
PHOTO STORIES
There is a story behind every photo - the location of the photo, the creation of the photo, sometimes also the path the photo has taken since its creation. With all my photos, I want to take you through these stories. Today we start with the first larger batch of them. PS I give names to photos only when absolutely necessary. I leave the name imagination up to you. Still, to understand which is photo which, they have numbers.
8/11/2022, Dan
No Title, Nr.
271622
Fallen leaves and algae on the top of Slapy dam near Prague in the Autumn.
The colorful pattern is created by a combination of leaves fallen down from the forests of the surrounding hills and various colored algae that grew massively during the summer. A fisherman makes his way through it to land shortly on the shore.
Slapy Dam, Czech Republic
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291410
The Lužnice river flows between two ponds.
This unique sight is caused by the river entering a pond system in Southern Czech Republic and flowing through it for a couple dozen kilometers. On some places, like this, it's more water than lands...
I took this photo originally in 2020 on the end of October and keep returning there in the same week every following year because I wasn't too happy with it - even though it won the 3rd place in the Landscape category Czech Nature Photo in 2021. In 2021, the light conditions were bad and worse then, during that photoshoot I actually crashed my drone (entirely my fault and recklesness... good learning for me). That weekend wasn't good at all on so many other levels, too. In 2022, things got better! I was lucky to have a bright day without sunlight that would create unnecessary shadows, yet with dramatically painted sky over the ponds around the river. But yes, I'll keep coming there every year...
Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
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301615
Thousands of gulls during the blue hour on the largest Czech pond
An incredibly large flock of white-headed gulls was getting together right after the sunset at the largest Czech man-made pond Rožmberk.
You can also check a video from this incredible scene here: https://youtu.be/XdsouIa7G7s
Rožmberk pond, Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
301441
An island on a pond during the Fall
Several species of birds have home on this pond.
I was lucky to capture this view during the sunset... when the sun was illuminating the birds and the islands, but only partly the water. A fairly dramatic color and contrast effect was created...
Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
291539
A tree fallen to a dried up pond in the Fall
The Nadějská rybniční soustava ("the Hope pond system") is a part of a large medieval man-made pond system in the Southern Czech Republic. In any time of the year, it's a spectacular location for aerial vistas. The Fall, however, is definitely the best time to come for a flyover.
Rybník Naděje (the pond Hope), Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
291537
A tree fallen to a dried up pond in the Fall
The Nadějská rybniční soustava ("the Hope pond system") is a part of a large medieval man-made pond system in the Southern Czech Republic. In any time of the year, it's a spectacular location for aerial vistas. The Fall, however, is definitely the best time to come for a flyover.
Rybník Naděje (the pond Hope), Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
291536
The Nadějská rybniční soustava ("the Hope pond system") is a part of a large medieval man-made pond system in the Southern Czech Republic. In any time of the year, it's a spectacular location for aerial vistas. The Fall, however, is definitely the best time to come for a flyover.
Rybník Naděje (the pond Hope), Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
251415
A structure on a wastewater pond.
A structure of an unknown kind for me over a wastewater pond in an industrial zone.
I visited this place a few times during a different times of the year. Interestingly, the water color varies greatly, depending on the season, the color of the sky and perhaps the composition of the waste. This was taken in June. In the Fall, the water is more bluish..
Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
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161350
A little island with a house during the Fall.
The lake is a home to several small islands, some of them with houses.
I was lucky to catch a good time with the tourist boat around... the day was bright and sunny and created the epic contrast scenery.
Žernošecké jezero, Northern Bohemia, Czech Republic
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311519
A tiny island on a little pond in the Autumn.
South Bohemia is a region with hundreds of man-made lakes and ponds dating back to the medieval era. These ponds are scattered by many muddy islands, often providing home to many bird species.
This photo was taken during one of the most colorful autumn days .
Třeboň area, South Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
271621
Fallen leaves and algae on the top of Slapy dam near Prague in the Autumn.
The colorful pattern is created by a combination of leaves fallen down from the forests of the surrounding hills and various colored algae that grew massively during the summer. A fisherman makes his way through it to land shortly on the shore.
Slapy Dam, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
260238
A dump into a wastewater reservoir in an industrial area.
The liquid waste is being dumped from the pipes on the bottom into a pond with already sedimented waste.
These dumps are very uninspiring from the ground and nobody comes to visit. However, from a bird's perspective, a wholly different realm opens up. I love flying, whenever possible, above these areas - definitely being avoided by an average tourist. But again, if you look at them with a different perspective, and a different attitude, perhaps, they reveal flowers of a wholly different kind.
Chomutov region, Western Bohemia
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221501
A former volcano filled in by a little glacial lake.
That day, the weather was crazy even for Icelandic standards, with changes from sunny day to snow storms in less than 20 minutes. So I was quite lucky to capture this high-resolution panorama under just right light conditions.
Friðland að Fjallabaki highlands, Central Iceland
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221356
Braided river on a day of the first snow.
That day, the weather was crazy even for Icelandic standards, with changes from sunny day to snow storms in less than 20 minutes. So I was quite lucky to capture this high-resolution panorama under just right light conditions.
Friðland að Fjallabaki highlands, Central Iceland
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201127
A cruise boat at the tip of the beach in the early morning
The Zlatni Rat is one of the world's most famous beaches. This photo was taken very much right after the sunrise, when only a few people were there. Soon, thousands and thousands of people flock in.
Zlatni Rat Beach, Island of Brač, Croatia
No Title, Nr.
161608
Start of a lava stream (flowing to the left for a few kilometers) at a volcano
Many volcanoes have side openings near to them, from which lava flows (not erupts, or just very lightly) down in long lava creeks. This one was about 3 meters wide at a maximum, but the hot lava lasted for at least a kilometer or two down the valley.
-- I was lucky enough to visit the Fagradalsfjall volcano on an active day, moreover, there were several of these side craters. The opening of this one reminds me of a fire dragon that's been released from the Earth. This was my first day in Iceland and I was concerned about the drone surviving when I flew so close to the lava - some 25 meters - and there indeed was very minor damage, but other than that, the drone survived for the next month in Iceland. Still, this photo from Day 1 remains one of the best from the whole trip.
Fagradalsfjall volcano, South Western Iceland
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131847
A sand drill, bringing a sand on the carrier to create a cone of various segments of a diverse colored sand.
A part of a larger industrial area and a port.
The places which we deem ugly, even toxic, places that we associate with destruction of Earth – even those have a hidden side where a new kind of beauty emerges. I love exploring these places, almost giving them a chance to shine, to tell their story, to let them contribute at least some beauty to the world of natural beauty in which they seem to be the opposite.
Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
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121820
Just a lone tree in a backyard
This photo is one of my favorite examples how a totally mundane area - here, a nondescript backyard in a suburban country area near Prague - can contain true gems, if only you're lucky enough to spot them.
Also, this is not a typical drone photo.. the height is low and the angle unusual for my photos.. but I really love it, so enjoy it with me.
Slaný, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
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101620
A very unfrequented track... with a girl observing clouds from them.
Návarov is a little village in a foresty area on the way to the Krkonoše mountains. Not very touristy, it provides very nice hikes outside of the beaten path... and almost abandoned railway tracks.
Vitalina was my couchsurfing guest from Ukraine, staying with me for a while in 2017. Later that year, she was housesitting a cottage in Navarov and I was her guest for a change. On one of our hikes, we discovered this track with zero traffic. She lied on it and counted the clouds... while I watched her from the top and guarded for any coming trains (none came, indeed).
Návarov, North Bohemia Czech Republic
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101442
Mud and waste substances from mining operations mix with water in a freezing wastewater pond
Odkaliště Venuše (“Sludge pond Venus”) is probably the last place where you’d look for beauty in the Czech Republic. In the middle of a land destroyed by mining and industrial activity is a pond with a content you don’t even want to think of. Yet - here we are presented with a magically pretty flower… an acid flower, perhaps.
Odkaliště Venuše, Mostecko, North Western Czech Republic
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101435
Mud and waste substances from mining operations mix with water in a wastewater pond
Odkaliště Venuše (“Sludge pond Venus”) is probably the last place where you’d look for beauty in the Czech Republic. In the middle of a land destroyed by mining and industrial activity is a pond with a content you don’t even want to think of. Yet - here we are presented with a magically pretty flower… an acid flower, perhaps.
Odkaliště Venuše, Mostecko, North Western Czech Republic
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061228
Last group of trees with leaves amidst a deep autumn forest
-- I was concerned that I may not get great photos, coming to the area so late in the autumn with most trees already having shaken their leaves down. However, some patches still could be found and especially in the bright sun of that day they created incredible views.
near Koněprusy, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
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271202
A highland creek floating over a ferrous soil.
On the top of Krušné hory, you can find many meadows with highland bush and vegetation. It’s also where many creeks originate, join each other and perhaps disappear somewhere in the woods again. When adjusting contrasts of this image, the reddish color of the ferrous soil became immediately visible.
Krušné hory mountains, North Western Bohemia, Czech Republic
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031045
Blind stream Musík of the Slapy Dam near Prague in early autumn.
-- The Slapy dam - created to protect Prague from previously devastating floods - is another popular destination for my photo trips. Both the water surface as well as surrounding hills and forests and almost an endless source of surprises.
Slapy dam, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
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271211
A forest on the top of a mountain ridge.
-- I found this place by a pure coincidence - as is the case of quite a few other photos here - when flying from a site that actually didn’t prove to be as appealing as I’d have guessed from the online “satellite” maps (this also happens quite often). But I’m glad I did. And after seeing this photo in large prints, I understand why people sometimes take this part of the forest to their homes!
Krušné hory Mountains, North Western Bohemia, Czech Republic
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152033
South Moravian hills and fields in early spring.
The large agricultural country area of South Moravian hills is quite difficult to photograph from above - but when you get to the right place, it literally flies. I I spent a lot of time with this photo sailing on its waves, because it contains several almost optical illusions (sometime due to eroding surface due to removed trees, which is nothing great actually), at the same time the colors of the South Moravian spring are difficult to interpret, let alone when you want to extract the spirit you feel there.
-- I found this particular place between Bílovice and Čejkovice by chance, it is not one of the usual South Moravian photo locations.
Southern Moravia, Czech Republic
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281931
South Moravian hills and fields in early spring.
The large agricultural country area of South Moravian hills is quite difficult to photograph from above - but when you get to the right place, it literally flies. I I spent a lot of time with this photo sailing on its waves, because it contains several almost optical illusions (sometime due to eroding surface due to removed trees, which is nothing great actually), at the same time the colors of the South Moravian spring are difficult to interpret, let alone when you want to extract the spirit you feel there.
-- I found this particular place between Bílovice and Čejkovice by chance, it is not one of the usual South Moravian photo locations.
Southern Moravia, Czech Republic
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260947
An unnamed pond in a former surface mining area near Chomutov
This mining area - including long abandoned surface mines and other mining operations - is a surprisingly fantastic location for admiration of a truly hidden beauty. From the land, the country seems beaten, broken or even destroyed - and it actually quite is. From the air… there’s a whole new world opening, given some hope to this hard tried area. This little pond didn’t look so intriguing on the map, but I thought I wanted to take a bit of a relax at its side while driving from a day of shooting. I almost didn’t want to take the drone with me - and glad I did.
Chomutov region, North Western Bohemia, Czech Republic
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230738
A dead tree fallen to the dead arm of Labe on a dark spring day.
-- There are actually many visually attractive areas around this part of Labe near Kolín, but I got most intrigued by the many stories that this tree is telling us.. when looking at it from the right angle.
near Kolín, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
No Title, Nr.
191643
A dead tree fallen into a pond in the Průhonice park.
-- I came to photograph this fascinating view several times, but it proved to be very difficult to retell the story of what you’d see there on a late autumn day like this. It was only when I made the red colors really stand out that I think you can experience it in the same way like I did from the air - as a wild dance of reds and blues to the tones of coming winter, death and rebirth.
Prague, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
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161608-3
Fagradalsfjall Volcano, about 3 weeks before ceasing activity.
This day of shooting at the volcano resulted in many other fascinating views like straight from a Tolkien book. In these late phases of the volcanic activity, the lava eruptions occurred just every other 10 minutes or so. You could very well anticipate them, as the air filled with a strange hissing sound for a few seconds before the eruption, which then lasted no longer than about 10 seconds. I found the smoking volcano more intriguing though!
Fagradalsfjall Volcano,, South Western Iceland
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011621
Waterfall in the Stuðlagil canyon in the late autumn.
The canyon was until recently "undiscovered" by people - a very strong river used to flow there and the area around the eastern inland highlands is very inhospitable even for weathered Icelanders. But 13 years ago, the river level dropped by almost 9m due to a nearby power plant and a completely unsuspected canyon full of basalt columns appeared. The canyon is now on side 2, may be 3, of all Icelandic tourist catalogs, less so this waterfall.
-- The day was a pretty bad light, it was a cold winter, it was raining with snow (which my drone especially likes) and I was still a long way from my accomodation far up in the mountains. So I'm glad that this photo came out quite well and I can present it to you now.
Stuðlagil, Eastern Iceland
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291143
A mountain top in the South East Iceland coast.
-- Often I love driving to a tourist destination only to find out that its surroundings are often just as interesting. This was the case - I was driving to the very popular Stokksnes beach, but this caught my attention. I parked on the side and spent about 1 hour there, actually missing the Stokksnes at all due to bad weather coming very shortly. I don’t regret it!
South Eastern Iceland
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251827
A glacial delta river at the South Iceland coast.
Sometimes people don’t believe this isn't photo manipulation in Photoshop. And I always reply with my mantra: what you see was really there. No editing of shapes or adding stuff to my photos. Let’s just agree I was very lucky to have spotted this black heart. It did bring some rather dark symbolism for me in the following weeks so I don’t have an easy relationship with this photo, but I guess what else to expect from a heart that intense…
South Eastern Iceland
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031438
An island on a little pond close to Káraný in a chilling January weather.
This island isn’t man made - nature presents us here with a torn mind of this complicated island. The January morning freeze painted the trees white, while it wasn’t cold enough to make the water freeze and hide the sand and mud texture of the island “lagoon”.
I took this photo on an early morning drive on January 2nd from vacations in the mountains to get a shot at a doctor’s and then coming back to join my group. This image - one of the first photos I took in 2020 - then became a strong symbol of a torn mind, dualities, things we need to reconcile… for me, this remained one of the strongest photos I took that year.
Toušeň, Eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic
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251121
An early bird couple takes a morning stroll on a beach on Xmas day at the Canary Islands.
This Canary beach was actually a man made lagoon, which made the see completely flat, especially in the early morning.
-- Very soon, the beach got very full, but this moment must have had been serene from the ground, as it definitely was from the air as well.
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
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171342
Sunbathers at a shore
This was actually a little urban beach in a little bay in an originally fishermen village, with a road for cars being right next to it. Still, the few beach goers over there definitely didn’t mind and enjoyed their time.
This Croatian trip wasn’t intended to be a drone photo trip, but my Mavic 2 Pro drone being so lightweight, I carry it everywhere. And sometimes, it’s a nice opportunity for people in my company to take their own time off, since during my drone sessions, I’m the worst human being in the world - at least socially speaking.
Island of Brač, Croatia
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260646
River mouth bringing dead trees and sediments into the lake.
The river that flows from the Alps to the lake brings in all kinds of messages from the mountains - should it be trees or various colorful sediments. Of all the rather more complex images I took at this area this one strikes out clearly… a combination of happiness vs endings, tranquility vs. strong currents, merry colors vs. the blackness of decay. It really depends on what you want to see in this and there’s definitely tons more stories than what the simple view would tell.
Lago Maggiore, Northern Italy
More photos and stories will be added continuously.