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.

New Year, New Website

Winter is the time I'm normally catching up on my website work.  Traditionally this has been a time to add the hottest new photos of the past year, and remove some of the photos wherein the people are wearing bell bottoms and Elvis sideburns.  This time around, I'm pleased to announce my entirely new website and domain, a two-in-one jobby which combines praguephotographer.net and berlinphotographer.net into one elegant-yet-simple place:  crphotographer.com.  This time around I am fully designing the site from scratch--no more templates.  I have been learning so much about web design these past years, that I have even designed a site or two as side projects.

I am still based in Berlin and commuting to Prague for winter weddings, portraits and events.  But rather than work on two websites individually, I've decided on one main site where you can see the best work I've done in Europe over the past few years in easy-to-view slideshows.  I've put a lot of time and effort into this new site, so if you happen to find this blog, please check out my new site and let me know what you think.  I am adding to it daily now, so it should be out of beta and into alpha (or is it charlie?) in no time.

As usual, I am available for event photography, weddings, and portraits anywhere in Europe.  Contact me for a quote for your photography project today.  And happy new year!

Discounts on All Wedding and Portrait Packages !!!

I understand the budget concerns of the average couple these days.  And in response to several requests from my clients to lower my prices, I am announcing my permanent discounts on wedding and pre-wedding portraits in Prague!  You can now enjoy the same discounts offered in my off season--up to 20% off regular low prices--all year round!

Advance booking is required.  Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or to reserve your booking for a certain date.

Your Portrait Photographer in Prague

PRAGUE PORTRAIT POWER

by Craig Robinson

Prague portrait and wedding photographer




A growing trend in recent years is the increase in destination weddings and portraits in exotic locations. Many websites are springing up all over the world offering exotic destinations for weddings and portraits. Among the most popular of these destinations is Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is no stranger to visitors in the last decade; since the fall of communism in the Eastern Bloc countries in the late 1980s, many previously-forbidden cities are now flooded with eager visitors.


Millions of visitors have discovered the fantastic beauty of Prague; and the city's beauty almost seems to be in arrested development compared to the rest of Europe. In a single evening stroll in Prague you can time travel the architecture from the early Gothic period (12th century) through the Art Nouveau (circa 1900). Outer Prague is showing signs of Western modernization with its malls and megaplex cinemas, but the heart of Prague is virtually untouched by the ravages of time.



Many people are discovering that Prague makes a perfect destination for exotic portraits and romantic weddings. Some people get married in Prague while others get married elsewhere and opt to have their wedding portraits taken with beautiful Prague as a backdrop.