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Music and Sound
The August assignment in my still-life photo project for this year was “Music and Sound”, which made me think of two instruments: a piano and flute. I wanted to play piano when I was a little girl, but when I applied for lessons at a music school, I was told my fingers were too short to make the effort worthwhile. That might have been true, but I was bitterly disappointed. Perhaps they had too many children asking for piano lessons so they tried to steer us towards less popular instruments instead. Years later, I bought a flute and some self-instruction books. I practiced diligently, though I never became a master.…
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Seasonal Fruits and Refreshments
The July assignment in my still-life photo project for this year requested “Seasonal Fruits and Refreshments” and I knew exactly where to look for it – in our own garden. For gardening, this year was quite generous in terms of weather. The spring late frosts did not cause much damage and the early summer brought just enough rain. And there’s definitely something deeply satisfying about photographing fruit you’ve watched growing on your own trees and bushes – it transforms a creative assignment into something much more personal. The blueberries have become my favorite breakfast addition, brightening my morning oat flakes and yoghurt with their pleasing tartness. They’re not only beautiful,…
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Everyday Geometry
The June assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Everyday Geometry”. Geometry is all around us in everyday objects and sometimes it creates eye-catching patterns and shapes. The truth is that we usually walk past such mathematical elegance without thinking about it or even without realising it is there. I would even say that geometric shapes and patterns have a meditative quality. They welcome simplicity and create visual harmony that brings peace to our overloaded brains. There is something calming about clean lines and balanced proportions. They don’t demand attention in a loud way… I found out that black and white benefits the theme greatly in a…
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Windows and Reflections
The May assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Windows and Reflections”. Quite self-explanatory, isn’t it? So I gave it a try, and surprisingly, I found myself drawn to B&W images as the final result. They may feel melancholic without those bright colours but the lack of vividness offered space for one’s own imagination and reflection. We live in a world full of colours and even though that is undeniably wonderful, the colours can be distracting and even overwhelming. I must confess it is sometimes a relief to strip off the unnecessary baggage and get to the core. The assignment for June featured “Everyday Geometry,” which I’ll…
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Tools of the Trade
The April assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Tools of the Trade”. The idea was to use tools related to a hobby or craft and portray them in a still life arrangement. My immediate inspiration became my bullet journalling supplies – those colourful washi tapes, decorative pictures and vibrant brushes that make planning feel like an art form. But as I was looking at them arranged on my desk, they didn’t feel quite as impressive and story-telling as I expected – they didn’t capture the essence of what “tools of the trade” meant to me. So I decided to switch gears and asked my husband where he keeps…
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Kitchen stories
The March assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Kitchen stories”. As each kitchen hides and reveals countless objects and activities, I initially thought it would be an easy theme. But as I discovered, when you dig into the details, this is too worn, that is too reflective, this does not look as interesting as expected and those elements simply don’t complement each other… Among my ideas was a composition with frozen strawberries placed in an old metal bowl alongside frozen blueberries and a beautiful dish towel. I loved the result – until I noticed the blueberries had smudged the plate they were sitting on, the strawberries had unsightly…
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Průhonice castle and park
The day before yesterday we moved the hands on our clocks one hour forward to enjoy longer evenings with more light, and it’s that time of the year when I begin to anticipate seeing colours returning to nature. In freshly growing grass, new lush leaves, delicate flowers, bushes in blossom, and in the bright sunny sky… But it’s always wise not to expect too much too soon. Until mid-May, we can still experience frosty days. Last year spring began warmly, but then the frost arrived mercilessly, burning the buds, flowers, and leaves – much was lost. This year the forecast suggests that April will be a cold month, which I…
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Kokořín castle and surroundings
In January, my husband came up with an idea to make a trip to Kokořín castle. He found a nice circuit path, and when the forecast was promising nice weather one Saturday, we set off. We parked in a small lot near the castle and began our hike through the forest. I can imagine that in summer the area is visited by quite a lot of tourists but at this time of the year we did not come across many people. Just a few pairs and families and one bigger group, which actually was not bad at all. Kokořín castle is situated in a protected landscape area with sandstone rocks…
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Krahbergzinken view
Austria – day 6 – tour to Krahbergzinken (2134 m). Directly from Schladming, you can take a cable car up to the Planai area, where you can either take quite an easy walk around, including visiting the peak Planai (1906 m), or you can choose a bit more challenging tour reaching the peak Krahbergzinken (2134 m). Notice the cheerful hare character watching you from the cable car windows? It refers to “Hopsiland” attractions for kids and I found myself smiling back at that funny-looking cute face whenever we encountered it in the Schladming area. Not far from the upper cable car station, three majestic peaks stand side by side, gracefully adorning the…
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Three-peak hike
Austria – day 5 – three-peak hike to Gasselhöhe (2001 m), Rippetegg (2126 m) and Schober (2133 m). From all the hiking and walking we did in the Schladming area, this hike to three peaks was and remains my absolute favourite. The combination of breathtaking vistas and just the right amount of physical challenge made the day truly special. Let me take you through the journey. After getting off the Reiteralm cable car, our first destination was the Gasselhöhe peak. You can reach it either by climbing a shorter but steeper track with rewarding backward views or by following a slightly longer though gentler path. When you finally reach the ridge, the…
