About me

My first contact with photography was (in the same way as with most of you) during my early childhood. At that time I was the right object of taking photographs by my parents. In order to be more specific, a camera and me got interwoven just 7 days after my birth in Ostrava, 1982. When I was little, I loved going through family albums full of black and white photographs, and I contemplated changes in landscapes and people as well; especially the changes that have happened since taking the pictures. It was just the feature of catching a moment or something else (that in many cases is not possible to be taken back) that kept me fascinated.

I spent loads of time outside, in the outdoors, in the mountains either at our family cottage in the Beskydy Mountains, or during some trips with my sister and dad. Somewhere at that time I began to love hiking, and the mountainous landscape in general. I was fascinated by the view of rolling landscapes in various seasons, both green and colourful forests covering the outdoors, sunrises and sunsets, and starry night skies.

A few years later, I guess it was the secondary school period, I began to hike more and so I observed the beauty of light dancing across a landscape, breath-taking scenery, and shots. It always flashed through my mind that it would be interesting to capture what I see, and so preserve a graphic memory. It took me another more years before I bought my first digital camera and even later my DSLR camera. Since then I have never let go a DSLR camera. Gradually, I began to understand the magic of manual setting, all those words unknown to me, and the matters related to it by the method of trial and error in order to take a good photo. At the beginning it was mainly about photo documentation of hiking. I have never been interested in portraits, cities, people in general, or technology. Landscape and outdoors became the object in my viewfinder that I observed the most and wanted to explore further. It took me a few more years to cope with my camera to such a level that I would move my skills to a higher standard and enlist to a photo-workshop of Landscape photography organised by Karel Horáček and Jan Šmíd. These two photographers and their attitude to photography greatly influenced me. The workshop was a crucial moment for me, and since then I have actually started taking “proper” photos. Before taking the picture I think about it in detail, I plan my shots, I deliberately choose the most suitable places in the most ideal time, I read a lot about taking photographs, and most importantly I try, and try, and try. You learn the most from you own experience and mistakes. And I have made so many mistakes!

Thanks to landscape photography I spend even more time outdoors, and I enjoy and explore it more and more. And so combine several hobbies together. As I studied to become a geologist, and I have much experience in geology due to my profession, I am able to understand processes that formed a landscape. So, I can combine my love for hiking and geology, and as a photographer I can capture all the beauty out there. Nevertheless, as Christopher McCandless said: “Happiness only real when shared.” I am lucky and honoured to share this symbiosis of my hobbies with my beloved wife Tereza.

Without a doubt, photography is the type of art that is truly subjective. All the painters, sculptors and other artists presented their view of life and reality through their art, and so do I. My aim is to capture and highlight the things that I want to be conveyed; it is the atmosphere mainly that the viewer should see, feel and get the impression as if the viewer was standing there instead of the photographer. With some of the particular shots I can hear music as a background so that the impression is even stronger.

If I can invoke positive feelings in you through any photography, my intention was accomplished.