Richard Vanek - Black and White Photography

You know, this is also Prague actually Charles Bridge. This is how I see Prague these days, a lot of anonymous people running around and across.

Today was my first day in new job. After seven years I have change job, action which I did much more often before. I am very glad I did made the the step. It really make me more active and will even more. I did change a lot of things, not planning to do what I was doing so far. Coming to my roots, becoming again teacher as I was before, when I worked at a University. I am looking forward to it.
Yesterday it was last day at my former job. I though it will just pass, but I had some kind of stomach feelings. Leaving familiar things and friends after seven year is at my age rather different than when I did the same steps in my twenties.
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I also post new picture just few minutes ago. One of those which I kind of like in recent time. That picture was also made in Prague when I have stayed there at the end of September. It is the way how I see things recently. Now I would appreciate your feedback in the comments. Thank you in advance.

Few days ago I have received shot email that my web site was included in Gomma Online Portal. I was quite please as I do like the fact that my site gets little more exposure in directories like Gomma is. You can rate my web site there to make it even more visible. And here you can read more about Gomma Online Portal:

Gomma Online Portal is an extensive resource for photographers, visual artists and designers. It has a comprehensive and searchable directory of links related to photography, visual arts, design, online magazines, blogs and videologs. It contains photographic news, design news, jobs for photographers, exhibitions listings. Gomma Portal also publishes one of the most extensive directories of photographers divided by style and country, from black and white photography to street photography.

I didn't write much in last few days. As you may know these are my first days in new job. Not that these days are very active and full of new things for me, it is also that I do have to commute to work. I never did that before and now I am getting new experience.

Today morning I was in train rather early. There was a girl and she bought a wrong ticket. She had to pay fine. It was rather lot and she seems not have a lot of money. She was packed like going to airport, with big suitcase and some bags.
Who knows, was it the case where she wanted to save some five euros or as she said, error of somebody else. According to her she only asked for ticket and they gave her wrong one. She was crying there for rest of mine journey, about 20 minutes.
Now what should the conductor do? He charge he with fine as he has right to do so. He could also pardon it and ignore it. She can also made it intentionally, who knows. in any case she was totally down, she was left with few euros and very bad experience.

So it seems my train stories will become every day thing, I hope not :-) In any case the story from yesterday had unexpected continuation today.
Again there was a pair of foreigners getting into the train using discounted ticket which is only valid from 09:00. The conductor came and of course he find out. But this time it was different person. He gave them option you can pay now 35 euro fine and full price of your ticket, or you can just get out on next station buy a correct ticket and get in next train which goes in 15 minutes. And that all with smile and attitude to help. Isn't that nice! Shouldn't be it like this, that it would be much nicer to live around. of course it has drawback as well and people can miss use it. But at least there is a chance.

Between the negatives from my Prague's trip I have found this one. Completely forgot about it, probably because my memories were covered by whiskey layer. This is a unique and only one photo which contains face of a man who calls himself Jeremias Kazinski.

I have added last three comments on top page. Now when commenting on picture is getting into swing (thank you for it) I think it is interesting to have this info. And even more important is that Kazinski self left a comment!
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On other hand I am working quite hard to organize my daily schedule again. After I started new job I can't do all I wish. It certainly need some time to get organized. I hope after I'll start using car to travel to work instead of a train I will get almost two hours extra and that will help. For now on I can only use my time as efficient as possible. :-)

Not sure how late it is, you only turn to the other side in your bed. Ray of light gets to your eye and you open it a bit more. Drying wash is hanging on balcony and behind it the sky is getting lighter. Night is over and day is rising. No not yet, you turn back and close your eyes, it is not time for you, yet!

I just realize how many people are watching this site using RSS. That is fine I like that and that's why I made RSS available. Only thing which is maybe nice to say is that I recently add few items on top page which are not reflected in RSS feed. Few latest comment you can't see there and I think what is even more interesting is the my del.icio.us links with my comments. I regularly, even few time per day adding these. I was first using del.icio.us only for myself, but recently I decided to put my comment to my page and that way you also see what I like, what I find interesting while browsing web.
As you may notice I have now little less time for adding new photos, but I believe it is going to improve in month or so. On other hand I am updating these small things and doing others in a time I have available.

After two days in Amsterdam I am really tired. It is now about seven at the evening, but I feel like it is midnight. Hopefully I will be able to write something more, but now I need to take a bath and have some rest. Maybe I will put some picture on while I still can.

It was just behind a city, few meter from our house. huge fruit tree garden. In summer it was so beautiful, so full of flowers that only walking there was a joy. And than few month later when fruit where mature you can't resist to go there every day and eat as much as you could. T-shirt was always colored from fruit and mount as well!

Climbing on top, being above it all, only birds and sun can reach me.

I was subscriber of LensWork magazine for a year. Before that I bought individual issues. I finished it this summer and didn't extend my subscription. It was just too expensive. If I would live in USA I would keep it, but paying extra almost 50% for post I find too expensive.
On the other hand I am watching Brooks Jensen text in pdf files. Yesterday I have also downloaded his podcasts and listening them while driving back home. There is so plenty of them that I still have a lot of to listen. I like his incredible direct look at things. You know he is not famous photographer, but he is rather famous publisher. I think he is doing very good in his business and I like his approach to many things connected with business and photography.
I like very much of his idea about giving away prints, also his pricing and limiting edition philosophy. I believe I will do a lot of similar approaches. That will be start of my new year. Every month five prints for free (except postage) to the new five people. Every 1th of Month (and I hope I can keep it this time) I will offer five prints for free to the first five people. It will be done using my web-shop which I plane to reopen at 1.January as well. I know it is not the best time, I should open it 1.Nov like last year, but the time restriction which my new job brings didn't allow me to do that.

As I am listening Brooks Jensen's podcasts every day as I go to work and than back, I am making some notes. Not always, but quite often he bring ideas and views which are quite refreshing and nice. I only now realized that I am listening his podcasts from year 2004. I am wondering how his views are going to change in two years.
As a side effect I am making notes of his ideas which I find interesting and which I could apply for myself as well, or try them out. Like idea with giving prints away for free. He quite often comes with suggestion which I was thinking about as well, but didn't do anything with them. Now I have some free days in front of me so maybe it is nice to make some actions.
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It is rather visible that holidays are coming and how number of visitors on my site is dropping. I will bring few new thing with new year which I hope will be not only interesting to visitors to this site, but also will inspire and drive me as well to better results and nicer work.

I wish you all nice quiet time over Christmas and enjoy time with your folks!

I was looking through my Nikon lens, she didn't like it, she said I am hiding myself behind it. Than she took ring out of the finger and begun looking through it back to me...

Last picture "through the ring" I have crop in golden ration format. 1:1.618. I did it as a little experiment after listening Brooks Jensen's podcast and reading some other info. I guess it is not much of impact on screen, I will print also some big print and see how does it look when comparing with normal 2:3.
Idea was also to present few images I have at www.richard-vanek.eu in that format and see how does it turn out when viewing some closed portfolio.

Today is a Christmas eve, so here is one photo for today :-)

Sweat in my eye didn't allow me to see clearly, I had no power to turn around, I only hear my own heart and than I saw light at the end of a tunnel! We were saved...

By the last picture I have published few hours ago I have finished small series called "in a tunnel". It was just a little experiment of making three prints and having little story around it. Because it was quite few days between them it may be a bit lost. But now you can enjoy them all in one row. It consists of following three pictures:

• In a tunnel
• In a tunnel 2
• In a tunnel 3

Lost in shadows and sun beams, space, between a concrete and grass.

I like this simple photo, because of its every day occurrence and nice light. nothing extra super special just ordinary shot, still I like it.

As you may read here few days ago I am preparing come back of my web shop. I will be offering this time not only print with size of 20x30cm, but also bigger ones in size 30x40cm. Also every month I will offer five free prints only for delivery costs. These prints can be order only once to the same shipping address. It is mend to give you possibility to see how does my prints looks.
To reduce a costs I will delivery images without pass-partout this time. And additional shipping option, without insurance will be also offered. Unfortunately in that case I can't refund your costs if the package gets lost.
Last change in my webs hop is that prints are made on demand. When somebody request a print and I do not have that one ready. I will print small edition of it. It may be three prints or ten. Those prints will be printed using the best technique I use at the time of order. Than rest of the edition will be offered on sale as well. That means that delivery of first print will be little longer and than until edition lasts prints will be delivered faster.

I hope this all will work for better. If not I will find some new ways, I am sure about it. I wish you all the best to the new year 2007!

Clear example of space distortion, when bus is flying by speed close to the speed of light.

alone, under the tree in summer morning light... I wish you nice year 2007!