OKO Foto Festival Bohinj

Through artistic and documentary photography, OKO explores how photography can shed light on the human responsibility to protect nature and highlight the fragility and beauty of the environment.

Overview

OKO Festival in Bohinj, located in Julian Alps and Triglav National Park, combines documentary photography with themes of nature conservation and sustainability. It invites projects that explore the relationship between humans and nature, the impact on ecosystems and the transformation of landscapes over time.

The word “eye” symbolises not only observation, but also the understanding of the deeper connections between man and nature. Through photographic stories, the festival encourages reflection on ethics, sustainability and the human impact on the environment, creating a platform for nature conservation, artistic reflection and education.

OKO Festival invites public to be part of the festival and inspire others to protect the environment and connect more deeply with nature.

The festival program includes exhibitions, projections, and two workshops such as Shifting Narratives: Reimagining Climate Narratives Through Empathetic Visual Storytelling, a three-day workshop on conservation photography for transformation and connection. Participants will work hands-on with their existing portfolios to re-edit, curate, and emotionally recalibrate their work. Through guided reflection, peer feedback, and collaborative exercises, they will develop new ways of seeing, framing, and narrating their stories—building toward a visual language that fosters empathy, imagination, and action. Plus, Photography Workshop with Borut Peterlin introduces participants to a historical photographic technique developed in 1851. Preserved today as a distinctly artisanal and meditative practice, the process involves preparing a glass plate, applying a light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it using a vintage bellows camera, and developing the image in an improvised darkroom.

Also, the event suggests a photo tour under the name Zajamniki Through the Eyes of Autumn. An afternoon photography adventure leads you to one of Bohinj’s most enchanting alpine pastures, nestled in the heart of Triglav National Park—Zajamniki. This rare, still-living pasture retains its authentic character, inviting you to capture the serene autumn atmosphere as the sun sets. Participants will explore hidden corners with some of the most breathtaking views in the Julian Alps – overlooking the mighty Triglav and Lake Bohinj at the same time. In autumn, especially in October, the landscape turns into golden-red shades, creating a fairytale backdrop, perfect for photography in the best light of the day.