A series dedicated to photographers on their photography.
Upon handling his father’s old camera, a child became enamoured with the lens. This was Dan Vojtech’s moment of harmony, the one that would shape his future. The camera and with it, its craft, photography, moved from a fascination to a joy to a profession.
Dan Vojtech’s work has taken him around the world. Under his lens, he’s photographed cars, products, athletes, nature in all its forms, portraits, and eye-catching action-shots that stamp in the mind for years to come.
He’s done several memorable photoshoots for Red Bull. And by his own account, from his home in Prague, these are his top 5 in recent memory.
Dan’s 5 photographs that stand out
- Of all the pics, this one is Dan’s favorite. There’s just so much to love about it as a photographer. Here we see two difficult air maneuvers being executed by Red Bull Flying Bulls; the Apache roll and Mirror formation.
Cramped in a plane that peered into the formation, tailing them from a close distance, with barely enough room to enable him to complete his task, Dan took his shots. The photo won him a Sequence award at the 2016 Red Bull Illume.
- This photo, taken at the Red Bull Racing Show Run event in Kuwait, is a superb example of the magic that can happen in a single frame. We have an F1 racing car helmed by David Coulthard in an RB7. His car is screeching on the runway mid-donut, an eager crowd chanting with excitement behind him in the stands, a paraglider coming in for a landing further out, and behind it all the iconic Kuwait Towers.
- An impossible bike move being pulled off by MTB rider Tomas Slavik comes from the imagination of the photographer. All bike tricks begin in the mind, where the question must be asked: can it be done? The continuous evolution of new moves and tricks in the sport is a fluid creature. They only are thought impossible until they are successfully executed. From there, the moves flourish on the scene. It takes but one athlete to break through.
This image was enhanced with strobe lights and assistants to maximize scale and dramatic effect on the subject.
Winner of the New Creativity award at the 2013 Red Bull Illume.
- Of all the countries Dan’s been, Kuwait is his favorite. He jumped at the opportunity to shoot Red Bull quad athlete Fahad Al Musallam.
Dan and Fahad drove to a secret filming location in the Kuwait Desert for these shots. The challenge was the heat and the soft sand and although the perfect image took little tries, the Kuwaiti sand from that day can still be found in Dan’s shoes.
- This photo is unique for its subject and location. Shot on the steps of the Sphinx of Giza, in Cario, Egypt, freerunner Dominic di Tommaso and Dan Vojtech leapt at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
With only a few attempts, they were able to snap this perfectly composed image.
Dan’s advice to aspiring photographers, and on overcoming creative blocks
Practice. Begin with subjects that are of personal interest, do the work and keep learning the craft. If you care about your subject, are passionate about it, then you are more likely to see what makes it special, and highlight it in the picture.
The best course of action when faced with a creative block is to take a step back. Just step away, and take a break from the work that’s causing it. Being overworked is bad for creative people. Get bored (which is strange to say), and come back to it with fresh eyes.
Dan Vojtech lives in Prague, where he continues to work on photography for brands and clients around the world.
See and discover more of Dan Vojtech’s work at danvojtech.cz.