My passion for photography
There was nothing special about my photography beginnings. I guess I have started with photography as many people did when I was a little kid having a simple little compact camera. Not sure what was the name of the camera but it was one of the first Olympus´ Tough series. Interestingly, I did not fall in love with taking pictures instantly. On the contrary, it was a slow process in my case. Nevertheless, it was a little spark that has started a lifelong passion for photography.
When I was growing up, every time I went out for a family or friend´s trip, I had some sort of camera with me. Usually that little Olympus, or my parent´s camera which was also Olympus, or later on one of my mobile phones. In any way, it wasn´t until my exchange program in Estonia, which I have done in the spring of 2015 when I have realized that I would like to take my photography a bit further.
Photography through travelling
When I was there I have visited so many beautiful places around Estonia, Norway, Finland, Sweden as well as Russia, and while I was visiting all these places I really regretted that I did not have a proper camera with me. I was still a student at that time so I did not have much money I could spare. Therefore, after I came back home, I started saving money to buy something that would allow me to have full control over my pictures. Very early, I have decided I didn´t want to have a big and nice, but also very expensive full-frame camera, so I turned my eyes to APS-C and mirrorless systems.
I wanted something smaller and lighter with decent image quality and that is why I have ended up with Olympus OM-D E-M10. It was a great starting camera with amazing controls. It just made me fall in love with the whole photography process. I have been using it for a while, but on my many trips to various environments, I have realized that would like to switch to something more weather-sealed. Naturally, I made a switch to the upper class of Olympus´ line-up, and I bought Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. To cut the long story short, I have been using it ever since. Moreover, since my photography journey started, I have built up a decent line-up of lenses for the Micro 4/3 system. I currently use:
- Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
- Olympus 12-40 mm f/2,8
- Samyang 12 mm f/2
- Sigma Art 56 mm f/1,4
- Olympus 40-150 mm f/4-5,6
- Pentax 50 mm f/1,4
Occasionally and for special assignments, I also rent a secondary camera (f.e. weddings) which usually include Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark I or Mark II with Olympus 12-40 mm f/2,8 lens.
Other equipment I regularly use includes:
- Tripod Cullmann Mundo 525M
- Photo bag Gitzo Adventure 30 L
- Filter HOYA HDnano 67 mm CIR-PL
- Filter Haida slim ND3.0 67mm
Why do I want to share what I do?
I love to capture the beauty of life and nature around me but I also love to travel a lot. The experience of getting to know the unknown is something that everyone should try. I feel that travelling and photography enrich my life and I would love to share my passion with other people. Travelling doesn´t necessarily mean visiting new places, countries or cultures, it may also mean exploring your nearest surroundings – that is exactly where I have taken one of my best pictures.
Going back to places which you know as your own shoe times and times again, and witness them in different conditions is something that cannot be appreciated highly enough. Your pictures are usually only as good as your photography skills, knowledge of the place and luck you have with the weather conditions. I am lucky to have some very nice places near the place where I live and therefore I can go out often since amazing sunsets and sunrises do not happen every day.
Therefore, let me share my photography journey with you. I will be sharing my thoughts with you on this website. If you want to see my portfolio, check out the Gallery section or my Instagram profile via the links above
Copyright Zdeněk Havel 2020