Photographer in Perast

Looking for a photographer in Perast? Then you're in the right place. I'm Mariia Sosnina, I live in Montenegro, and I shoot all the time in this tiny baroque town on the Bay of Kotor: love story and couple sessions, family shoots, solo portraits and weddings. The stone waterfront, the old palazzi and two islands out on the water make one of the loveliest backdrops in the whole bay. Come with any occasion in mind, and we'll choose the format together.

I work in a fine-art reportage style: calm and unposed, so the photos keep the real you rather than a set of practised poses. I know Perast down to the small details, so I'll point you straight to where a frame comes alive and which hour gives the softer light. Below I'll walk you through the shoots I do in Perast, the best spots in town and by the water, why the light here has to be caught before sunset, and how to book a date.

The shoots I do in Perast

Perast is probably the most compact town on the bay, so any kind of shoot fits into a single unhurried walk along the waterfront. Some couples want an easy session for two, some families want an evening out with the kids, some people want one strong portrait by an old palazzo, and some want a marriage proposal from a boat by the islands or a whole wedding by the water. A typical session runs about an hour and a half at one spot, and in a town this small that's more than enough: every location is a couple of steps away, so there's no driving around just to change the backdrop. Below is a quick look at each type, so you can see right away what suits you. We talk through the details and the price one on one, since I don't keep a single fixed price list for everything at once.

Love story and couple sessions

A couple session in Perast plays out like a walk about the two of you: along the water, past the old palazzi, through the narrow lanes. We take it slowly and catch the real looks, the laughter, the way you hold each other. You simply stroll and talk while I stay close and gently cue you: hold hands here, look out at the islands there. Even people who freeze in front of a camera usually forget about it fast, and the frames come out light and true. Couples on a trip and celebrating an anniversary love this format. You can see what a couple walk through town looks like in the love story shoot in Perast gallery, and more couple stories are gathered in the love story photo session section. And if you have a marriage proposal in mind, that gets its own section just below: Perast has a script all its own for it.

Marriage proposal

Perast is probably the most cinematic spot on the bay to propose: two islands out on the water, a baroque waterfront, quiet evening light. The scenario I love most plays out on a boat. We arrange the boat in advance, head out toward Our Lady of the Rocks, and at the right moment I shoot from the water, from a distance, with a long lens. That way you stay on your own, nobody is crowding the camera, and the moment isn't spoiled. Right after your yes I move in closer, and we slide into an easy couple session to keep those first happy hours while the feeling is still fresh.

I've laid out how to arrange a proposal like this step by step in my guide to the perfect boat proposal in Montenegro. If you'd like a different setting, have a look at my roundup of the best proposal spots in Montenegro. And to see how these shoots look for real, take a look at a real boat proposal in Perast or browse my proposal portfolio.

Family photo sessions

A family shoot in Perast is built around the kids and the mood of the evening, not around perfect poses. We stroll the quiet waterfront, the children stay themselves, and I catch the natural moments along with warm shots of everyone together. You can see how it looks in the family shoot in Perast gallery. Perast is a real help here: it's more intimate and calmer than the noisy resorts, everything is close by, and you're not walking tired little ones far just to find a new backdrop. The soft golden-hour light falls best once the heat eases, the day trips head off and the centre finally empties out. Another warm story with kids by the water lives in the Perast family session gallery, and I've shown a sunset evening version in the Perast family shoot at sunset gallery. You'll find more examples in the family photo session section.

Solo and portrait sessions

Perast makes a wonderful backdrop for a portrait: the warm stone of the baroque palazzi, the tall bell tower of St Nicholas above the rooftops, and the bay water behind you. It looks warm and full of character, which is why people often book a solo shoot for themselves, for social media, or to mark an important personal date. I'll offer you two ways to go: a relaxed one, where we simply walk the narrow lanes and shoot as we move, or a more structured one, built around an idea and a look thought through in advance. We'll set the time ahead so we land right on that evening hour when the stone and the water are softly lit, rather than bleached out by the daytime sun. To see how portraits like these turn out, take a look at my portfolio of individual shoots.

Wedding photography

A wedding in Perast turns the baroque waterfront and the islands on the water into the setting for your day. We shoot weddings like this as a studio: I take the photos, and Vasilii Khmelev handles all the video. The approach is the same, fine-art reportage. I don't line you up frame by frame or bark orders, I follow the day from the side and catch the real moments: the getting ready, the first look, the emotion on your guests' faces. We try to set the couple session just before sunset, in that short hour when the light over the water is especially soft, so I plan the best time around your day well in advance. A wedding day rides on organisation and timing, so you'll almost always want a wedding planner: they map out the day and take on the venue, the menu, the decor, the paperwork and the guest logistics. We've worked in Montenegro for years and will gladly recommend a good planner, just drop us a line. Perast has plenty of ceremony venues, and nearly all of them are set in historic palazzi: I've photographed, for instance, Joe and Ellie's wedding in Perast and Mitch and Anna's wedding in Perast, as well as a celebration at Heritage Grand Perast. To see how all of it comes together, take a look at my wedding portfolio, and a short wedding film by Vasilii is waiting in the wedding video from Montenegro section.

Where to shoot in Perast: the spots

The best thing about Perast for a shoot is that it's genuinely small and every spot is close by. The stone waterfront above the water, the old baroque palazzi, the narrow lanes and St Nicholas Church with its tall bell tower are all a couple of minutes' walk from one another. You don't have to travel anywhere to change the scene, the whole route fits into one calm walk. And what about the famous islands? Most of the time I shoot Our Lady of the Rocks and the island of St George as a backdrop, from the waterfront and from the water on a boat trip. You can get onto Our Lady of the Rocks itself for a shoot, but only after the church closes: that's the church's own rule, and a visit like that has to be arranged in advance.

Below are the main spots where I shoot in Perast. Treat it as a guide, since the final route depends on the type of shoot, the season and the light on the actual day.

• The waterfront and the palazzi - the stone promenade runs right along the water, and the old baroque palazzi give the frame a striking backdrop and real depth. There's no real beach in Perast, so we shoot right at the water's edge.
• The old town and the narrow lanes - stone alleys and stairways between the houses, a quiet, atmospheric backdrop away from the water. Good for portraits and intimate frames without the crowd.
• St Nicholas Church and the bell tower - the main church on the square, with a tall bell tower that reads beautifully in the frame and adds a vertical line to wider shots.
• The islands as a backdrop and a boat trip - Our Lady of the Rocks and the island of St George sit beautifully in the background from the waterfront. If you like, we take a boat trip and shoot from the water, around the islands. And you can go onto Our Lady of the Rocks itself for a shoot once the church has closed, if it's arranged in advance.

To make it clearer, here's a summary of which type of shoot suits which spot in Perast, and who each one is for.

When to shoot: light, season, crowds

The most flattering light in Perast comes at golden hour, just before sunset. In those minutes the bay water and the old stone soak up a warm, soft glow, and the shadows stretch out long. But the town has one important quirk. Perast lies at the very back of the Bay of Kotor and is hemmed in on every side by steep mountains, so the sun slips behind them noticeably earlier than the sunset the forecast shows. Because of that I work out the start time in advance, for the season and the specific spot, to catch the soft light while it still holds. At midday the sun is harsh, the shadows are hard, and tour groups wander the narrow lanes, so I keep the middle of the day off the schedule.

Season-wise, late spring and early autumn are closest to my heart. Late May, June and September are warm, but without the peak July and August heat and the dense crowds, and the evening light is especially soft. You can shoot in summer too, we just move closer to sunset, once the daytime island tours have cleared out and the centre goes quiet.

What I love about Perast is that it's so tiny it all fits into a single walk. During the day the island tours pour in and the waterfront gets crowded, but by the golden hour before sunset the centre suddenly empties and you almost have it to yourselves. That quiet, warm hour is the one I go for.Mariia Sosnina

That's why I plan the timing of a Perast shoot in advance, rather than improvising it as the day goes. It lets us make the softest light and shoot once the waterfront has already quietened down.

Where else I shoot nearby

It doesn't stop at Perast: I shoot a lot all around the Bay of Kotor. The views change with almost every bend in the road here, water, old towns and mountains taking turns. So if you're planning a shoot beyond Perast, we can easily extend the route along the bay. As a photographer in Kotor, I know its old town and waterfront inside out, and the light there behaves much like Perast: the mountains hide the sun before sunset in the same way. On the other shore of the bay I work as a photographer in Tivat and Porto Montenegro, where yachts and a modern marina step into the frame instead of old stone.

I also shoot weddings all around the bay. Perast has plenty of beautiful historic venues for one: Leon Coronato, a wedding in a 17th-century palazzo, for example, another Perast wedding, or a wedding at Heritage Grand Perast right on the waterfront. These are places along the same bay, and I know them well for their light and their views, so I plan both the timing and the spots for each one in advance.

How the shoot works and how to book

The whole arrangement is on me. We settle all the details in messages beforehand: I find out what you need, suggest a starting spot and the hour of light for your specific day, and if you'd like shots from the water, I arrange the boat for a trip around the islands in advance. After that all that's left is to pick a date and turn up.

1. You message me - you tell me the occasion, the type of shoot and how many of you there'll be.
2. We settle the details - I pick the hour of light and the spots, and if you like, arrange a boat for shots from the water.
3. We shoot and you get your set - we walk the town without rushing, then I send you the selected, edited frames as a finished album.

Want beautiful photos on the baroque waterfront while you're in Perast? Message me early to book a good evening in the right light, while the date is still free. I'm a photographer in Montenegro and I live here, so I'll point you to the loveliest spots in town and by the water and the best hour to catch the light. You'll come away with a lively set that shows your own evening in Perast. Drop me a line and we'll sort it all out.

Frequently asked questions