Buddha and the Art of Event Photography

One of the nice things about being a professional event photographer is the wide variety of venues I get to work.  I've photographed cabaret dinner shows in 19th century industrial plants in Berlin and Chinese dancers in Prague's Old Town Square.  Each event I photograph has a new stage set for an evening's interaction of like-minded professionals.

Recently I photographed an event for Qatar Airways in Prague at the Siddharta Cafe in the Buddha Bar Hotel, Prague.  The cargo services division was expanding its scope to include Prague, so an elegant soiree was in order.  A fine international crowd was present, and the festivities began with cocktails and canapés in the sumptuous Siddharta Cafe.  A DJ spun silky grooves with an electronic soft jazz touch.  It made me wonder if the Buddha Lounge Bar music I've heard was composed here.

Buddhas are everything and everywhere  here.  Back-lights and colored statues accentuated the mood of the evening, but what intrigues me most about my event gigs are the odd details.  In a New Age/East-West modern cafe like this, one would expect maybe a massage or an exotic tea/elixir as a welcome.  Instead, a caricature artist plunked his easel down and started drawing guests.  Bushy beards grew to monstrous proportions and shy ladies with giant eyes peered out of his blank canvas.

The artist continued sketching and passing out portraits to happy guests throughout the evening, and I enjoyed my position as one of the blue collar artists plying his trade at the party.

Craig Robinson is a professional photographer with nearly 20 years of experience photographing people and events on two continents.  Contact the photographer today for a quote for your next event in Prague, Berlin or beyond...

Craig Robinson Zombography

Zombies are HUGE. Once a quiet group, shuffling along in the shadows in search of brain food (fish?), zombies have clawed their way out of their graves and shambled into the spotlight of Tinseltown. You've got your zombie movies, zombie sequels, zombie tv shows, zombie tv show spinoffs, zombie talk shows and even zombie walks. Zombies have eclipsed vampires as the most popular creatures in the underworld—living, dead or undead.

The last time I wrote about mainstream horror films was a story for the Prague Post about the production of (yet) another vampire movie—in this case, Van Helsing, shot in Prague's Barrandov Studios. Being a photographer, my shutter finger twitched nervously through the entire tour of the set. I was not allowed to photograph ANYTHING, which for a photographer-slash-movie-slash-slasher-film-fan-slash-writer, was like a kick in the netherworld. Needless to say, there was nothing top secret to spill: the vampires sucked the blood, the Helsing staked the hearts. During my research I discovered that over 700 vampire films had been made since the days of the first film, making vampires the single most popular monsters in film. Ever. And one of those first films was Nosferatu, a German film made before there was even a modern Germany (it was credited as The Weimar Republic back then).

700 films and 100 years later, people grew tired of all the blood sucking and wanted some good old-fashioned brain munching instead (I think the vampire death knell was the production of sparkly-skinned teen vampire movies). I have the good fortune of being good friends with the originators of the first public zombie walk, which occurred on the streets of my hometown of Sacramento, California in 2001. My good friends at Trash Film Orgy gave me my first taste of zombography, and I've been doing it every time I get a chance. I've photographed zombie walks in Sacramento, Berlin and (for the hat trick) Prague.

If you've got zombie walks, then eventually you're going to get a zombie run. Enter: the Prague 5k Zombie Run on October 31, 2015. While Halloween is not a traditional holiday west of the UK, the organizers of the event must have been hip to all those Halloween movies and the general spookiness of that date. What is a zombie run? Zombies shuffle, right? You can outrun them in a wheelchair, right? Well, as the vampire character developed, so did zombies. Starting with the 28 Days Later film franchise, these rotting dudes could RUN YOU DOWN. They were seriously brain starved and made no bones about it. So on that special spooky day last autumn, I climbed Vitkov Hill to check out the action.

Vitkov Hill separates the districts of Karlin and Žižkov in Prague. From the spearhead of the hill, the third largest equestrian statue in the world gazes over a killer view of Prague from 180 degrees. Mounted upon this giant steed is the one-eyed General Jan Žižka, Protestant Hussite warrior and generous giver of his name to the working class quarter of Žižkov below. Just behind the tremendous haunches of the horse lies a massive mausoleum full of dead commies.  When it is not being just another soviet eyesore, the venue hosts art exhibitions and other cultural events. On All Hallows Eve, Mr Ž was all about the Zs. A 5 km route circled the hill and joggers—some of them dressed as zombies—ran the course. For the joggers not dressed like zombies, special squads of hidden zombies jumped out of the bushes and terrorized them.

Czechs can really get into the zombie motif. In addition to the various stages of gore makeup, shredded clothing and decomposition, these Zs ate sausage links soaked in ketchup—pulled from the bellies of fallen joggers. In grand Czech tradition, they even washed their meal down with delicious Czech beer. After the brain buffet, the full zombies sat around drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. As Czech zombies do.

When Craig Robinson is not engaged in zombography, he photographs events, weddings and portraits in Prague, Czech Republic and Berlin, Germany.  Contact the photographer today for a quote.

25% Off Winter Wedding Photography in Prague!

Book Your Prague Winter Wedding Photography Now and Receive 25% Off*

Winter is approaching Prague slower than usual this year, but a snowy winter is definitely on the horizon.  Avoid the expensive, crowded tourist weddings of a typical Prague summer and go for a truly unique, romantic, white wedding in Prague—in the winter!

As a Prague wedding photographer with over 20 years of professional experience, I know ALL of the best places in Prague for your wedding portrait photography—so your photos will be unique!  In addition to your wedding portraits, my documentary wedding photography style will capture every precious moment of your wedding ceremony, from preparation to dinner party—or just the ceremony and portraits.  With 3 different wedding photography packages to choose from, the choice is yours!

For more Prague winter wedding photos, please visit my Prague photography blog here.

Book your Prague winter wedding now, or the groom gets a snowball in the face!

*25% discount offer valid for weddings taking place in Prague between December 3, 2015 and March 31, 2016. BOOK NOW!

Bridal hair and makeup by Jitka Novotna Machová

Lux Forum Part Deux: Talking Nukes in Prague

Last December I covered a major event in Prague: The Round Table of the International Luxembourg Forum "Perspectives for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation".  While this title is quite a mouthful (and probably in need of a clever acronym of some sort), I simply call it the Lux Forum for brevity. The first time I covered the Lux Forum—which meets annually—was in Berlin a few years ago.  The forum meets yearly in different cities in Europe to discuss the nuclear threat on a global scale, or as I referred to it the first time I photographed the Forum in Berlin, ‘Keeping the Nukes Out of the Hands of the Real Bastards.’

Russian, American, Israeli—and a host of other global experts and prominent public figures—got together to discuss the current state of nuclear arms and the nations which possess them.  Each year, the forum members draft documents and declarations which will be distributed to top tier politicians around the world.

Many of the familiar faces from the last Forum I covered were present in Prague.  While I confess that I don’t follow nuclear news that closely (because it would probably twist my stomach), I immediately recognized the name of one of the new additions to the Forum this year:  Hans Blix, the famous UN weapons inspector who reported the state of Iraq’s WMD load to be nil.  The rest is history, as George W. Bush decided to invade Iraq anyway and ramp up the invasion of the Middle East, as cowboy Presidents are wont to do.

I was relieved to see that Mr. Blix had survived a fictitious visit to former North Korean Dictator-and-puppet Kim Jong IL—and his nasty shark tank (Team America: World Police).

For more pictures of my event coverage in Prague, please see the slideshow at the official site of the Luxembourg Forum.

For more information and price quotes on professional event photography in Berlin, Prague and the whole of Europe, please contact me today.

Prague Event Photography: Year of the Panda

There’s probably not a Year of the Panda in the Chinese calendar, but maybe there should be.  A panda is much more lovable than a rat or a snake.  Plus, a rat passing out toys and Chinese gifts on the streets of Prague would probably have a tough day of it to say the least.

On a warm day last summer in Prague, a promotional organization from China held a gala event to promote tourism and business travel between Czech Republic and China.  I covered the photography for the outdoor event while my partner-in-photography (and lovely wife) covered the convention setup over in Žofín Palace.

The day began with some costumed actors passing out Chinese gifts to passersby in the Prague Old Town Square.  While you might see hordes of tourists standing about gawping at the Astrological Clock or touts peddling their weary wares, a 6 foot tall panda and an elegant woman in traditional Chinese dance theater costume might seem a bit out of place.  But the international crowd warmed to them and was happy to enjoy their exotic show.

Eventually, the hot and tired actor shed his panda costume while the Chinese dancer handed him her fan to cool off. We then packed up to head over to catch the main event at Palác Žofín.

In addition to the usual event speeches and presentations, there were various cultural exhibits from China, including calligraphy and paper cutting.

A lot goes into creating a commercial event in Prague or Berlin, so when you need a professional photographer to capture it all in images, be sure to contact me for a quote for your next commercial event. Whether you need one or two photographers, we've got you covered.  We look forward to working with you!

Craig Robinson has over 20 years of professional photography experience in Prague, Czech Republic, Berlin, Germany and beyond.  Please feel free to contact the photographer  for a quote today.

A Romantic Proposal in Prague

Karen had a big surprise planned for Ashley in Prague.  Karen had contacted me to take her and Ashley on a 'photo tour' of Prague's most beautiful sites.  I am already the perfect Prague tour guide, since I have photographed hundreds of happy people on the streets of Prague.

The planning went on via email for months before the Big Day.  We wanted everything to be perfect.  Even the big Prague flood waters of the week before had subsided just in time, just for us.

The same torrential rains which had caused the Prague flood were threatening to rain on our parade.  I assured them that in more than 10 years of doing photography in Prague, I have never had it rain on me and my clients.  As the rain clouds moved in and a few drops started to test my boast, I began staring at the sky and busting those clouds with my mind.  Y'know, cloud busting.  Like Clooney in that movie.

It seemed to work; the rain was held at bay. Contrary to popular belief, bright sun is NOT the best lighting  for portraits, as you get squinty eyes, hard shadows and washed out backdrops.

We began our 'photo tour' at Vrtbovska Zahrada (Vrtba Gardens) in Mala Strana, the Castle quarter of Prague.  These hidden gardens are a must see for anyone wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Prague tourist season--almost nobody knows about these beautiful gardens.  You can literally walk right by the small stone archway which enters the park.
 

Inside the terraced gardens, we climbed the steps to experience one of the most incredible views of Prague.  Often the best kept secrets of Prague are just off the beaten path.


John Lennon holds special meaning to Karen and Ashley; so much so that they had applied a piece of poster art to the John Lennon Wall in the middle of the night.  The next day as we strolled by for photos, we noticed that it had become the centerpiece of the wall and a big attraction for tourists.  They were lining up for photos.

Next we took some photos around the Charles Bridge.  Rather than spending too much time walking on the crowded bridge, we took some fun and playful shots on the steps and along the river front.

 

As we were taking our photos, a string quartet  began playing beneath the bridge  and it was time for the Big Surprise: Karen popped the question. On bended knee with a beautiful musical backdrop, Karen proposed to Ashley.

It was simply the most romantic moment I have ever witnessed.

Top Gun Part Dva

Air Show Photography in the Czech Republic

That song ‘Highway to the Danger Zone’ from the movie ‘Top Gun’ MIGHT have been running through my mind as I approached Časlav Air Base, an hour by train from Prague.  But I hate that song, so it wasn’t.

My mission (I chose to accept it):  travel from Berlin to Prague to Časlav to take detail photographs of one of their more popular jet fighters and send them back to the States for analysis and study.

The plane in question was fenced off—as is customary at these open day, public air shows on military bases.  This is part of my photography mission that proves most interesting:  convincing military personnel that it is okay for me to take hundreds of detail shots of one of their most expensive pieces of military hardware.  Naturally, the soldier at the fence asked me ‘why?’

Fortunately, I had the mission brief with me.  It clearly showed my employer, a model airplane builder in the States, his unfinished model of the jetfighter, and a shot list.  Once I went through the list with the soldier and convinced him I was not a spy on a secret mission to steal precious Czech Air Force secrets, he lifted the gate and let me in.

I proceeded to take my shots; hundreds of detail shots were needed for authenticity in the highly competitive model airplane show circuit.   None of the jetfighter detail shots are pictured here, as they are of no particular artistic merit.  Plus the Czech government might get nervous.

As a professional commercial photographer who covers Germany and the Czech Republic, I often take on jobs other than my usual event/portrait/wedding mainstays. Often I take technical photos of factories, buildings and industrial processes.  Some jobs are more artistic than others.  I don’t mind.  I love what I do and that I get to travel to do it.  And the variety of jobs I’m hired to do is nice as well.

As a portrait photographer I spend most of my time capturing images of people, couples, lifestyle and environmental portraits for many purposes.  So naturally I couldn’t refuse the urge to take a few shots of the people at the air show. A soldier handing a rocket launcher to a small child is something you don’t see every day (in Europe at least).  A plane flipping through the air with loops of smoke standing out against an approaching rain cloud is something else I don’t get to photograph every day.

A Garden Wedding in Prague

S and C recently got married in the garden of Kempinsky Hotel, Prague.  Since they live in Prague, they decided to avoid the crowded tourist monuments in favor of a more intimate setting.  The garden of the hotel is a huge, lush, green wide open courtyard space behind the hotel and it was the perfect setting for their wedding.

Small children are also a big part of a wedding:  the cute little suits and hats they wear, their patience and best behavior put on just for the day.  I capture the big and small moments of a wedding to show the emotions and overall mood of the day.  A blog doesn't have the space for every wedding photo, but you can get a good idea of my casual, relaxed wedding portrait style as well as my wedding documentary photography in Prague and beyond on my website.



Thanks for taking the time to view my photography.  I hope you enjoyed viewing my photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.  And please feel free to leave a comment!

- Craig Robinson

Good Golly, Miss Brolly!

Being from California, I probably have no business using the British slang term for umbrella; and the Texan couple I photographed in Prague last weekend probably wouldn’t know a brolly from a jolly rancher—but hey, I like rhymes.  Or Little Richard.  One of those.

Many couples have hired me for their pre-wedding and engagement portraits in Prague, but few have brought their own umbrellas to the photo shoot.  An umbrella makes a good prop because it is classy, elegant and has nice lines and shapes.  It adds a wide, round shape to the square photo frame, its colors compliment clothing and it is also translucent—which lets the light play.  In addition to capturing emotions and moods, we photographers are playing with light.

It was a very bright, sunny and warm June morning in Prague when Jennifer, Brandon and I set off on foot from their hotel, the Hotel Hoffmeister, situated just below Prague Castle near Malostranska Metro.  From there, we were free to walk through Mala Strana (Little Quarter), or the Castle side of the Charles Bridge.  Many couples like to have their engagement or wedding photos near Charles Bridge, and I have the perfect locations in mind to get the best scenes for a romantic portrait shoot in Prague.  At 10 am the tourist throng was already thickening, but I know the perfect spots to avoid the worst of the crowds—yet still get some amazing shots of most of Prague’s most beautiful sites.

 

From the banks of the River Vltava, the Charles Bridge spans the river and makes a perfect backdrop.  I also took the couple through Prague Castle and one of the Castle gardens which has yet to be overly visited by tourists.  In the summer time, knowing the best places to work with minimal disturbance is a key to getting natural, relaxed portraits outdoors.

I generally avoid the Old Town Square in the heart of the summer due to the mass of people who are either clamoring to get a glimpse of the Astronomical Clock or dining in one of the many seats outside the Square’s bars and restaurants.  However, I still know a few tricks to eliminate people from appearing in the background of the photos.  One of my tricks is to get a low angle by sitting on the ground and shooting upward toward the subjects; this cuts the tourists out of the scene while leaving the breathtaking rooftops of the Prague architecture.  Add a blue sky and, well, Bob’s your uncle.

To book your pre-wedding / engagement portraits in Prague, contact me here.  I look forward to working with you!