ABOUT ME

 I have been borrowing my mothers camera since I was little and became passionate about different areas of creative and visual art and music and so, it followed, that at twelve I joined a photography course during the summer break. It was only for a week but it changed everything for me. After that week I started preparing for exams to get into a multimedia high school in the Czech Republic. I started building my portfolio, taking pictures and planning photoshoots. At 14 I had a small exhibition of my photographs in a cafe. I learned how to draw, edit pictures, and the basic skills in photoshop. I did everything to increase my chances to get into that school. 

After entering the school at the age of sixteen,I worked hard to increase my skills. I realised that I was especially interested in portrait, street, and fashion photography and developed a dream to work as a photographer for Vogue magazine, one of my biggest inspirations. 

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Despite the fact that I was studying multimedia in a high school in the Czech Republic I was very disappointed when I realised that art wasn't about art there. Experimenting was almost forbidden, the environment wasn't supportive or inspiring and I frequently felt like I wasn't good enough. My photography tutor, however, pushed me to become better, giving me advice and pointing out my weaknesses enabling me to improve. When that tutor left my motivation to continue my studies there, left with her and I made the decision to continue my studies in England.

I learned not to give up on my dreams and not to be afraid of change. I also realised that taking risks is important, as well as respecting and believing in myself. So much so that I was able to complete my high school studies and was accepted to study for A levels in the UK. This was a dream driven by the vision of a better future and I count it as one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.

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It took me some time to gain my artistic confidence back but being in Varndean College really helped me to achieve it. At first I was afraid to experiment but then I finally understood that I now have the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them which has allowed me to create more powerful pieces. I'm studying photography, graphic design and art and I appreciate that I was able to choose subjects I'm passionate about and to deeply focus on them. I would say I'm already living my dream but at the same time I'm on my way to achieving my next one. Photography is what I want to do in the future. In those seven years since I started taking pictures, even when I was at my lowest, I've always been motivated. It's my way of escaping reality, when I'm taking pictures I'm in a flow. I don't think about any problems, I just focus on the details. It's like my small world, my bubble where everything is under my control. I view everything differently. I focus on the small things I wouldn't normally notice. I can just stop time by capturing a split second, forever. 

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I have a lot to say to the world and I chose photography as the tool that will help me say it. Because I wanted to combine communicating a message through photographs and with my deep interest in helping animals, I joined a group fighting for animal rights in the Czech Republic. I became a photographer for that institution and took pictures of the members and of a few projects. I enjoy taking images that have emotions in them, something that will make the viewer look again and wonder about the picture and not forget about it once they look away. I believe emotions are the things that make a picture successful. Portrait is my favourite photography theme because I'm able to capture so many different emotions in faces, sometimes more hidden, sometimes more obvious but I simply find it fascinating.