Martina Olbertova Photography
…capturing life with just a hint of imagination and a big dose of insight…
Tag: reportage photography
October 25, 2010
Elektrické podniky hl. m. Prahy
The Functionalist masterpiece of Elektrické podniky (Electric Companies) from 1935 located in Prague’s quarter of Bubny hosted this year’s Designblok 2010, the annual week-long design show exhibiting the newest and best of the Czech design.
Especially the contrast of the young, hip and edgy contemporary design versus the classic cold materials and clean-cut shapes of the building itself created a nice paralell with the exhibit’s design conception.
However, I was more attracted by the raw and semi-ruined settings of the main cash desk downstairs and its surroundings, in which the workers of Electric Companies had been anxiously queuing up for their paychecks every month. On the contrary to the polished and colourful designs presented upstairs, these settings offered a different perspective. One somehow more real in its sadness, a bit mysterious, abandoned, long forgotten and left behind…
This is just a small taste of photos I shot in this building, more photos including the whole design show will come very soon!
January 12, 2010
Snow Study: The Minimalism
Do you know this feeling when something so simple just as snow for instance influences you so much you instantly start taking pictures of it to see what it would look like on a photo? Well, exactly the same thing happened to me today… Influenced not only by presence of the snow but also by the weather forecast annoucing Prague has gotten the most snow in the last 17 years (!), I took my camera and went outside to take some pictures. Turned out I took more than I planned to (as usual) and some of them actually came out pretty well (also as usual)! 
I am dividing this photo essay in a couple of segments again so that you can get a better look on the key motifs of the pictures alone… 
January 11, 2010
Prague’s Most Famous: Pissing Statues
One of the most hilarious art works from the contemporary output of the Czech new art genius David Černý, author of the controversial Entropa, is undoubtedly that of two men pissing in what in the outlines daringly resembles to the shape of Czech Republic!
This marvelous piece of art is installed in front of Kafka Museum located in Prague’s Cihelná street practically at the river in a walking distance from the Charles Bridge. The ironic undertone of this creation as well as its futility so typical for the Czech spirit and associated with our history only adds up on significance of this piece…
Warmly recommend everyone to visit this site and stay there for a little while! Surrounded by Kafka’s ubiquitous existentialism, it’s a great place to think afterall!
December 11, 2008
The Results of “American Flag By Your Eyes” Photography contest!
Hello all,
so I now finally know the results of the photography contest that I have been longing to know for the last three months! Two out of five photos that I sent in the photography contest “Americká vlajka Tvýma očima” of the American Center of US Embassy in Prague as my portfolio for the American Flag photography contest won a prize!
Actually, out of nearly 300 photos submitted in the contest, a total of 10 prizes were given to 10 best photos, which are currently being exhibited at the American Center as a part of the contest, and I won 2 of them! 2 out of 10! I am so happy!!! 
The 4th place for my photo of reflection of American flag on the Vietnam War memorial:
(Vietnam War Memorial, Washington, DC – July 4, 2008)
…and the 9th place for the photo of the Wall Street:
(Wall Street, New York City – July 30, 2008)
I am especially happy about the results as this is the first photography contest ever, where I sent my pictures, I just started taking photography seriously only very recently, and 2 of my photos were already selected in the TOP 10 winners of the whole competition!
For those living in Prague, the exhibit is taking place at the American Center of US Embassy on Trziste. All 10 winning photos will also be published in the next issue of travel magazine 100+1!
Now that I got an impulse like this, I promise I will continue with photography and will be taking much more pictures and posting them here!
Just need to get over the exam season at the University of Glamorgan, where I am currently getting my Erasmus exchange experience, and do all the assessments for the lectures first…
After then, I’m all yours again!
Martina
