Richard Vanek PhotographyRichard Vanek PhotographyConceptual and emotional photography projects by Richard Vanek. Sensitivity captured in black and white photos. 
Articles
Languages
2009-09-19 00:02:00 Dear friend, or should I say all of you 18 returning visitors ;-) I was walking night street of the village where I live and was thinking what should I write. Sometimes I have idea and sometimes not. Mostly when I a triggered by something and I have read something, which triggered my mind to thinking I am full of ideas, views. As it seems today my pool of ideas was exhausted at work where I have spend over six hours brainstorming. I really enjoyed it, but after that I had feel of fulfillment, not surprisingly later at the evening I fell really tired. On my walk I was wondering how all these little information, other people ideas, could seed a spark in me. How nice it would be able to communicate with those people over the glass of wine. We visited friends tonight for dinner and late night talk. All is done in the language I master with difficulties. I, frankly can't express myself full in it. I never been a language talent and all my language knowledge (as you can see on my writ... More About: Languages
Childhood is special, do not loose it!
2009-09-16 10:20:00 Dear friend, In last days I am reading more and more. So it goes with my mind, it is more and more active and frankly, feels good ;-) Today I have read interesting article, which reminds me a lot reasons why I have created Remembering Childhood project. This series of images, if you remember, should help adults to bring back, once forgotten memories and feelings from time when we were very young. This particular article is rather difficult to read and at the same time very easy to understand. Looks like almost two people wrote it,plus all those references and citations from other people makes it at the end rather complex. In any case, if you patient enough, it will bring you joy and certainly trigger some thoughts. Here is few teasers from it: I have often felt like saying to adults: quit worrying about the afterlife. This already is the afterlife. You ghouls. You ghostwalking former children. Then I want to ask them: Why do you worry about whether your soul will exist 100 year... More About: Special
Last letter for today
2009-09-15 20:54:00 Dear friend I promise, next time I will keep all at the end of the day, I will keep open envelop and pen on the paper. Anytime something pop-ups to my mind I will just add it to the same letter. And at the end I place it to the envelop and bring it to the post. Now when I am using audio note-taker, shouldn't be a problem to remember all what goes in my mind over the whole day. As I have promised to you early today morning, I have updated Serene Mind series. It now includes some new images, some are removed and order is different. It is now reflecting my last feel about this series. When I have started richard-vanek.eu and I moved away from piskoftak.com I have decided to present my work purely in series or project. I believe that series of images is more powerful and can express the idea better than single image. It does feel to me like a album and sons. Look at my favorite Pink Floyd. How much better is to listen to the whole album The Wall than to the single song Another Brick... More About: Today , Letter
I have discovered Clarice Lispector
2009-09-15 13:58:00 Dear friend, I have just wrote you letter few hours ago, but so many things are floating around and I like to share them with you: Recently I have read a piece from book The hour of the star by Clarice Lispector. Please read small piece as well and think. "The typist lived in a kind of limbo, hovering between heaven and hell. She had never given any thought to the concept: 'I am therefore, I am.' I suspect that she felt she had no right to do so, being a mere accident of nature. A foetus wrapped up in newspaper and thrown on to a rubbish dump. Are there thousands of others like her? Yes, thousands of others who are mere accident of nature. And if one thinks about it carefully, aren't we all mere accidents of nature? I have only escaped from a similar fate because I am writer." *** Later this day I have browse some twitter of my followers and found this note: # Has it really been 19 years ago today that my dad passed away? I still remember that night so clearly like it w...
What I want to achieve?
2009-09-15 11:05:00 Dear friend, I guess you are waiting for the new picture, well, I am sorry, but not this time. After my last writing, when I wrote you about technical details, I had need for something else to balance it. I went and read a lot, still do, some more books on my table waiting, even I do read rather lot every evening. After I was done with the calibration processes and was in the middle of the reading I realize, actually I knew that for long time, that I need to make my photography work flow better. I started with some changes on web and than I moved all my 40k images to lightroom. All this took me a lot of time, but it all feel very good now and seems to work. Last days I was playing with idea to submit my Serene Mind to lens culture international exposure awards. I wasn't sure at the beginning, but I really believe this is nice way to, with bit of luck, become more visible. And so, yesterday I did. I actually modified a little whole series and included some new images and exclud...
Monitor Calibration
2009-09-08 22:45:00 Following my dear friend is more technical report than letter to you, so if you not really interested in technical details of monitor calibration, please stop right here and wait as I will soon publish new letter with images with text more about culture, creativity education and photography. *** I have spend last few days, calibrating my monitor and as well monitor, which I use at my daily job. I have some extensive experience with calibration of monitors and printers in general. Intention was to use twp different monitors side by side. Home I use IBM Lenovo L220xwC and at work I use black and white medical diagnostic five megapixel 12bit monitor made by WIDE corp. IF2105MP. Home I did first calibrate my monitor for gamma 2.2 in gray scale mode using BARCO calibration software MediCal LE. Than later I have used Xrite eye-one display 2. Xrite is using Eye-one Match 3 software. Lenovo monitor had originally huge color cast. Calibration using Match 3 solved that problem perfectl... More About: Monitor
I can't help myself
2009-08-26 21:08:00 Dear friend, I have been home only few days by now and I couldn't help myself, but I have changed web again. After running the web site optimization from Google I have changed from page and make twitter toggle in journal page working again. I have removed lijt search as it doesn't bring much of traffic. I am planning to add my own search page, which will certainly bring better results. On other hand tomorrow traveling again. Among the other things I am planning to visit Dirk Rösler and later, the gallery which is selling my work in Slovakia. It was kind of silent from there and i like to see how my work is presented there. I have purchased rather special paper from Ilford few weeks ago with a idea to print set of my images from Serene Mind portfolio and use water colors to color it wildly. Actually Viera had this idea after seeing rather abstract images from this series. I though what a wonderful idea, but until now I didn't come to make them. Hopefully after this last short ...
summer travel
2009-08-24 20:26:00 My dear friend it has been while I have wrote to you, I was on a journey. It was my summer travel with Viera. We decided against all our early plans and we went to south of France. We have left all here and took just car with camping gears and went wild to south. Shortly, we had a wonderful time. I have not take many pictures and mostly I did snapshots of the tourist kind. The image included in this post is exception and there were few. When I had a mood I try to experiment more, but even more that that I tried to relax and let sun and sea did their job on my mind. This web was running Google analytic website optimizer experiment. You may noticed new front page, and strangely, even I somehow expected it, I have not received any note or comment from you. Google concluded after two weeks that the new page is better than the old one. I will make it little more dynamic in few following days. While away I have received a book I have order about web site design. It is a book who doesn... More About: Travel , Summer
New photo: brothers
2009-08-10 00:50:00 In a last hours of Sunday I have worked on following photograph. I named it brothers. Tell me what you see in this image and why you think I called it brothers. It is probably one of the last images for Serene Mind series. More About: Photo , Brothers
More than one
2009-08-08 21:40:00 My dear friend today I write this rather short letter. I have forgot to tell you yesterday about my new blogs. I have one rather old and it doesn't contain any new images. It is called Inner World. I publish there sometime, rather sporadically images before I place them in project here on my main web site. They are usually in different form. What I mean they are rectangular or they have different tint, just to try and see before I decide on final form and I place them to appropriate project. Another new blog is called Daily Photo Clicks. In last few days I have started it to post shot from my mobile. It is updated few times a day. Images are not any high quality, it is more or less kind of reincarnation of the standard photo blog. What I mean blog showing one daily life just by images. Reason for having that one? To have place where I can place snapshots. And the last one, which doesn't contain any images at the moment has name Photo Experiments. My plan is to publish rather ...
Last week and more
2009-08-07 22:23:00 Dear friend sometime I fall into that trap, as been software developer for most of my professional career, I still enjoying to build a system. And that happen to me as well this last week. I was playing so much with my web site that after one nice feature I went and implement another one and another. I was so much in the circle that I even not realized that some parts, and I have to say essential parts, were not working anymore. With a shock I realize that today evening. After I have build a front test page and start running web optimizing using Google, I went to rest of the side and realize that images in photo projects are not showing up! Well it is back, but I had to remove filtering out of twitters in journal or you can call it toggling of visibility. I will bring it back, but I need to find out a problem. Therefore at the moment, new things are, search (I'll refine that soon as well, it is just test if you will use a search). Second is a new test front page (running web op... More About: Week
Live chat about my photographs
2009-07-31 15:48:00 Dear friend, after so many twitter links it is again time for a longer letter. Before I went for short trip to Slovakia I had this idea about doing live talk about my photographs. I am not sure if there would be interest between you to talk with my about this topic. Now when the Skype is offering possibility to share desktop I can not only talk, but also demonstrate and show my images and the way how I work on them. My idea is to have a session of five or so, people all connected by skype and myself sharing my images and talk about them or about my aproach to modifying them, possibly about some other topic. If you would have interest about participating in such a session, please leave a comment to this post and mention a topic which you would be most interested in. One of the previous twitter posts I have mentioned that I have got idea about creating a very critical series of images about current social culture in Slovakia. As you may know Slovakia is country of my origin. I am... More About: Chat , Photographs , Live
Info about changes on this web site
2009-07-21 18:57:00 Dear friend for whatever reason I have been busy with some changes on these pages. You noticed certainly that menu was moved from right side to left side and some new icons has been placed next to RSS feed icon. I believe these changes will make it possible to navigate pages on this web site easier. If you are user one or more of those sharing services, like delicious, stumbleupon, facebook,... please use the icon on right top to bookmark pages you like. I noticed that this has enormous impact on amount of people visiting my pages. I would like to see more people visiting and see my photographs. In a course of last few weeks I went through most of the images I made for serene mind series. I tried to create about ten additional images, but all of them failed in process. Either there didn't fulfill my expectations or I just was not able to get out of the image what I had imagine at the start. I have two more images at the table now. I will see how do they turn out, but these are ... More About: Info , Site
Today is the day
2009-07-16 10:51:00 My friend, today is my birthday ;-) yes once a while I do have this day as you do as well. But that is actually not the reason I am writing to you. If you look at my journal or letters to my friend page, you will see quite a few changes. One of the most important is, that this page contains now also text from twitter. Frankly, I hesitated a bit when I start using or looking at twitter some time ago. I saw how people use it for all kinds of purposes and most of them I dislike. When I changed my blog to this letter style I was thinking what I should do with short news. Sometimes I like to just write you little note and not whole letter, just a small postcard or we can call it SMS. ;-) Than I have realized that this is exactly the way I can use twitter for. Not everybody has a twitter account and not everybody likes to receive twitter updates on their mobile or email or whatever. Now you can see my short messages on my letters cover page where I placed overview of latest twenty item... More About: Today
Jeff's 33
2009-07-12 21:34:00 When was it, Friday? Yes Friday evening I have received email from my friend Jeff. I have noticed new email address right away and later I read that he shutdown his web site. But majority of his email was something else. Something which never happen to me and why I was incredibly surprised and honored. Jeff went through his notes and archives and he selected thirty three images from me. Images, which I ever published on internet. And he not only send me this selection but he actually write for each and every images small note. This is amazing something. I always wonder how people see my work and which images they like most. Statistics doesn't tell you much, but something like this is incredible. I have decided to show you his selection of my work, where a lot of images are not anymore available online. So take your time and enjoy Jeff's selection of my work from 2002 until 2009. In City - an absolutely beautiful portrait, that also wonderfully captures the scene and setting tha...
Sitting here...
2009-07-10 08:07:00 Dear friend, sitting here in dark room early morning, cloudy sky and Peter Gabriel with Genesis songs are playing, I feel so energized. Most of the morning in last few weeks I was rather tired. This music is just pouring energy to my body. How unbelievable beautiful it is, 1969, just few years after I was born. It had to have effect on me somehow. When people look at my images they often say that I have to create more real images, images which showing paint or hard live. I always ask why? Don't we have full TV, news of it? Don't we see it all the time? Isn't that reason why most of people are escaping to stupid consumption kind of relax and turning their minds off? I guess I wrote about this topic earlier to you, but somehow it comes back to me. Recently, when I goes through my Serene Mind project, I am getting a little bored by some images from the huge collection I have made. I mean those from which I select to the final set. Seems just nice, but they miss that spark for whic...
Summer
2009-07-05 16:14:00 It is now more than ten days, we have this really hot weather and it has not rained here for the same time. This is what I call summer. Working days are busy and weekend as well. Most of the time my mind is wondering wild in clouds and feel dreamy. I have added following image to the Serene Mind series today as it described my mood. It is like endless way in hot day in the Forrest where bright light is beaming through the leafs. Way is endless and heat of the body is cooled with rare blows of the wind. You walk enjoying the silence and light play of the sun rays. I wish it would never stop. More About: Summer
Last news from twitter
2009-07-05 02:19:00 I am using the Twitter your extensively, but not too much for publishing small info. Like when I change something on web, when I add new image or when I find something interesting. Here is few last notes. If you like to get the from the first hand follow me on twitter directly. richo_67 New image on front page part of the series Woman. http://bit.ly/miFpOless than 5 seconds ago from web I have updated Serene Mind project with new images and improved web presentation, hopefully working with IE8 now. http://bit.ly/FCjoKabout 4 hours ago from web On twitter I have found link to this documentary pdf magazine http://www.5klatek.pl/ Even I am now far from documentary I enjoyed it!about 14 hours ago from web In these hot days, my mind is wondering in dreams and clouds. I feel light and flying far http://bit.ly/PnFD511:56 PM Jul 2nd from web Article in the local newspaper about my work with connection to first price in photo contents. I won with this work http... More About: News
My last film for sale
2009-06-29 14:43:00 In less than 24 hours this advertisement is not valid anymore, both of my film are sold now. I have some more analog stuff to sale. If you like to give me a offer, you may do so until I put them on eBay. I am planning to sale, Nikon F80 with battery grip, Nikon F100, and 50/1.8 AF-D lens. All in perfect state and for F80 set of new batteries. My last two bulk rolls of Fuji Neopan for sale. One 400 and one 1600 ISO. More About: For Sale , Film , Sale
Was or is it real?
2009-06-28 14:01:00 Yesterday evening after very dull, hot and steamy day I was rather tired. When night took over, around eleven in night, I was called by Viera to take to the sky. There where very strange objects flying. Look like red orange fire behind something. That something I couldn't see. It has constant speed (rather slow, like satellite passing sky) and was flying from NW to SW. Than I saw another one holding still somewhere at direction to SW. When the first one after few second approached the second 'fire' and got to him not very close, you could cover space between them by your palm when hand was away from body. The first one turn to W and second one begun to move in the same direction and same speed parallel to the trajectory of the first one. Viera told me that she saw about five another one few minutes before. I had no idea what to think about. Feels like there where very high. We could not recognized flames, we saw only that colored slightly deformed point of red/orange light. My m... More About: Real
More drama
2009-06-23 22:57:00 Even week is getting in speed I had a little time today, to make one more image. This time with little more drama. Take a look. More About: Drama
One more
2009-06-22 21:51:00 Today I am adding another candidate. Now I have four images which could possibly make it to the final set of Serene Mind series. I feel already that this week will be rather busy. So it may easily happen that I will write you back Friday or Saturday. If you feel you have something to say to these four images, please do so in comments. I appreciate every comment. Here I let you read one nice quote from my favorite Alan Watts: "You see, many of the troubles going on in the world right now are being supervised by people with very good intentions whose attempts are to keep things in order, to clean things up, to forbid this, and to prevent that. The more we try to put everything to rights, the more we make fantastic messes. Maybe that is the way it has got to be. Maybe I should not say anything at all about the folly of trying to put things to right but simply, on the principle of Blake, let the fool persist in his folly so that he will become wise."
New images
2009-06-21 17:21:00 Dear friend I have wrote some time ago that I have a huge set of images to work on for my Serene Mind series. I am attaching three I worked on this weekend. They are still in original full format and they will be probably cropped to square if they will get in the series. You may leave me your view of them in comment above this post. Even the next week will be even busier than last two I hope I will process few more images as I have selected about next twenty candidates for this body of work. I am writing in my journal rather sporadic and I believe it is better this way that write forced nonsenses or short messages. If you like to keep with me on daily basis, please look at twitter. I found it nice companion for this journal and I use it for small messages As you may already know I have purchased Zoom H2 sound recorder. I was inspired by Dirk's way of presenting his image with sound track. I like to try it ... More About: Images
Two weeks summary.
2009-06-13 23:21:00 Dear friend, last few days were full of different things and actions. I have went to Slovakia, more for the holiday and visiting family than for Photography. As it usually goes with me I have met interesting people and at the end arranged something which I was looking for longer time. After I met curator of my exposition in Slovakia in 2006, she informed me that she is running own gallery now. She is oriented more in art world than in photography. After she saw my last work from Serene Mind series we agreed that she will sell some of my work in her gallery. And so it come I have now gallery representation where people can see and buy my work. I am rather curious how it will go. It is difficult as my work will be hanging between works of painters and sculptors. I will install in her gallery first pieces at the end of July. --- Today I have returned from opening of 25 years celebration of local photo club. This club had create photo competition with its celebration for all people fro... More About: Summary
Spark of idea
2009-05-29 09:32:00 Dear J,. after I spoke with you yesterday and we discuss all the possibilities one can look into it strikes me something. It was not immediately and I didn't realize it until today morning. On the fact it come back to my mind today morning has certainly influence also situation with T. Anyway, felt like from nowhere I start thinking about how we are all isolated in our daily sphere of routine. We can hardly see something more. Often we do the same things and we a re looking forward to the same things. If something new is in front of us we either pass it by or, if is not possible, we hate it. And why is it? I do not know that, but what I know that every change and step into unknown I did in my past I am not sorry for. Every step brought some new and interesting stuff. Even a lot of things I couldn't imagine my today's live without. I feel as we getting older and we are more often enclosed in that sphere of isolation, it is more and more difficult to break through it. *** I am ... More About: Idea , Spark
Calibration Sheet
2008-06-06 15:13:00 You may or may not know that I am working as trainer/coach for Philips Healtcare. I am focusing on giving courses for Medical software for handling medical images. One of the topics I give is also calibration. The calibration sheet, test image which our application use is in one... More About: Sheet
Time flies
2008-06-04 10:46:00 I just turned around and we have June here. Incredible, so many things has happen in last few days. Mostly family kind of. I am soon traveling to Tokyo again. I am really looking forward to it. I am busy with preparing for it as well as with other... More About: Time , Flies
New photo: Late morning
2008-05-28 21:11:00 After I took as shower I was back in room, but I was not alone, there was a face in window and sharp Sun.... More About: Photo , Morning , Late
The Art
2008-05-26 23:15:00 It has been while, almost two years when Barborka made this image. I am jealous. I discover it today and I love it. You may have different taste, but for me this is the one....
When less is more II
More articles from this author:2008-05-26 20:53:00 This is a continuation of my article from yesterday about how to create image with defined area of interest. As I wrote in it, one of the most common problem with photos is that there is too many object in the scene. At the time of capturing image our... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
|
 |
|
 |
