Prague.
My “intention” during these twelve days was to capture photos that told stories, specifically images that told stories of Czech people. I wanted to capture native Czech people’s personality and character through the lens of my camera. In order to accomplish this pursuit, I walked through the streets of Prague as well as the streets of the small village in South Bohemia, Zdíkov, and I asked people who intrigued me, “Muzu Vam za fotografovat?” I was either completely rejected in which case I would just walk away, or I was welcomed with a smile and disbelief by the subject, who was shocked and flattered that I wanted to take their photo. In contrast, when I tried to take someone’s photo without asking, the person would either immediately turn away at the sight of my camera, back out of the frame as if I didn’t want them in the image, or simply strike a pose and smile, without realizing that all I wanted was a candid, environmental portrait of them. I am really happy with the intention that I chose to follow because I was able to learn how to take interesting photos of people as I simultaneously, in a broader sense, learned about the identity of Czech people. Although I mainly focused on shooting portraits, I also took landscape shots and photographed moments as I witnessed them happening. Through my time in Prague, I learned how to use my camera, how to approach people in the street, and how to bring a city to life in my photos.
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