Photographer in Porto Montenegro and Tivat

Looking for a photographer in Porto Montenegro? You're in the right place. I'm Mariia Sosnina, I live in Montenegro and I shoot a lot at this yacht marina: love story and couple sessions, family shoots, solo portraits and weddings. The long waterfront, the water of the bay and the modern architecture add up to what is probably the most expressive backdrop anywhere on the Tivat bay. Come with any occasion, and we'll choose the format together.

My style is fine-art reportage: calm and unposed, so the photos keep the real you instead of rehearsed poses. I know the marina in detail, so I'll tell you straight away where the water makes a better backdrop and what hour the light falls softest. And if you'd rather have some quiet, look just past the promenade: calm, green Tivat starts a couple of minutes away. Below I'll walk you through the shoots I do in Tivat and Porto Montenegro, the best spots at the marina, why you need a shoot permit, how to set up frames from the water and how to book a date.

The shoots I do in Porto Montenegro

In Porto Montenegro I do a few types of shoot, and often it's the very same walk along the waterfront, just in a different mood. Some couples want an easy session for two, some want a family evening, some want one strong portrait, and some want a whole wedding by the water. A typical session runs about an hour and a half at one location, and that's enough to walk the waterfront without rushing and come away with a varied set. That's what makes the marina so easy: the piers, the water of the bay and the modern architecture are all gathered on one promenade, with quiet old Tivat a couple of minutes away on foot. Here's a short note on each type so you can see straight away what suits you. We talk through the details and the price one on one, since I don't keep a single price list for everything.

Love story and couple sessions

A couple session at the marina plays out like a walk that's all about the two of you: along the water, past the piers and the masts of the sailing boats. We take the promenade slowly and catch the real glances, the laughter, the hugs. You just walk and talk, and I stay close and cue you gently: hold hands here, look out at the bay there. By the water you soon stop noticing the camera, and the frames come out light and true. Couples on a trip or celebrating an anniversary adore this format. It also works beautifully for a proposal, and right after one: if you've just popped the question by the sea, the shoot keeps those first happy hours. There are two ways to do it. The first is a regular love story, where you're in your everyday clothes and we simply walk. The second is a wedding shoot before the wedding itself: you put on the gown and the suit in advance, and the waterfront turns into a gorgeous stage for formal frames. You can see how that looks in the engagement photoshoot in Porto Montenegro. And more couple stories are gathered in the love story photo session section.

Family photo sessions

A family shoot in Porto Montenegro is built around the kids and the mood of the evening, not around perfect poses. We walk the waterfront, the children stay themselves, and I catch the natural moments along with warm shots of everyone together. The promenade here is very easy going: wide and flat, with no steps, so it's simple with a stroller or with little ones. The soft light of golden hour falls best once the heat eases and the waterfront thins out. What to wear as a family I'll cover separately just below, because it really does matter for the group frames. You'll find more examples in the family photo session section.

What to wear for a family shoot

From experience, here's what I'd say: for a family shoot, go for light, calm tones and soft fabrics, no sportswear and no big logos. And dress the whole family in one key: not identical, but close shades. That way the group frames read as one whole, rather than a mismatched bunch.Mariia Sosnina

Solo and portrait sessions

For a portrait, the marina gives you a fine backdrop: the clean lines of the new architecture, the reflections in the water, the piers and the masts. It reads composed and expensive, which is why a solo shoot in Porto Montenegro is often booked for yourself, for social media or for a milestone. I'll offer two ways to go: relaxed, where we walk along the water and shoot on the move, or focused, built around an idea and a style thought through in advance. A change of outfits is possible too, if you'd like to show a few different sides of yourself. One honest note: there's no dressing room on the promenade, so you'll change in a cafe restroom. It's a couple of minutes, and it doesn't touch the mood of the shoot at all. We'll agree on the time in advance so we land on that evening hour when the water and the architecture glow softly, rather than being bleached out by the midday sun.

Wedding photography

A wedding in Porto Montenegro comes along rarely, but when it does, the grand waterfront and the water of the bay become part of your day. We shoot weddings like these as a studio: the photos are on me, and all the video is run by Vasilii Khmelev. The approach is the same, fine-art reportage. I don't line you up frame by frame or give orders; I lead the shoot from the side and catch the real moments: the getting ready, the first look, the guests' emotions. We try to set the couple shoot right before sunset, in that short hour when the light on the promenade is especially soft, so I plan the best time around your day in advance. A wedding day rides heavily on the planning and the timing, so you almost always need 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 would be glad to point you to a good planner, just message us. You can see how it all looks in my wedding portfolio. And right at the marina there's one of the venues, Regent Porto Montenegro.

Where to shoot in Porto Montenegro and Tivat: the spots

The main stage is, of course, the marina itself. Porto Montenegro runs along the water as one long promenade: piers, modern buildings, palm trees and an open view over the Tivat bay. This is where the most expressive, formal frames come from. I've written more about the place itself on the Porto Montenegro page. And what about some quiet next to all that polish? A couple of minutes on foot, old Tivat begins: green lanes by the sea and the town park, a calm backdrop with no crowd.

Below are the main spots where I shoot. Take it as a starting guide; we settle the final route around the type of shoot, the season and the light on the day.

• The Porto Montenegro marina waterfront - a long promenade along the water, the piers, modern architecture and palm trees. The most formal backdrop, especially in soft evening light.
• A shoot from the water - you can take a boat to Perast and shoot there, or set up a session straight from the water, with the waterfront and the Tivat bay in view. The details and the booking option I've gathered on the page about renting a boat for a photo shoot.
• Old Tivat and the town park - quiet green lanes by the sea and the park next to the marina, a calm, intimate backdrop away from the polish. Good for families and portraits without a crowd.
• The surroundings - if you like, we extend the route toward the Kotor bay viewpoints and the Lustica peninsula, both easy to reach from town.

One more important point about the marina itself. Porto Montenegro is closed off as private grounds, so a professional shoot here is arranged separately. I take that part on myself, so you don't spend your holiday on emails and approvals.

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

When to shoot: light, season, crowds

The most flattering light at the marina comes at golden hour, just before sunset. In those minutes the pale architecture, the piers and the water of the bay turn warm and soft, and the shadows stretch out long. But this spot has one thing worth knowing. Tivat sits on the open Tivat bay, and yet it's ringed by mountains on every side, so the sun slips behind them earlier than the sunset the forecast shows. That's why I work out the start time in advance, for the season and the exact spot at the marina, to catch the soft light while it still holds. At midday the sun is harsh, the glare off the water and the pale walls cuts into the frame, and the promenade is busy, so I keep the middle of the day off the schedule.

Season-wise, my favourites are late spring and early autumn. Late May, June and September are warm, but without the peak heat of July and August and without the dense crowd, and the evening light is especially soft. You can shoot in summer too, we just move closer to sunset, once the waterfront is no longer so busy.

What I love about Porto Montenegro is its character: on one side the grand waterfront by the open water of the bay, and a few steps away the quiet, green old Tivat. Two completely different moods fit into a single walk, and for one place that's a rare thing.Mariia Sosnina

Next let's look at where else I shoot nearby, if you feel like a change of mood and want to leave the water of the bay for the old town.

Where else I shoot nearby

The marina isn't the whole story. If you want an old town with history rather than modern polish, choose Kotor or Perast. I shoot in both. Kotor hides behind its fortress walls, with narrow lanes and a waterfront under tiled roofs. As a photographer in Kotor I know it inside out. Perast is smaller and quieter, a baroque little town with two islands facing it. I've written about it in detail on the photographer in Perast page.

Just keep in mind: both Kotor and Perast lie deep in the Bay of Kotor, and from Tivat you drive along the shore to reach each of them. That's a trip in itself, not a walk to the next street. And they're far apart from each other, so for a single day it's calmer to pick just one rather than trying to fit in everything. Perast, by the way, you can reach by boat straight from a shoot in Porto Montenegro. The light there behaves as it does in Tivat: the mountains hide the sun before sunset, so I plan the time in advance for each town.

How the shoot works and how to book

All the organising is on me, and all that's left for you is to pick a date and turn up for the shoot. We talk everything through in messages: I find out what you need and suggest a starting point on the promenade and the hour of light for that particular day. Right there we settle the two things unique to the marina. First the permit: Porto Montenegro is private grounds, and the arranging is on me. And if you'd like frames from the water, I set up the boat in advance too. On the day we walk the marina at an easy pace, usually about an hour and a half at one location, and that's enough for a range of frames with no rush. Afterwards I select and edit the frames and send you the finished series. We agree on the price and the time in advance, around your format.

1. You write to 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 on the promenade, arrange the permit if needed and set up the boat.
3. We shoot on the promenade - we walk along the water without rushing, and I cue you on movement and angles.
4. You get the series - selected and edited frames as a finished album.

Want lovely frames on the waterfront during your trip to Tivat? Write to me early so we can book a good evening for 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 where the water and which hour look loveliest. In the end you get a lively series that shows exactly your day in Porto Montenegro. Write to me and we'll set it all up.

Frequently asked questions