Dear friends and readers,
It has been a while since my last blog article. Quite some things have been going on, above all, I moved back to Prague and had to get used to a new job. At the moment, I am still dealing with the furnishing of a new home. This is to say that I did not have much time to deal with photography, but even more important, I did not have a free mind to do so. In order to start a new project or to develop new ideas, your mind has to be at ease and free to think about things beyond the daily hassle. I can feel that this state of mind is slowly coming back and at least I have made some inquiries into the photography scene in Prague.
So what I would like to share with you today are some portraits I took during the last year: portraits of friends in Berlin who came to my place and whom I asked to sit in front of a large blanket to do some studio-like shots (but usually with natural light which I prefer). Or we went out into the garden. My goal was to put together a little gallery, mostly for myself. We did some fun shots, too, but what I wanted was a natural portrait, which would - at least to my perception - show their personality. This is not easy. It takes time to persuade your friends not to smile and pose in the usual selfie-way. However, in the end it mostly worked out and I do like the outcome. I still have to print them and there are still many empty walls in my new home where they might fit as a little black-and white mosaic. We will see. And you will see some of them here:
Portraiture is probably the most difficult genre in photography, the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. A well-printed copy is a good and personal gift, too.
In the same vein, in summer, I spent half a day with a photography class, which had at its disposal a professional model. Marie was great and on the one hand, this is a bit easier since a model can quickly adapt to the atmosphere and mood and follow your instructions. On the other hand, it is not a person I have known for a long time and so I do not know what her real character is. We went to the underground, to an abandoned building and to one of Prague's lovely art nouveau passages. It was a good exercise and I am happy with the results, some of which you can see here:
Overall, portraiture remains one of my favourite genres in photography. If you have something to share, please do so. If you like me to take a picture of you, please come and visit me in Prague!
Take care and keep your mind free and open,
Petra