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Mothers

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Zuzana Bobovníková, Photographer, Czech Republic

What is so specific about maternal leave? How does it even feel to be a mother? What do women experience and how does the existence of their child affect their own personal needs? Do they have free time for themselves after they tuck in their children at night? And if so, how do they spend it? This photographic documentary created by Zuzana Bobovníková,who has been on maternal leave herself, busts myths and stereotypes about mothers as we all know them. Her unconventional insight into the lives of women and the style in which she presents it shows us that mothers are too human beings in need of the occasional time off. Yes, they need to take care of their children, but enjoying their free time does not make bad mothers out of them. On the contrary – Each and every photo shows how much they love their children and that motherly love truly has no boundaries. (WoL)

Let me introduce a documentary series called ‘Mothers’, which I’ve created while on maternal leave. As a mother and photographer, this period of time was rather strange and resulted in some sort of an increased initiative of mine. It was a period of self-discovery and extreme emotions, positive and negative. Amongst other things, I started to educate myself in the field of photography and for the first time ever, I felt an urge to use photography as a means to formulate and present my perspective on a specific subject, more specifically the society’s perception of women on maternal leave – a group I belong to.

I photographed each picture in the privacy of the mother’s home. After several experiments indoors and outdoors, I came to the conclusion that a person feels at ease and most secure in the privacy of their own home, letting the photographers reach their eventual goal of capturing the right images – in this case, it was to photograph mothers without their children in a way that when viewing the final set of pictures, it would be evident that these photographs of females have something in common.

The climbing wall is the necessary addition to another one of my friend’s flats, who represented Slovakia at the Winter Olympic Games as an acrobatic skier and with whom I spent long hours in the gym as a member of the same gymnastics team in Poprad…

The photograph with the cubes in the bathtub is about a woman who used to be a professional swimmer, who loves water and whose son loves to play with cubes…

„The society simply dictates how a ‘good’ mother should or should not behave.”

In a way, it was all some sort of a social event, a reason to get together. Some of the women were my closest friends about whom I knew a lot of personal information. I found out even more, about their hobbies, their joys and their concerns. It was not so easy with the rest of the mothers. I knew most of them from the children’s playground and it took a while for me to earn their trust and for them to feel comfortable in front of a camera. The captured moments on the photos were never arranged or made with a specific purpose; they are simply a showcase of every woman’s life.

The cigarette in the tub is a result of my friend’s sighs, yearning for her favorite part of the day when she tucks her children in, steps into her bathtub and lights a cigarette for the ultimate relaxation…

„…a person feels at ease and most secure in the privacy of their own home…”

The role of being a mother has brought big and unpredictable changes to my life. Meeting with my friends and fellow mothers and sharing my feelings has helped me a lot over time. I think that all of the social stereotypes – negative and positive – that have to do with motherhood are just a label every mother is entitled with. The society simply dictates how a ‘good’ mother should or should not behave. Personally, having children involves great changes and will forever leave a mark on me. And that is what my photographs are about. Children will forever be with their mothers, even if they are not physically present. Their existence is evident wherever they may be…

Weeks of Zuzana Bobovníková

How to make a mirror out of a tumor

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Photography is a tumor. A long while ago, photography ceased to be the domain of Japanese tourists who spend their vacations with eye pressed against viewfinder. Then they come home and, with a square imprint on their face, look at the photos to find out where they were. Contemporary civilized humans need to have cameras on them at all times – even those in cell phones will do – so that they are able to make lasting memories of everything everywhere. (These lasting memories always last till they lose the phones.)

Photography is a democratic medium and democracy is when you shout whatever you want and no one cares. Photography is, I daresay, the most democratic medium – while you need to know the letters if you want to write a text, you don’t need to know anything to shoot a picture. That’s why there are more pictures of the Eiffel Tower on this planet than there are inhabitants and no one cares.

At first sight, Week of life is just another of those democratic photo webs where mad humans upload their photos and other mad humans look at them because otherwise they would have to do their jobs.

„The ambition of WoL is neither collecting garbage nor becoming an art gallery.”

The vast majority of such webs either store assorted unsorted photos or focus exclusively on The Art. (Common man’s image of The Art comprises Mona Lisa, a macro bee on a macro flower, a basket of kittens by sunset or, at best, one’s own reflection in a shopping window; for a studied connoisseur The Art is the photography of a dustbin on a scratched slide, developed in manure and blown up into dimensions that are financially unreachable for an ordinary human.) So – on the one hand, there is anarchy and chaos, on the other you will find a selective approach and giant dustbin photos.

The ambition of WoL is neither collecting garbage nor becoming an art gallery. It stands somewhere in between: it’s a well-designed project with certain anthroposociohistoric extensions. I made up the long word in the previous sentence. With the ambition of becoming a mirror of the world and of ourselves, WoL makes use of the human inclination towards exhibitionism. It lets ordinary folk shoot billions and trillions of photos and then pigeonhole all this human product into days, weeks, occupations, and locations; building in such a way a unique archive of our lives. In 2030, we will browse through this archive with fascination, provided that we survive the year 2012. Otherwise, an extraterrestrial civilization from the Pleiades will browse it with fascination.

Yes, we will be able to appreciate the enormous scope and value of the WoL project only after we are all dead. Commonplace object in pictures that bore us today can become symbols of our era in thirty years; for the future spectator, they will be as awe-inspiring as those ugly purple businessmen’s suits from the nineties or those repugnant hairstyles from the eighties. Privately, I guess that we will all have a good laugh over that silly artificial vignette effect from Photoshop that is overused by half of the WoL users, me included.

As we can see, documentary photography is more than a reflection of the world around us. It also says a lot about the world inside of us; it talks about the way we perceive our surroundings; it discloses our tastes; it is a witness to the visual fashion of the moment and the ways we cope with this fashion; it shows how we strive to be different from that fashion and how pathetically identical we are in our striving.

But some people really are different from the others – unlike normal people, they use their cameras 24/7. On literary servers, you can find polygraphs capable of puking out two novels in an afternoon; similarly, there are users on WoL able to shoot eleven weeks in a month. I suspect that some of them live just because they want to have something to show on WoL and that they, similarly to the above mentioned Japanese tourists, must have square imprints on their faces. In the evening, they sit down at their computers to find out what they actually did that day. The stories, though, are different: some people are like tourists fascinated by visiting their own lives; others take pictures for an endless family album; others still are creating a private, highly intimate diary, later to be shown to thousands of people.

„Yes, we will be able to appreciate the enormous scope and value of the WoL project only after we are all dead.”

The way one perceives his or her living space is also dependent on the equipment. In this respect, WoL is truly democratic: you can make pictures with whatever catches your fancy (I don’t exactly mean a woman with huge bosom or a chicken soup with noodles). For instance, I’m using a small pocket camera – despite its wide lens it doesn’t take up too much space, though it’s true I had to grow a beard because it’s pink and people might mistake me for a woman. With a big black camera I would definitely look like a better photographer, especially if it had a beige telephoto lens, but on the other hand, it would make me look a bit suspicious if I used it at a swimming pool.

As I mentioned above, WoL tries to be a reflection of the world and the people who live there; but for each and every participant of the project, taking photos is also a self-reflection. Systematic rumination over the question “What part of my world shall I present to the insatiable audience?“ can help one to rearrange his own thoughts and even ask crucial questions that have until now never crossed one‘s mind (e.g. “What the heck is WB and when I set it to the little sun, why do the colors in my photos turn blue?”).

These are the things I myself have learnt during my WoL weeks:

  1. Selecting nine photos from a day when I took seven photos is difficult.
  2. Selecting nine photos from a day when I took seven hundred photos is difficult.
  3. The essential is invisible to the eyes, and cannot be photographed even at high ISO settings.
  4. Photography is poetry.
  5. Photography is a mirror.
  6. Photography is a tumor.
  7. Photography is humor.

I’ll have to shoot something soon, because, as you can see, I still have a lot to learn.

About the Author
Jan FlaškaI received the name Jan Flaška and in the 34 years I’ve been here, I have come to realize that photography is a good way how to kill off some time on this planet. You could say that I regard photography as a pleasurable activity during which I can’t eat and sleep and am not obliged to work. I am employed as an IT teacher at a high school where I work with our youth. In the beginnings of my pedagogic career, I considered writing a thesis named ‘The role of a teacher in the humanization of the youth’, but after 10 years in the field I think I’ll prepare a brochure with the exact opposite. Besides that, I’d actually like to know what IT really is.I am proud to be one of the names behind the international festival of creative photography Fotojatka (fotojatka.cz). The festival portrays great photographs of top international authors so it is quite easy to be proud of being part of such an event.

As far as my other hobbies go, I like sitting at the computer, music, reading books, sitting at the computer, writing columns and short stories, watching movies, sitting at the computer, creating graphics, searching for the meaning of life, playing games, alcoholic beverages, being a host at literary events, sitting at the computer and finally, creating a false image of being a nice, smart, humorous and fun to be around. I tend to fail in most of these activities.

I have my own website ydiot.com, where some of the content is already 14 years old.
I am a member of an artistic group called ‘To jsou’ (They are), a branch in České Budějovice, where other than existing, the group does not administer any other activities.
And I hate cleaning dust.
Weeks of Jan Flaška

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

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When digging deeper into the past of digital cameras, we should mention the fact that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 – predecessor of currently reviewed G2 model – was in 2008 the first camera of the Micro 4/3 standard in the world. The design is basically the same, so let’s look at other features that come with this updated model.

The G2 is constructed as a DSLR – the body has a strong grip and a pop-up flash above the lens, only the size is notably smaller than it is the case with SLRs. You will not find an optic SLR system in the viewfinder but rather an electronic display, which we will focus on later in the review.
The body is very easy on the hands with its dim surface and is available in three colors: black, the ever-elegant black and blue combination or slightly provocative red and black design.

Photo Panasonic

Typical for the G and GH classes of the Panasonic brand, the G2 also has a sizeable, high definition (460 000 pixels) articulated display. Thanks to this feature, users can photograph from all sorts of positions and whenever needed, they can turn the active side towards the body of the camera to prevent it from damaging. Uniquely for the G2, a specific feature was added – a touch-screen display.

It’s the first camera of its type to have to have a touch-screen display. The creators of Lumix G2 have however decided to keep the original control functions from the previous model. The reason behind this was the inability for all the functions to be handled on the display, so now users have the option to control some of the features in two different ways. In other words, the touch screen and its features may or may not be used. This is where the difference is compared to similarly equipped cameras, since their control functionality has been minimized due to depending solely on the touch screen.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 – in short
Resolution 12 Mpx
Sensor Live MOS (17,3 × 13 mm)
Optics exchangeable, lenses of the Micro 4/3 standard,
lens stabilization
Video HD (1 280 × 720 px)

The main features of the touch screen probably become the most useful when viewing captured images. With only a slight touch of a finger, you can scroll through the photographs in normal size as well as in an enlarged mode, which is easily accessed by holding your finger on the picture for a second or two. In shooting mode, a quick menu is available with all the basic options. There is one feature that is especially worth mentioning – with only a mere touch a person can select the focus area and by holding onto it, the picture is taken. If you wish for the screen to stay clean of all the fingerprints, you can use the oddly shaped stylus pen included in the basic set of the Lumix G2.

Super features
Advanced functions
Great ergonomics
Multifunctional controls
Outstanding viewfinder and display

Even though the Panasonic Lumix DMC G2 looks like a camera for professionals at first sight – mainly due to the large amount of functions – beginners can easily use it without any significant problems. Apart from the usual P/A/S/M modes on the exposure mode dial situated on the top of the camera, you can find several scenic modes intended for the amateur photographic population. The mode with the highest possible automatic settings is represented by the backlit iA button – Intelligent auto. Besides setting the shutter speed, this mode automatically selects all the shooting assist function such as ISO sensitivity, processing of image data and so on. This scenic evaluation function works entirely on the basis of a sophisticated algorithm.

In between the iA button and the shutter button, you will be able to find the button for recording videos, allowing for immediate shooting of video sequences without the need of changing the mode you are in.

The Lumix G2 records videos in the 720p (1 280 × 720 px, 30 fps) standard, giving you the options to save the data in the AVCHD format or the more widespread MOV. Internally, the sound is mono, however, there is the possibility of buying an external stereo microphone.
Naturally, the camera has an HDMI connector, meaning the videos (as well as photographs) can be viewed on an HD TV in the best available quality.

The external microphone is not the only available accessory of course. What should interest us the most is the wide range of lenses offered by Panasonic, such as Macro or Fish-eye? The lenses are compatible with Olympus cameras, however, you may find it difficult without stabilization (Olympus, contrary to the Panasonic, uses sensor stabilization).

Screenshots of the menu of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Overall evaluation

If you particularly select cameras which look like a DSLR but are not as big and heavy – a useful feature for the Week of Life members carrying a camera on them at all times – then the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 is the perfect choice. You will get used to the mini-display in the viewfinder very quickly, and realize that in many respects, it is better than the classic SLR system. For instance, it can display the live histogram and other useful information, a feature unavailable with typical SLR viewfinders. Just like the functionality, the grip and hold of the camera is great and even though the touch screen is not a must, it does give you a sense of originality. Image quality can be regarded as excellent, but the opposite can be said about the price of the product – in this respect, cameras of the Micro 4/3 standard are still not competitive enough compared to the low-priced SLRs. We can only hope that in the near future, the prices of such cameras will drop significantly.

Common Price (at the time of this review being published): $549.95 (body and basic zoom lens set)

Basic technical data for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Sensor

Live MOS 17.3 × 13 mm
12 Mpx (4 000 × 3 000 px)
Light sensitivity ISO 100 to 6 400

Shutter

60–1/4 000 s
Flash X-sync 1/160 s
Burst buffer 3.6 fps

Optics

Exchangeable lenses of the Micro 4/3 standard

Autofocus

23point

Memory medium

SD/SDHC/SDXC

Data formats

Image: JPEG, RAW (RW2)
Video: AVCHD, MOV

Video

1 280 × 720 px, 30 fps, 25 fps
848 × 480 px, 30 fps
640 × 480 px, 30 fps
320 × 240 px, 30 fps
Mono sound (availability of external stereo microphone)

Display

LCD type, touch screen, articulated
Screen size 3“ (76 mm)
460 000 px

Viewfinder

Electronic viewfinder
1 440 000 px

Power supply

Li-Ion battery

Dimensions and weight (body only)

3.15”x2.1”x1.83” inches (w x h x d)
15.1 oz (incl. battery and memory card)

Triumphant returns

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Today, we’d like to introduce a photograph that has brought success to František Ortmann, winning 1st prize in the ‘People in the news’ category at this year’s Czech Press Photo competition. (WoL)The story behind this picture started in 1996, when I made a photo of the Svěrák men, father and son, holding an Oscar, for which I received a prestigious award from Canon.

Then, in 1998, I created a large reportage about the triumphant return of the Czech Olympic ice hockey team from Nagano and organized an exhibition to show these photos at the Old Town square in Prague, from which I had raised money and donated it to the Czech Paralympics Team.

Návraty

This is the reason why this year on the 24th of May, I once again visited the Old Town Square in Prague to meet the Czech team, where I captured captain T. Rolinek ‘squahsed’ on the front window of the bus, which was trying to get though all the fans, tourists, policeman, pickpockets…

All done with a NIKON!!!

František Ortmann

Our animal companions

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It’s never a cliché to say that dogs are man’s best friends. Who else greets us in the morning whatever their mood is. This is something humans highly value and open their hearts to, no matter if it is a dog or any other being from the animal kingdom. They are ever grateful for endearment and a little bit of attention. There are some of us who couldn’t imagine life without their animal friends, as well as ones who would never opt to own a pet under any circumstance. So, we were eager to see which group you as members of WoL belong to and decided to browse through your weeks. The frequency with which you document your pets has pleasantly surprised us, and we found ourselves in a tough spot trying to select only 50 out of so many wonderful pictures. We aimed for an easy photo topic this time and focused on your pets with all their spontaneity and sensuality, in order to try and put a smile on your face.

Pavlína Baudyšová, Student, Czech Republic

Dagmar Luhringova, Chemist, Czech Republic

Nikita Shokhov, Photographer, Russia

Martin Sole, Technician, Czech Republic

David Bray, Saleperson,Czech Republic

Hana Vybíralová,Nurse, Czech Republic

Liza, Photographer, Russia

Barbora Budková, Parental leave, Czech Republic

Hana Gela, Foreign languages instructor, Czech Republic

Jan Nožička, Photographer, Czech Republic

Daria Zvedeninova, Journalist, Russia

Barbara Havlíková, Parental leave, Czech Republic

Viktoria Filipková, Student, Slovakia

Irena Bucharová, Project co-ordinator, Czech Republic

Sergei Rogozkin, Professor, Russia

Karel Vaněk, Technician, Czech Republic

Marcel Fujcik, Photographer, Czech Republic

Maria Frolova, Student, Russia

Kamil Kašpárek, Purchaser, Czech Republic

Václav Novotný, Programmer, Czech Republic

Jana Melišová, Graphic designer, Slovakia

Jana Srbová, Student, Czech Republic

Jonathan Slee, Architect, United Kingdom

Jiří Rajs, Retired, Czech Republic

Martina Matějková, Technician, Czech Republic

Natasha Pavlova,Journalist, Russia

Arina Kuranova, Student, Czech Republic

Kristýna Fischlová, Student, Czech Republic

Šárka Lisníková, Cook, Czech Republic

Hana Major Sládková, Photographer, Czech Republic

Pavel Jirat, Manager, Kuwait

Zuzana Bobovníková, Photographer, Czech Republic

Kateřina Hladká, Secretary, Czech Republic

Karel Kuran,Manager, Belize

Václav Pavlíček, Student, Czech Republic

Antonín Malý, Photographer, Czech Republic

Vera Lesenko,Retired, Russia

Jan Urbánek, Businessperson, Czech Republic

Martina Štolbová, Teacher, Czech Republic

Nick Bochenin, Photographer, Russia

Lubomír Budný, Student, Czech Republic

Vlad Gerasimov, Ilustrator, Russia

Jan Belej, IT, Czech Republic

Светлана Вавилова, Enterpreneur, Russia

Veronika Sussmannova, Translator, Czech Republic

Pavel Narbutovskih, Engineer, Russia

Valerisanek, Saleperson, Czech Republic

Andrew Matusik, Photographer, Alabama

Karolína Vlčková, Student, Czech Republic

Natasha Pavlova, Journalist, Russia

I’ve been pushing the limits of intimacy further, says Kamil Kašpárek

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Kamil Kašpárek, Purchaser, Czech Republic

His first week was a clear favorite to be selected for the Editor’s Choice and after publishing his second one, we started to receive strong opinions in favor of his person to be included among the WoL Masters. There is no doubt that Kamil Kašpárek a.k.a. Kaspy belongs in this profound section. The way how he documents his life is an inspiration to all and despite capturing ordinary things and daily activities known to all of us, he manages to portray them in a new and original fashion. In the following interview, you can find out more about his photography beginnings, what he enjoys about it the most, and how he feels about revealing and documenting his privacy.

Towards the end of the summer holidays, we had the possibility to see your first week named ‘Kaspy’s first week’. Based on the comments, the week was a success and with the increasing number of quality weeks, the choice was easy when selecting the 12th Week of Life Master. Your profile shows only basic information, so if you would, please tell us more about yourself, as well as about what led you to photography?

First, I would like to thank you for being selected, you really made me happy. Back to the question. I come from the city of Mikulov in the region of the Pálava hills, but at the moment, I live and work in Brno. I am 26 years old and very happy in my role as a future father. I love nature, everything that lives and life as it is; I think that led me to photography. One fall day, on my way home from school in Pardubice, I suddenly felt the urge to document the beauty of nature we were passing. It was around the city of Česká Třebová and I remember the light, the atmosphere as if it were today. One month later, I became the owner of my first camera – the Olympus C-760 Ultra Zoom. The year was 2004 and I slowly started to acquaint myself with photography.

Your profession as a purchaser sounds interesting. One of the Masters is a salesperson and many don’t see the difference between the two. What is your profession about?

There is a rather huge difference, since I am more in the position of a customer rather than a sales person. Purchasing consists of ensuring that certain commodities are in stock in the warehouse or for wholesale of the company that later sells these products on the Czech market through their sales force. I purchase intermediate goods such as stainless steel and I dare to say that it is so specific, that you cannot predict its price development. The more unpredictable it is, the harder is my job, since you need to have just enough goods for the best price possible.

You use color as well as black and white in your photographs. Some of your weeks are dominant with color, some with b&w. Are these combinations random or is it a deliberate use of photography in order to express your feelings to the viewers?

At first, I indulged in live colors and loved all that was colorful, alive, joyful, but after a certain phase, I change my perception of the photographs and color is no longer enough to send the message across. Black and white simply has more ‘depth’, there are no colors to distract the viewers, letting the essence of the image stand out. I try to absorb the emotions of the photograph and if I feel that it needs to have color, it will be in color and vice versa. Photos can’t interfere with one another and I want them to act as a compact unit in terms of a day or a week.

A few days back, the photo topic ‘Intimacy’ was published on the website. Some members have many more weeks than you do, but have not appeared in the selection. Do you consider your photographs more intimate than the photos of others?

And where is your border line for what can be published and what should stay private?I don’t dare judge how private the photos of others are. What I try to aim for is for each photograph to be the insight into to my life and how I perceive my surroundings, what I go through, what I feel. Perhaps for these reasons were my images chosen for this photo topic.

I’ve been pushing the limits of intimacy further ever since I started photographing life. However, I always set the line which I don’t cross no matter what, since my main inspiration involves my wife, family, the place where I live and so on. The images can’t be vulgar or offensive. They should evoke the sense of what is dear to us and what we consider familiar; the only difference is that it’s all through my perspective.

As you have mentioned above, you are expecting your child to be born soon. This is clearly evident in your weeks. Are you deliberately capturing these moments of expectation, or is it all just a coincidence?

Now there is a good suggestion. I wouldn’t call it a deliberate series of photos, but I do try to document it so that we see how something so little can change a person’s life. I am looking forward to my new black background arriving, so that we can fully enjoy the ‘in the dark’ images. It would be a shame not to capture the beauty of female curves, so eagerly waiting to be photographed.

Now, the obvious question – How did you find out about the project? It is not the easiest of tasks to photograph an entire week. What kind if impulse made you join the cause of the project?

I heard about the project from Jan Nožička, but felt no need to join. However, I monitored how Week of Life kept expanding and it pulled me in with its diversity and overall idea. And when I tried documenting an entire day, I decided that next time, it has to be a whole week. Now, I’m documenting my 5th week and I have a feeling there is plenty more from where that came from.

Currently, there are 34 countries involved in the WoL project. Some countries are represented by a large number of weeks, some have a single set. If you could choose, which of the member countries would you wish to document and for what reason?

If I had to select one, it would definitely be Australia. The country of the Aborigines with endless deserts, tropical forests, The Great Barrier Reef, the underground city, the longest straight road in the world, Wave Rock, Road trains etc… It’s a fascinating region on the planet, where I’d go immediately if possible.

You have been photographing for some time now. You have surely found a favorite photographer, either from the Czech sphere or the international one. Would you be so kind as to share with us who your favorite photographer is and why?

There are actually many names I have been following. Locally in the Czech Republic, the first name that comes to mind is Josef Sudek for his still life, discovered places. The prototype for success is in my eyes Adolf Zika, thanks to his attitude towards photography. Then, Jan Sudek, although his photos are a little over the top. Ladislav Kamarád and his crazy traveling. From my surroundings, definitely Marta Černická for her artistic and unbelievably delicate portrayal of her images. And finally, Matej Kmeť and Ondřej Nosek for their portrait photos. From the international scene, it would have to be Sebastião Salgado. Additionally, I’d like to see the document Workers in its initial phase.

When photographing your weeks, you put together pictures from many different categories. Landscape, still life, macro, reportage, portrait, nudes, family photos and so on, together combined as a document of your life. The last category, family photos, is often forgotten and even purposely excluded in many internet galleries. In your opinion, how should family photography look like, so that it is interesting to a wider audience than just the family members and people around them?

I find the statement of Václav Havel interesting. I don’t remember it word by word, but he said that a photograph should be smarter than the photographer himself, for everyone to find their own point of interest.

Sometimes it only takes one to think about it from the perspective of a stranger and why a specific photo should be of interest to them. So, the approach is decisive, not the theme.

The WoL project keeps expanding and it is not only due to the increase of its members and their weeks, but also thanks to new sections. Do you have a favorite section and is there something specific you’d like to see on the website in the future?

I like to follow reportages, stories behind pictures and especially remote places. And it is exactly these weeks from distant countries that I would like to see the most on the website.

Weeks of Kamil Kašpárek

František Ortmann: 1st place at Czech Press Photo 2010

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Dear Week of Life members,

We would like to congratulate our long term member, František Ortmann, for winning 1st place in the ‘People in the news’ category at the 16th annual Czech Press Photo awards, a prestigious journalistic competition. He won the prize thanks to his candid photo, in which he captured Tomas Rolinek, captain of the Czech ice hockey team, standing at the very front of the bus destined for Old Town Square in Prague to greet the fans with the winning trophy from the World Championship. This prestigious award is something to be proud of, where success in this competition is a wishful dream for many photographers. Mr. Ortmann has achieved this several times during his career, deserving praise from us all.

This year, 299 photographers with permanent residence in the Czech Republic or Slovakia have entered the competition and the jury had 4236 photographs to choose from. More information about the Czech Press Photo competition can be found on the website www.czechpressphoto.cz/en.

František Ortmann, week number two

However, we have prepared something special for you, members of WoL. You will soon be able to learn more about the photograph in the Stories behind pictures section. We would like to thank Mr. Ortmann for providing us with the photograph and the story behind it.

You can find more about his work on www.frantisekortmann.eu.

We wish you a great autumnal day.

Your WoL team

Zetor in motion

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The walking mask of the Zetor 25 is the best and most successful photograph I have ever created. I have been waiting for a similar image to come for years.This photograph has many stories, all of which started with the desire of my father-in-law, Mr.Prčík, to buy the Zetor 25 K tractor. He managed to lay hands on one that was in an immobile state, traveling far to buy it in order to fulfill one of his dreams. At the time, his son František was 12 years old and believe it or not, he easily outshined much older students of the agriculture mechanics and maintenance field. He was as well in an elated state. First he removed the rusty bolts and the mask of the radiator. It was rather heavy, so he lifted the whole thing and kept showing it to everyone that it’s finally down. Since this moment, another tractor was added to the collection of the Prčík family, so today, there are 3 tractors, 50 years old in average, parked in the barn.

This is one side of the story, important for the male side of the Prčík family. There is another story however, connected to the origin of the photograph. I owned a top-notch digital camera with professional optics for documentary making. They claim that the level of equipment does not play a significant role in the resulting images, but I have to admit that in this case, it played a vital role. Everything was on the edge. Maximum ISO, low aperture and a slow shutter speed – all negative factors. When Fanda a.k.a. ‘Walking radiator’ passed by me, I set the camera to capture 8 frames per second at maximum focus. When browsing through what I was able to capture, this image came up. The rest was blurry or badly composed. There was a single image of better quality and I must say that I was quite lucky that it was this one.

Zetor jede

The story does not end here. I entered a series of pictures named ‘Our own Zetor’ into the Czech Press Photo 2008 competition and it won the 3rd prize in the ‘Everyday life’ category. While accepting the prize, I managed to capture an image of Mr. President Václav Klaus looking over this photo. When I showed Mr. Prčík the photo of the president looking at the Prčík family from the tiny village of Slup, he was delighted and honored. The photo now has its righteous place on the veranda and is proudly presented to everyone that comes for a visit.

Last but not least is the story from recent days. I received an email from an amateur band called Dr. Zetor from Slovakia. They are hoping to use the photo for the cover of their album.

Zdeněk Dvořák

Number of countries on WoL: 34

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Thanks to the constant increase of countries participating on WoL, we are able to meet new people along with their lifestyles. Not long ago have we witnessed the first Austrian set appear on the website, which was created by Dita Barakova. Today, we have another reason to celebrate, as we welcome yet another new addition – the country of Mexico and the 7 days of life of Santiago Robles.