanding backdrop for photography, and for this particular occasion we choose two of its spectacular points. The first was Vražje Jezero (Devil’s Lake), located at an altitude between 1,411 and 1,500 meters within Durmitor National Park. This glacial lake is one of the 18 famous “mountain eyes,” with distinctive turquoise-blue water that shifts its shade depending on the season and time of day. A truly mesmerizing sight.
We also made some photos at Durmitor Ring, a spectacular panoramic road that loops around the Durmitor massif. That is aplace where Durmitor begins telling its story, and we were, in a way, part of it. I always say when you have a scenery like this and an amazing athlete, such as Luka, it is easy to capture great photos. The ones that represent the true nature of the sport, beauty of the location, but more importantly, the spirit of the athlete. From start to finish, we had a relaxed and friendly atmosphere which contributed to the overall results.
ABOUT LUKA KOVACIC
Luka Kovacic is a mountain and skyrunning athlete, born and raised in Slovenia, in a sporting family. Since childhood, he gravitated toward extreme endurance challenges and developed a passion for steep vertical trails and high‑altitude terrain. As part of a new generation of Slovenian trail and mountain runners, Luka blends speed, stamina, and mountain expertise in all his pursuits. He is known for scaling Slovenia’s highest peak in just 30 minutes and for one of his most ambitious adventures – traversing Slovenia’s five highest summits in under 14 hours (13 h 56 min to be exact), surpassing even his own expectations.
Aside his solo challenges, Luka also competes. His recent achievements include third place at the 2025 Monte Rosa SkyMarathon & SkySummit, victory at the Smarna Gora Mountain Run, multiple wins at Red Bull 400 events, and numerous standout performances in trail and skyrunning competitions across Europe.