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PICTURE PERFECT PRAGUE IMAGES FROM MY TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

We finally made it to Prague and it was totally worth the wait!

12 intrepid (and very patient) travel photographers joined KelbyOne Instructor Mimo Meidany and me for an absolutely unforgettable experience in one of the most photogenic cities in all of Europe: Prague! This workshop was initially planned for May of 2020, but then COVID hit; the Czech Republic (and most of the world) shut down for travel, but we hung in there for more than two years, and let me tell you – it was awesome!!! Everything: the food was fantastic (and shockingly inexpensive – beer was around $1.15 for a frosty mug), the weather was picture perfect, everybody came back with lots of beautiful images, and we made some new friends along the way.

I arrived a few days earlier than usual with Jason Stevens (the director of "The Grid," an accomplished photographer, very fun chill guy, and ace video guru from our video production team) to record two travel photography online courses for KelbyOne: one on how to photograph travel interiors like palaces, cathedrals, museums, libraries, etc., and then a "Part 2" on how to do the post-processing for those types of images. We couldn't have chosen a better city for a course like this, plus I was able to do some location scouting for my workshop coming up later in the week. I'll share the rest of the stories in the captions section of the photos, but I can tell you Mimo, and I were blessed to have such a great group of photographers on this trip. Most of them had been on one of my travel workshops before, so it was more like just together with old friends on vacation, which is one of the things I love best about doing these workshops: the people and friendships you form along the way.

That's us – "Team Praguearazza" after our opening night dinner before the workshop. From L to R that's Jason, Willey, Mac, John (in the air), Vito, me, Richard, Randy, Marcela, Kelly, Susan, and Teresa. They're still smiling because I haven't yet told them the bus leaves at 4:40 am for our sunrise shoot.

As far as the workshop goes, here's how our days go: we start with a location sunrise shoot (our private bus leaves the hotel at 4:40 am, so we're in place 30-minutes before the 5:30 am sunrise, so we get the best light with little to no tourists anywhere in sight). We often head to a 2nd nearby shoot; then, it's back to the hotel for a yummy buffet breakfast (our home base was The Hilton Old Town – highly recommended). Next, we hit the classroom to edit the images from that morning's shoot, then each participant turns in three of their best shots from that dawn shoot, and we do in-class critiques (the participants list this as one of the most helpful parts of the workshop). Then we have class sessions where Mimo and I teach travel photography and post production. Then we head out for another shoot (usually indoors), and after that, we catch a super yummy lunch around 12:30 pm-ish. After lunch, we take a long Siesta until 5:30 pm so everybody can catch up on sleep, or do some shopping, sightseeing, etc. We meet up again in the classroom or back on the bus off to another location, and then a sunset shoot. After that, it's time for dinner and hanging out with everybody sharing stories from the day. We stay really busy and accomplish a ton, but we have so much fun every step of the way. So, now you know how our days are structured. OK, enough jibber-jabber; on to the photos!

Above: I'm starting with one of my favorite photos from the week. We always try to create special surprise shoots for our workshop folks, and in this case, we were able to hire a ballerina from the Czech National Ballet to pose for us in a beautiful multi-layered garden, and she was just fantastic. All shot in natural light (though we did use a 1-stop diffuser to soften the light in one tricky situation way up high overlooking the castle). You'll see some behind-the-scenes shots from this shoot farther down the page, but it was very special to have a ballerina in a city known for its classical music.

Above: We were able to arrange a private shoot for our workshop in the amazing Strahov Monastery Library (seen above). It's actually two libraries side by side and we had full access to all of it, and it was really a treat.
Above: here's the other library – these are literally down the hall from each other and we had the full run of the place. Such a treat (usually, these areas are totally off limits – you can only shoot from one end, behind rope and stanchion so you can only get one angle and really one shot. This is taken from the opposite end.
Above: Another shooting location Evo helped us find, and was after our dawn shoot on the first day. You have to watch the 22-second behind-the-scenes video below where you'll see the train was actually farther away than it seems, but still close enough that Mimo and I had to stand by the "clear the tracks" because once photographers start shooting, they can't seem to stop, even if a train is heading straight for them. LOL!!
Mimo got this great shot of us on the tracks well before any trains were coming.
Above: After scouting this long staircase during the day, we brought our students back here for a blue hour shoot. We traveled to locations in a 20-passenger bus but in a city like Prague you can't always get the bus right to the spot you need, so we'd get it as close as possible and then walk the short distance to our shooting location.

Prague’s Synagogues are amazing!

When I was doing my research on Prague, some of the most fantastic interior images came from two synagogues; my favorite is the Spanish Synagogue (shown below in the first two shots and the BTS), and another beautiful but with a totally different look, is the Jerusalem Synagogue (shown below those three).

Above: This stunning building is the Spanish Synagogue, taken with a lot of patience because the place was pretty crowded, but if you're patient enough, you'll get the shot.
Above: Ground floor shot taken with my camera mounted on a Platypod Ultra.
Above: We didn't shoot in a single indoor location all week that allowed tripods, so my Platypod Ultra stayed very busy. Never had a single person ever stop me, or question me, about using my Platypod indoors. Not once. But it allowed me to get sharp, low ISO, bracketed shots I couldn't have gotten any other way.
Above: the beautiful Jerusalem Synagogue in Prague. The view from the balcony is actually better, but they had a historical exhibit with large 8' display boards and it really killed the look, so I'm only sharing this one from downstairs. Both of these synagogues require buying an admission ticket.
Here's a behind-the-scenes of how that previous shot in the Jerusalem Synagogue was taken. Awww, yeah...looks like a little "Footography" going on. I tip the screen back towards me, set it on the ground, then use my foot to adjust the angle. Like a boss!

Time for some Behind-The-Scenes Workshop Photos (courtesy of "The Mimo")

Below: from our "night before" get-together dinner up top, then some shots from our ballerina shoot, some classroom shots below that, and some shots of us shooting around Prague early and late. The bottom image is of us just after dawn on the famous Charles Bridge (Prague's iconic bridge, much like the Eiffel Tower, is Paris' icon or the Leaning Tower is Pisa's). Fifteen minutes after we leave, the bridge starts to fill up with tourists, and then it's packed slam-full the rest of the day and night.

Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.
Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.
Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.
Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.
Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.
Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.
Above: We didn't have epic skies, but at least we had a little something most days. That's us on the famous Charles Bridge directly above.

BELOW: here's a nice behind-the-scenes video (thank you, Mimo) that gives you a great sense of what it's like being there first thing in the morning on the CHARLES BRIDGE.

ABOVE: When I was researching for the trip, as you might imagine, I saw many of the same types of shots of the same places, but there was one photographer whose work really stood out to me – especially his photographs of Prague in the winter. His name is Denis Poltoradnev, but his Instagram handle is @dropolto. He's a Psychiatrist and an award-winning photographer, and I was so inspired by one of his shots that I sent it to Evo and asked him where it was taken. He was sure he knew the exact hill it was taken from, so Jason, Evo, and I hiked up it. It was a relatively long and often somewhat steep climb to get there. Still, I wanted to scout it during the day before making it an optional night shooting location after our staircase shoot (four participants opted out and headed back to the hotel. We now refer to them as "the lucky ones)." We studied Google Maps and Google Earth for a closer path to get there so the climb wouldn't be as long. We were able to find a route with the bus getting us most of the way there, and sure enough – it turned out the walk was much shorter but WAY steeper, like straight up the hill. It pretty much kicked our butts both going up and back down, but we did get nice shots from that view. We now refer to that shoot as the "Scott's Workshop Forced Death March." Anyway, Denis' image is vertical, and I'm showing my horizontal view of it above, but a tip of the hat to him for coming up with this location – it's really his shot, and we're just following in his footsteps.

Above: our ballerina shot straight down from the deck above. It's hard to tell from my two shots, but there was a beautiful garden as our backdrop, but we needed to position her where the light was soft and flattering.

BELOW: Here's a short little video showing the gardens where we photographed our ballerina.

Ivan told us "This is the best spot in Prague for sunset." I think he's right. It was such a beautiful night, too. We got back so late we wound up at the only place still open – a Kebab stand (my first time having a Kabab, and I loved it. Loved it! Glad there's not one near my house or before long I'd be in a circus sideshow. Man those were yummy!).
Above: You're not going to be at a workshop with Mimo and not shoot black and white long exposures – going all "Mimo style." He is the king of long exposures and everybody got lots of opportunities. This one on the banks of the river with the CHARLES BRIDGE as our background.

The Wonderful World of "Mimo"

My co-teacher in all these workshops is my dear friend, colleague, KelbyOne instructor, photography master, and one of the best people living on this entire planet, Mimo Meidany. No one works harder at these workshops than Mimo. He's committed to helping everyone, teaching, sharing everything he knows, and ensuring everybody comes with amazing pictures and learning new techniques. He's a joy to be around, work with, and hang out with, and he just couldn't be nicer or more patient. Everybody loves him, and with good reason. On this trip, his wonderful wife Megan came along and even brought "Mini Mimo" – their adorable (and super well-behaved) 18-month-old Nicholas. That little boy has no idea how lucky he is to have Mimo and Megan as his parents. My workshop participants know how lucky we were to have him with us in Prague. He is one in a million.

We had the power of Evo. Or Ivan. or Ivo. Maybe all three.

When I first visited Prague about 7 or 8 years ago, I met up with Ivan Navratil, a Prague-based photographer who is also a photo guide, and he took me to places I would never have found on my own. We've kept in touch over the years, so when he saw I was heading to Prague again, he offered to help me find lots of fantastic shooting locations and opportunities for my workshop participants, and he did just that. He was awesome (and he's just an entertaining guy and a great sport, and he helped make the trip for all of us). He spent days scouting locations and arranging things with us, and Mimo and I are indebted to him for all this time and research before and during the workshop. If you're thinking of going to Prague, you should contact him to be your guide. By the way, here in the US, he's called "Ivan," but at home in The Czech Republic, he goes by "Ivo" but it's pronounced "Evo." Here's a link where you can reach Ivan (or Ivo or Evo). He answers to all three. :)

Above: That's Ivan probably saying something like, "Don't do that. You're going to get arrested!" He said that more than once.
Above: Taking a coffee break with Ivan (left), and Jason, the director of "The Grid" from our KelbyOne crew at right.

Back to the images

Next stop, is the beautiful architecture of the National Museum.

Above: The lobby of one of Prague's most beautiful buildings: the National Museum. There is an admission fee here as well.
Above: this is the ceiling of the National Museum taken standing right in the center of the previous photo and aiming straight up.
Above: The Castle from our sunset shoot as it's getting closer to sunset. I tried different white balance settings in my camera – this color was not added in post. Sunset was relatively late – around 8:45 pm.

More Behind-The-Scenes

Above: The concert hall inside the Municipal House as seen from the balcony. We arranged a private photo shoot inside for our workshop participants. Its surrounding rooms were absolutely beautiful. Just an incredible place (and Lucy, our guide, was wonderful – she knew we were there to take photos and she gave us every opportunity. She even posed for us herself)..
Above: One of my favorite views is from the stage looking back out into the house. Taken on the edge of the stage (no tripods allowed - even on a private photo shoot - believe me, we tried, but the Platypod? No problem).

Here's a quick 21-second behind-the-scenes video (below).

The view from on the CHARLES BRIDGE.
More and more places are charging an extra fee if you want to take photos. I'm totally fine with that because the alternative seems to be not letting you take photos at all. By the way, 50 Czech Koruna is about $2.00 in US dollars. Yes, The Czech Republic is literally the least expensive place I've visited in Europe (or anywhere else for that matter. Everything was an absolute bargain).
They're not kidding (even though you paid extra to shoot, still no tripods allowed. Ugh!)
You know that first stop at the very top of this page? The cathedral? Then there were bars and a gate covering the entrance, but luckily the space between the bars was big enough to fit my lens through (as seen above), and I was able to rest my Platypod on part of the gate (seen above) to get the three bracketed photos.
Directly above: I saw a sign that started with the word "Mimo" so I had him pose in front of it so it covered the other words on the sign. Yes, this is the kind of high-level photography I did in Prague. LOL!!
Directly above: I saw a sign that started with the word "Mimo" so I had him pose in front of it so it covered the other words on the sign. Yes, this is the kind of high-level photography I did in Prague. LOL!!
Directly above: I saw a sign that started with the word "Mimo" so I had him pose in front of it so it covered the other words on the sign. Yes, this is the kind of high-level photography I did in Prague. LOL!!
Directly above: I saw a sign that started with the word "Mimo" so I had him pose in front of it so it covered the other words on the sign. Yes, this is the kind of high-level photography I did in Prague. LOL!!

I leave you with…Willey.

I think this was Willey's fourth workshop with me, and he is just a riot. He's the kind of guy you want in your workshop because while he's an excellent shooter, with lots of experience, at the same time, he's 100% crazy (and I mean that as a compliment). He's such a character with a great sense of humor and an incredible attitude, and everybody loves him. Even these police officers who saw him shooting in the middle of the street. They pull up; Willey says, "Hey, is it OK if I shoot here for a minute?" Not only did they let him shoot there, they literally stopped traffic so he could get the shot. I am not making this up. Why would they do that? Because "He's Willey," and that's how life goes when you're around Willey. Thanks, Willey, for letting us be a part of your crazy, fun world (and making the workshop that much better).

Willey being Willey. Anyone else would have been arrested. Photo credit: Mac Jannick.

Thank you for letting me share this trip with you

I had a wonderful time, I made some new friends, and I got to take a few photos along the way. I had great meals, many laughs, and so many great memories. I recorded two classes, and I've got another one soon called "Where to shoot in Prague" as part of my series on where to shoot in incredible cities. Thanks to all my workshop participants, Ivan, Jason, Mimo, and everybody who stuck with me through the whole COVID delay to make this an unforgettable journey. You are all the best! :)

CAMERA INFO: All of the large-size photos above were taken on a Canon EOS R6 with a 14-35mm RF lens or a 24-240mm RF lens (I only took those two lenses). I used a Platypod Ultra with a Colorado Tripod Company Highline Medium ballhead. I also used a Gitzo traveler tripod when shooting outdoors (I moved the ballhead from my Platypod over to my Gitzo). I transported it all in a Think Tank Photo 4-wheel roller bag but then used a Think Tank Photo Turnstile 10 sling bag as I walked around the city. My camera strap was a Black Rapid 10th-anniversary Classic strap, and I used a 10-stop and a 3-stop ND filter from Breakthrough Photography. I did not bring a cable release; I used a 2-second timer for all indoor shots, and for long exposures, I used the built-in Long Exposure tap-screen feature (which is awesome) to open the shutter and start the timer. Some behind-the-scenes shots were taken on my or Mimo's iPhone, Jason's iPhone, or his EOS R6.

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