
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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
No Title, Nr.
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!