human element (and why it is worth to wait)

I can't stress enough how important human element is for the photography. It brings the sense of the scale, motion, reality and helps viewer's eye to focus on something what they know. They can better estimate the size of the objects on your pictures, they can relate it better to something they know.
And that was exactly my case during my recent visit to Howth bay in Dublin, Ireland. Simple wall with colorfully strong doors was inviting for a seafood to a nearby restaurant (BTW, mussels and tuna steak were magnificent at Howth!). While I was "okay" with the picture I took (photo 2), I knew I was missing something. And as always, patience rewards those who wait and it took only a minute or two at the same spot and I have noticed a couple coming my direction... When they've entered my frame I have taken few other images - and voilá - see it for yourself and compare those two. I do not know as you, but I like the first one much more!
Thank you anonymous pedestrians for completing my photography aim! ;) And how about you? Do you like to have human elements in your photos? Do you wait few more moments to get it there? Let me know...

Howth, Dublin, Ireland - photo 1, Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm

Vždy rád zdôrazňujem ako dôležitý je ľudský prvok vo fotografii. Záberu dáva zmysel pre veľkosť, pohybu, realitu a pomáha divákom sa sústrediť na niečo, čo poznajú. Dokážu lepšie odhadnúť veľkosť fotografovaného objektu, vedia si to primerať k niečomu, čo poznajú. A toto bol presne aj môj prípad počas mojej nedávnej návštevy v prístave Howth v Dubline, Írsku. Jednoduchá stena s nádherne farebnými dverami pozývala na jedlo vo vedľajšej reštaurácii (mimochodom, mušle a steak z tuniaka sú úžasné v Howth!). A pokiaľ môj prvý záber (č.2) bol "obstojný", bolo mi jasné, že mi tam niečo chýba. No a ako vždy, trpezlivosť ruže prináša a stačilo len minútku či dve počkať na mieste a zachíľu som zbadal prichádzať dvojicu mojím smerom... Keď mi vstúpili do záberu, tak som stihol nafotiť zopár ďalších záberov - a voilá - veď sa pozrite a porovnajte si oba zábery. A neviem ako vy, ale mne sa teda páči oveľa viac ten prvý! 
Chcel by som teda poďakovať anonymnej dvojici, za to že mi pomohli splniť môj fotografický zámer! :) A ako ste na tom vy? Radi pridávate ľudský element do svojich záberov? Počkáte si chvíľku? Dajte mi vedieť...

Howth, Dublin, Ireland - photo 2, Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm

life in the bubble

Did you met already those street artists who make these incredibly big bubbles? I met them today while walking through downtown in Dublin (very beautiful by the way!) and my first immediate reaction was to put my camera with wide angle INTO that bubble. To see the city as seen from inside the bubble. Pretty cool view actually, what you think? ;)

Už ste stretli na ulici tých pouličných umelcov, čo vyrábajú tie obrovské bubliny? Ja som ich dnes stretol na uliciach Dublinu (ktorý je mimochodom nádherný!) a moja prvotná reakcia bola vopchať im fotoaparát so širokouhlým foťákom priamo DO BUBLINY. Aby som videl mesto, tak ako sa dá vidieť zvnútra bubliny. A bol to celkom cool pohľad, čo poviete? ;)

palouse, part 3 - god save america!

During my last five days spent back again at american soil I have noticed that EVERYBODY is talking about the elections! Yes, those presidential. Which in reality got to the point Clinton vs. Trump. Everybody! My friends, instructors, colleagues, waiters, receptionist, taxi drivers, strangers in the park... Well, I thought that in 2007/2008 when I experienced first Obama campaign and his unprecedented win, that it cannot be more polarizing or more more different. But I stay corrected. Yes, it can be. I am seeing and hearing democrats (including democratic politicians!) saying that they cannot even look at that ... Hillary. And I am seeing the most peaceful and tolerant people who are married to spouses from very exotic nations getting behind Trump, because "I can't stand that our president would be discussing at night in the bed what to do with this country with this liar Bill!"... This is really unprecedented I have to say and it makes me completely enjoying this, knowing that I am just an observer :)
Actually, we got with one of my new friend to a following statement:
"The best solution for US would be Trump. As he would immediately forget about the Mexico border and instead he would declare a war to Canada, next day he would occupy British Columbia (of course including Vancouver) to FINALLY get a direct access from continental US to Alaska"! It is actually still unbelievable that in 2016, US do not have the direct connection with its own state. What a shame! Go Donald*!!! :)

Just a few (more or less) patriotic shots taken during one day ;)

Do you also see the map of the world behind the US flag? Especially Russia and China!? :)

Go Donald! (irony)

bepoppy! expanding to usa! ;)

palouse, part 2 - people around

Palouse is not only a photogenic landscape, but there are plenty photogenic people around! Especially for photographers - this is a paradise. And for me, who loves capturing other people doing what they enjoy - special and unexpected treat!

Aren't they just adorable and photogenic? ;)

palouse, part 1 - night light painting

So, here I am... In Palouse. With Scotty Stulberg. For those who do not know where it is exactly, it is in Washington. But no that one, where Obama lives, that's Washington DC. This is Washington state, on the other side of USA. Near Seattle. Pretty amazing country. They say, it is Tuscany of US... Well, I have been to Tuscany so let me see. For now I can definitely say, that coffee is better in Tuscany! :)
But, yes, Palouse is fantastic, photogenic, very hilly and had a great little farms with red barns and old american trucks just laying around - and I am sooo looking forward to explore it here in a next few days...
First night - just a warm up - starting and playing with light painting, as we got too much clouds. Beautiful old tree with barn in the middle of nowhere (see the video at the end how we were getting there!) But is is a great exercise for upcoming night for Milky way shooting. Forecast is very promising...
Stay tuned with me!

Tak som tu. V Palouse. So Scottym Stulbergom. Pre tých čo nevedia, kde to presne je, tak to je vo Washingtone. Ale nie v tom, kde žije Obama - to je Washington DC. Toto je Washington štát, na opačnej strane USA. Neďaleko Seattlu. Nádherná krajina. Hovorí sa jej aj americké Toskánsko. Nuž, bol som v Toskánsku nedávno, tak uvidím a dám vedieť... Nateraz môžem povedať len toľko, že káva je určite lepšia v Toskánsku! ;)
Ale áno, Palouse je nádherná, fotogenická, kopcovitá, nádherne sa vinúce pahorky a všade dookola krásne malé farmičky s tými červenými "humnami" a len tak ležiace hromady starých amerických burákov a traktorov - fakt sa teším, že sa tu porozhliadam po okolí v nasledujúcich pár dňoch.
Prvá noc - len tak na rozohriatie sme sa hrali s maľovaním so svetlom, lebo bolo príliš veľa mrakov. Nádherný starý strom s humnom uprostred ničoho (pozrite na video na konci ako sme tam išli). Ale je to skvelá príprava na fotenie Mliečnej cesty - predpoveď je pozitívna na nasledujúcich pár dní... Ostaňte naladení!