AlpaFoto

28/04/2026

As promised - this time we're going chronologically through the trip!

These were taken in the city of Strakonice, Czech Republic. Specifically they depict a single building (can't remember it's function) in the vicinity of Strakonice Castle - a rather simple, but pretty architecture at the same time. Although we didn't go inside, the surrounding area was quite pleasant, including a sort of "zoo" down at the base of it! The city itself is a mix of everything. Some industrial, some residential (both single family homes as well as apartment complexes), even some abandoned buildings. And some that look like abandoned, yet thrive with life inside.
Although it didn't leave any significant mark in my memory I still enjoyed being there. One would say it's a city like any other, especially considering it being stylized a bit like cities of 90s Poland. I'd call it somewhat nostalgic.

Canon 6D
Pentacon MC 50mm f/1.8

26/04/2026

Long time no see, IG.

Although this was an adventure of trials and errors, it was well worth it. First time sleeping in car (and a borrowed one at that!), at first within Cirkus Humberto borders in Strakonice city, and then in parking area od camping spot in Český Krumlov. I think what surprised me the most was the fact that, although everything was prepared merely few days before departure, it did hold together quite well. Sleep was good - really good in fact, and I really didn't expect it to be more comfortable than an actual bed. Food was nice and we didn't have any problems preparing it next to the car on a small "bed table". Weather was mostly good as well, even if it'd be hard for me to call any weather "bad".
Now it has become a problem. I crave for such "sleep in car" trips all the time. There's something so hard to explain that makes it feel more real than jest renting a hotel room. I wouldn't even have anything against living like that - not because owning an apartment is Costy, but because it's a thing that's not tied to aby location. Be whenever, wherever. Like Shakira!
I'm extremely surprised by Krumlov's beauty, and how our friend, Mr Chap said - "It's a place where wherever you look, there's something more beautiful than before". This photo light be just a little representation of said thing, but there's more to come, and I hope to make people believe it too.
It'll be available in higher resolution on Vero app, if you're interested.

Just a little trailer to my comeback.

31/05/2024

W ostatnim czasie miałem możliwość (i przyjemność!) wziąć udział w wernisażu, którego relacjonowanie - pomimo względnej ciasnoty i niedogodności oświetleniowych - sprawiło mi ogromną radość. Zwłaszcza że względu na pewien przestój w kontekście reportażu, za którym ogromnie zatęskniłem i zdałem sobie sprawę, jak istotnym elementem mojej fascynacji jest ta dziedzina.

Genialne portrety w aktach w obiektywie Kacpra również przypomniały mi, jakie zdolności przyda się rozwijać dalej na swojej drodze 😉 Gratulacje!

08/05/2024

On the moo(ve).

I won't upload photos from last year chronologically. So far I'm focused more on wide landscape content that I captured and it'll take up most of future uploads.

This one I took on our last day in the mountains. I know how fabulous cows are and this one sat right next to the road we took when coming back from a little sightseeing. Calm, collected, probably pondering what those two maniacs are doing on the side of the road, pointing some sort of tube with glass at it. Nevertheless I do enjoy looking at this view and honestly it lives rent free as my PC wallpaper.

There's something comforting in it. Especially since it's probably the very last picture I took that holiday, it reminds me of everything we encountered during that week. Especially all the downs that my car brought on me and still does after a year. But I love that pretty, pitless piggy bank of mine. It gave me an opportunity and I took it big time.

03/05/2024

Mountaineer.

I'm slowly coming out of a photographic hiatus. Haven't posted anything for nearly 2 years and just now I feel like gradually revisiting what I took last summer. Yes, these are from the July/August and since then I haven't had it in me to get them done and posted anywhere. They were living rent free in the back room of my consciousness, growing like a mold and wanting to be released.

That was my first time in the mountains. I've heard countless times how healing it is to just be there. Indeed hiking is tiring but I expected to be at least breathless from the exhaustion. Well okay - I was left breathless when we got to the top of Three Crowns. These two were taken from the viewpoint.

Those were my first holidays that I took for me only. I remember going on holidays with my parents - we spent most of the time in a (let's call it) resort of sorts. Nearly year after year, we went there and it never really got boring, although me being young and stupid did sometimes complain about not having anything to do there. Truth is I'm like most people now. I miss those times, more careless and free, as well as simply being able to afford it. This here was after around 10 years of being dumb enough to spend holidays in at most 2 places - both in cities. It changed last year and I'm just glad it did.

Expect more to come, for now I leave you with these 2 memories of mine that deserve more than just a share.

04/12/2022

Podboje uliczne - bardziej lub mniej udane. Doszukiwanie się cudów w prostocie.

27/10/2021

22/08/2021

Part 4:

Getting out of the forest and into an uninspiring crop field area wasn’t what I really hoped for on that ride. What I’ve seen wasn’t that appealing to me, even if being accompanied by nature was the main reason why I took that path in the first place. Vast but uniform space that I was surrounded with overwhelmed me in a weird way that I can’t really explain. At times like those I try to imagine what it could look like ages ago, when people weren’t around.

Another point which really stands out when you get to a place like this one is that it’s really difficult not to notice towns and cities in the near vicinity – if distances ranging from few to more than 10 km can be called that. In some way it’s actually quite appealing. You’re there, hearing nothing but trees and birds, maybe wind humming across the field and leaves, and yet you subconsciously know there are cars driving nearby, people talking and music playing that – even if you really don’t hear them – ring out in the back of your head. Something you don’t realize when you’re surrounded by trees.

This distant church was the main focus of the area. I’ve driven through that village and have to tell that although it wasn’t looking that bad, I’ve still enjoyed it more when I’ve been looking at it from the distance.

20/08/2021

Part 3:

At the end of a long yet silent street there's a specific house. Its' fence has been long overgrown, giving passerbys any but little peek behind - old, brick walls, tons of vegetation, little but nearly no sign of occupants. Although I've never seen anybody going in or out I always knew, that somebody lives there. Someone who wholeheartedly gives home to dozens of cats. Not the feral type - friendly, calm family of furballs.

19/08/2021

Part 1:

Recently I took my bicycle for a ride to a nearby forest. I’ve been longing for nature since quite some time now, though I haven’t had a chance to really get to it and scratch that itch. All the stress, everyday problems, issues at work and general downer in my brain took their toll, pushing me back into a corner once again. It went down completely the last 3 or 4 months, so this corner was nothing for me but a chance to push myself forcefully out of the situation I’ve been presented with at the time. So… that ride was supposed to last for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, roughly 10 km of distance. Well – it took over 2 hours and over 30 km for me to actually get back home.

I took my time in a couple of places – one of them was this shrine in the middle of the forest. Maybe not the literal middle, but rather near the brink of trees, right where countryside grows, surrounded by crop fields. What struck me the most wasn’t the shrine itself planted in such a spot. It’s not that unusual, though this scenery did seem quite unique in a way, mostly because there really wasn’t any house in the near vicinity. It was how it looked and what surrounded it. It’s really difficult for me to describe it as a non-religious person (I could simply write “atheist” but I’m not speaking about beliefs), photos should really speak for themselves. All I can say is that I still don’t understand, hell, comprehend why religion in this country is so closely related to pain. I don’t mean physical pain but rather the way a lot of religious people act in terms of religion and how they interpret it. How deep must be the suffering to actually be called “Christian” in Poland, and probably not only here? Shouldn’t they be glad to be a part of this society? Is this the case of teachings in churches, overall scandals that’s been unraveled recently?

Those are rhetorical. I really don't want to know.

Part 2:

I don’t get enough workout most of the time. When I do, it mostly consists of typical weight lifting, pushups, and such. I’ve never felt good enough with my physicality, I’ve always felt slim and weak, even when my mind’s giving me thoughts that it’s completely opposite. Standing in front a mirror usually ends with me being let down of what I’ve become. It’s becoming a bit of a ramble right now, I know. But it leads to another thing. When I’m not weight lifting and want to have a bit of a workout, I go for a ride – like in the last posts’ description, I try and get a good distance done before I go back. Although most of the time I choose exhausting trails what makes me go on isn’t the fear that I won’t make it and will have to get back on foot. It’s the feeling of freedom.

Driving a car can be exhausting in a different way. You’re there, enclosed in a metal can, and even when driving through a forest or a desolated road that’s not what it should really feel like. Getting on a bicycle, having a listen to all the chirps, noises, trees rustling, tires rolling over a sandy trail – that’s what “brings me home” with my emotions. It brings me a peace of mind in between times when I don’t get a single moment to actually stop and listen to what my body tells me. And such, this shot is the very effect of this type of ride – I never would’ve noticed it in a car, nor would I really feel like going out and photographing… anything.