Filip’s passion and experience have taught him the values of determination, modesty, and the balance between technical proficiency and artistic vision. His philosophy has earned him recognition in prestigious international competitions, and in this article, we learn from his most valuable advice.
I have always been captivated by the grandeur and stability of mountains. As a child, they both intimidated and enticed me. I felt a calling and followed it, exploring the mountains as a teenager in my hometown of Revúca, Slovakia, surrounded by stunning natural scenery. It was in the nearby national parks that my love affair with photography started. I would ascend to mountain peaks to witness breathtaking sunrises and starry nights, wishing I had a way to capture those moments. This led me to buy my first camera and start experimenting. Photography became a full-blown passion for me, as I was drawn to the beauty of nature and, in turn, discovered new beauty through photography. It was a profound experience.
My experiences in the high mountains have significantly shaped my vision of what I aim to express through photography. While most landscape photographers strive to capture the physical appearance of a location, I have a deeper goal of conveying the emotions and feelings I experienced while capturing the images. By doing so, viewers can get a glimpse of what I went through when taking the photo. I have faced many challenges in the mountains, such as extreme cold, strong winds, and fog, which have heightened my sense of wonder, awe, and sometimes fear. These experiences taught me that simply depicting the appearance of a place is not enough, I must also convey the atmosphere and conditions I encountered while shooting. This realization has greatly impacted the evolution of my photography.
One important lesson I’ve learned as a photographer is that your background or education doesn’t define your success. With hard work and perseverance, you can achieve your goals. Before 2015, I had no photography experience or education and was unhappy with my job. But after starting to take photos, I knew I wanted to make a career out of it. Through determination, hard work, and perseverance, I succeeded and now work as a full-time landscape photographer, doing what I love. Remember to be diligent in your pursuits.
Another insight I gained in my photography journey is that dreams become reality when you approach them as a near-future goal. If you have a photography project that seems impossible, start planning and evaluating the possibilities. This will make your dream appear achievable. I have seen this happen in my photography projects.
The third lesson I learned is that being a full-time landscape photographer requires more than just taking pictures and exploring. While it’s crucial to be an active photographer and bring new and interesting work to people, today’s photography also involves marketing. You need to be able to sell your brand to be successful. This includes promoting your work through media and building partnerships with brands. Don’t be afraid to approach brands with cooperation offers or pitch interesting ideas to media outlets, especially in the beginning when opportunities won’t come naturally.
One more thing I learned is about success in photography – winning awards or getting published frequently. It’s easy to become arrogant and lose the humbleness that you started with. This is a mistake. I’ve realized that humility is a critical ingredient for growth and progress. While having self-assurance and drive is important, without humility, one will not achieve greater things. Instead, they’ll get stuck at one point. As artists, we must continually evolve and progress to effectively convey our message through our work.
Through constant improvement, I aim to constantly expand my skills and creativity to deliver exceptional images that capture the beauty of the world. And as a result, experience unique moments:
There have been numerous memorable instances, mostly in difficult shooting situations where I took a step back and marveled at the breathtaking scenery around me. I recall standing on a rock, facing a massive volcano, or waiting in the rain for hours to capture a hill emerging from the fog. These moments were a rush of excitement and joy, indescribable and meant to be experienced. They drive me to keep moving forward, as each experience leaves me eager for more. The more I feel that thrill in the field, the more I seek challenging conditions to experience it again. I believe this continuous search has helped my photography grow and progress.
For me, a great photo is made up of four key elements: unique composition, atmosphere, accurate color balance, and technical quality. These factors are ranked in order of importance to me.
I always strive to find a unique composition that captures something new, even in familiar locations. A captivating composition is key to holding the viewer’s attention. The atmosphere is next in line, allowing me to convey the emotions I felt during the shoot to the viewer. I want the person looking at the photo to feel like they were there with me, shivering from the cold in the mountains during a windy day. The correct color balance is essential, giving the photo depth and impact with the right contrasts between highlights and shadows. Lastly, technical quality is important for the photo to have a polished and professional look, especially for fine-art prints that clients often request. I aim to impart these principles in the workshops and expeditions that I’ve been leading since 2019.
I aim to infuse each of my photos with an engaging atmosphere, such as the “Apparition of giants” image taken in Slovakia’s Tatras last year. Exploring the valley for some time, I knew the weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, and capturing the perfect shot can be challenging. However, I took advantage of the small gaps in the stormy weather and headed out, aware of the bloomed flowers I wanted to include in the foreground. Despite the misty mountains, I stumbled upon a vibrant foreground of flowers, and that’s when the magic happened – the mountains slowly appeared out of the fog.
The mist was positioned just right for me to capture the atmosphere of the place. I quickly set up focus stacking and other techniques to enhance the photo’s appeal. Focus stacking is a digital processing method that merges multiple images taken at different focus points to create a photo with a greater depth of field. This experience reinforced my belief that a landscape photographer should not shy away from difficult conditions to achieve an atmospheric image.
Planning was a crucial aspect – I had been working on a project to capture winter scenes in Slovakia for a while. This required waiting for enough snow to blanket the hills and finding the perfect locations to showcase the winter atmosphere in the local mountains.
While I was familiar with some places, I wanted to explore new locations, such as one of the peaks in the Choč mountains. I monitored the weather and decided to head out early in the morning when the best light was forecasted, even though it was going to be freezing. The journey took me over three hours at night and a climb of over 900m in deep snow. I reached the location just before sunrise and found two compositions that I felt were worth capturing. However, I needed the sun to illuminate the scene and form a guiding light in the composition.
Despite initial doubts, I patiently waited for the sun to shine through the fog and finally take the photos. Unfortunately, the extreme cold (-30°C) caused my SD card to freeze. I had to quickly replace it and take the shots before the light disappeared. Although I was thrilled with the outcome, I ended up with frostbite on five fingers from taking off my gloves. From then on, I always wear two gloves in the mountains and keep the card in an easily accessible spot. In conclusion, this photo was the result of careful planning, early arrival at the location, finding the right composition, and being patient for the right light to happen.
I often emphasize the importance of post-processing in landscape photography, likening it to cooking. You gather high-quality materials when you go out to take photos, just as you gather ingredients for a meal. But just as ingredients need to be prepared properly to make a delicious dish, quality photos require careful post-processing. Here’s a step-by-step account of how I processed this image:
(1) First, I removed any dust spots and droplets that had accumulated on my lens and sensor due to wind and rain showers.
(2) I then adjusted the light balance using the histogram and lifted information from the shadows.
(3) Next, I focused on the main subject, making it the centerpiece of the image by closing the edges with controlled vignetting, drawing the viewer’s eye towards the brightest parts of the photo. I also accentuated the surroundings of the main subject to make it stand out.
(4) I selected dominant flowers for the foreground and added depth to give a three-dimensional effect, guiding the viewer’s gaze to the main subject.
(5) In the final stage, I played with colors to give the photo a cold, wintry look, reflecting the weather conditions I encountered during the photo shoot.
(6) Finally, I fine-tuned the light and color balance, sharpened the image, and exported it.
Note that I don’t rush the editing process. I spend no more than 15 to 20 minutes on each photo per day, saving the project and revisiting it the following day to make sure it conveys the emotion I want to impart to the viewer.
Each photo holds a special place in my heart, each with its unique story. But one photo holds a special significance, the first photo I took of the “Born of Fire” series at the volcanoes. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to capture such incredible moments in a place like that.
The first time I got close to the volcano was an unforgettable experience. The sight of craters spewing lava, the strong scent of sulfur, the sounds of rumbling craters, and the heat from the flowing lava all made a profound impact on me. It was a new and indescribable feeling. Standing there, I was struck by how small we are in comparison to the powerful forces of nature. Every time I look at that photo, I am reminded of that moment and the awe-inspiring power of the volcano.
My home country has also inspired my work greatly. Slovakia boasts of its beautiful landscapes, especially in its national parks. One of my favorite destinations is the High Tatras. These mountains offer a great hiking experience and are a feast for the eyes. Starting my photography journey here was a great inspiration, as they still have a fresh, untapped vibe. The High Tatras are not overrun with tourists and photographers, so it’s a unique chance to create your compositions and discover new perspectives. This challenge has pushed me to further improve my photography skills.
My most challenging and impactful project to date has been capturing the beauty of Iceland’s volcanoes in 2021. Despite having visited the country multiple times before, the pandemic made traveling a difficult task. I had to obtain a permit to leave the country and undergo multiple PCR tests and quarantine in Iceland before starting the project.
I had always dreamt of capturing the stunning volcanoes, and finally got the chance to get up close and personal. I spent two weeks in the area, visiting the volcano mainly during the wildest conditions to capture the most interesting atmosphere.
The photo shoot was a test of my abilities, as I had to battle strong winds, low light (the lava is most photogenic during the blue hour), poisonous gas, and newly formed craters. However, I persevered and captured a series of photos that greatly impacted my photography career.
The expedition brought about significant improvements in my planning skills and taught me to stay composed in challenging situations. These lessons paid off with the creation of the “Born of Fire” series, which earned top honors in several prestigious international photography competitions, including the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA), Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA), and Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA). The series was a first of its kind and went on to win awards in other international competitions such as Fine Art Photo Awards (FAPA) and Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA). The series was also featured multiple times in major international media outlets like BBC, CNN, The Guardian, and DailyMail, elevating my photography career to new heights.
If someone had asked me about my career aspirations a decade ago, I never would have thought that I would be a full-time landscape photographer today. This job provides me with the opportunity to visit breathtaking locations and enjoy unforgettable experiences.
I also get to meet fascinating individuals, as I’ve been leading landscape photography workshops and expeditions for the past five years – now, with my wife by my side, who is a great support to me. I’m so grateful for the chance to show others the places that captivate me so much and to share with them the knowledge I’ve gained through my journey as a photographer. As for where I see myself in ten years, it’s hard to say. If I could see into the future, I hope to still have the same smile on my face that I have now, a smile brought on by the beauty of nature and the people in my life. I want to embark on even more photography projects, explore locations that haven’t been extensively captured before, and witness things that are not easily seen. In ten years, when I look in the mirror, I hope to see someone who still relishes photography, and who continues to pursue it as a career and a passion.
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