Richard Vanek - Black and White Photography

I have got quite few responses on my last roll page which inspired me to add new and this time last roll of the year 2002. It was also interesting experience of scanning properly exposed and developed roll of Delta 400. This was my last point for deciding between ordering Fuji Neopan 400 and Delta 400. Now I am scanning first roll of 2003 which is Fuji Neopan and feel better fit scanner than Delta 400.
Hope you enjoy last pictures and let me know your comments. Thank you in advance!

So I was continuing my morning trip in about -18C temperature and I went up the bridge and saw this tree. Water on its branches was partly melting on Sunny side and freeing on other.

After bridge I kept on street and than turn to left where our grand father is keeping his few bees. I like this picture a lot.

I was already quite frozen, especially my finger on shutter when I have got above houses in village and took this nice shot against Sun. I am always surprised when such a shot turns to be nice. I think this is a tribune to my Bessa R2.

And than I needed to quickly returned, as I was getting really cold after about two hours walking there. I passed this holy place, I guess some accident happened here some dozen years ago. You can always find fresh flowers there. I like such places far from anybody's house but still care is kept.

I have order bunch of films (Fuji Neopan) from mx2 shop in germany. They were not able to deliver it in one month and they did inform me about anything. After my phone call 2 weeks after order they ensure me that next week it will be. After next two weeks next Friday I canceled my order. I ask my friend help me with order from 7dayshop in UK. Let's see how this will end. I am out of stock of films and do not like to buy from shop here as it it almost tripple price.
In the evenings trying to improve a bit web site. Hopefully it is going good direction. Still have few things in mind. Like sorting galleries based on date of last update. Move between pictures directly without need to go back to gallery. Have stories together with big photo and not only in gallery next to thumbnail and so. Well working on these things is slow as I have rather little time. I also like to do some prints as I am scanning Stockholm shots. Would be nice to make few prints.

I have add first two rolls I did in Stockholm at the begining of this year. I have about next 15 rolls. Last rolls shots will be added to last roll page and than the one I still consider good will be moved to Stockholm gallery.
I have also created gallery about Slovakia, were I put shots from Christmass. And I also found one night photo of my home town from the same time.

With friends we made trip to town called Sigtuna. Small city with Viking history. I did this shot in a place leading to small original restaurant with very very nice atmosphere and home food. I really like it I felt like visiting my grand grand mother.

This is after we left town hall and it is view on the water from the inside square of Stockholm's town hall. Sun was nicely lighted water and brings bright light to the internal square of town hall.

This was just fast shot and turn to be the most beautiful night shot I ever did of my home town in Slovakia. Zilna was always so nicely lighted in Christmas time

Today I have update gallery page, which is now sorted based on date of last update. Fresh galleries are at top of the page, now. Dates of updates are also visible.
I scanned next two rolls and planing add new shots to the web about Wednesday. Some of them are really interesting. The ones of you, who read my journal for some time, maybe you remember my early morning shots (5:00am) in old city of Stockholm - Gamla Stan in first weeks of February. Some of those shots looks really good!

Yesterday and day before that I worked for even more improving my photo presentation. It is now almost done on my home computer and I will transfer it maybe today to main side. I improve navigation between full size pictures, which will now include text belonging to the photograph and it will be possible to move to next and previous photo in gallery. As I wrote before I have 4 new rolls scanned as well and when this web update is running I will add new gallery and few new shots to last roll page.

January 2003, as a one of my first think when I was in Sweden I joint tour around a city. This is a shot of Japanese tourists taking shots in Stockholm town hall. There were so noisy and everywhere that I can't heard our guide.

Things are changing every day. Last Saturday we decided to make some changes in our house. So we started with moving furniture around, and combining and all it end up with disconnecting and moving my computer to different room. So I did not too much to finish my planned web update. So please be patience I will be back on-line soon with new photographs and improved web page interface.

Today I reconnect my computer to internet again. Even I have no desk ready yet, I can work a bit. I am looking forward to show you nice night picures from Gamla Stan (Stockholm).

Yes, it is here, new navigation between pictures. I hope you like it. It is quite late in night, I am so tired, but because I really wanted to do it I am still awake.
Please let me know if you like new navigation between pictures and also how do you like a little different presentation of photos in gallery pages. Enjoy!

Everybody sleeping, is early morning in Stockholm's old town Gamla Stan. Everybody is sleeping, I can't. Walking in these snowy narrow streets brings me memories from childhood. I used to, as a boy come late from school and in winter, when snow was silently and slowly falling, I can hear only sound of my steps on a frozen snow.

I like this composition, it is like entrance to home not to the house.

Walking alone on the narrow street, when suddenly door on right side are opening and dog is running out. Girls surprised more than me, that somebody is walking with camera at this time, is turning on opposite direction and faster leaving. Dog doesn't.

Very nice shadow, unfortunately it is not entrance to house number two :-) I was fascinating by those old lamps which were shining into dark of narrow streets of Gamla Stan.

Amd again shadow, this time negative as the light from this old lamp is creating light filled third window on a house where everybody is sleeping.

New photos on last roll page. This time night shots from Stokholm's old town Gamla Stan.

Finally I have made my new room. And now I can make some more photos again. As for start little improvement in browsing again. I hope it is going to be better and not worse. Please let me know.
I already scaned next roll. This time, frozen waters of Stockholm. It will be soon at last roll page. maybe you wondering where photos are going from last roll page. Well, based on popularity they goes to apropriate gallery page. Last few photos where moved to Stockholm gallery.
I should soon (tomorrow) received my new batch of films from UK. My friend in London help me with reposting them as a shop doesn't deliver outside of UK. Well, package was bigger than expected so postage went sky high. Next time I have to plan better and not buying everything at the same time. So I am looking forward to use Fuji Neopan 400, when it arrives and hope you can enjoy soon new photos from Stockholm.

Today I received my long awaited packs of Fuji Neopan 400. Looking forward to use them for some nice shots. I didn't do much shooting in last few weeks. I still have a lot of films to scan and, what is more important, would like to make some prints!

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And I added few new shots from my fifth roll exposed this year in Stockholm. Enjoy!

I couldn't shoot anymore, my fingers where totaly frozen and my face was scratching. Anyway, when I saw this man comming towards us I can't resist.

Night was leaving and people start slowly apearing on streets. We quite frozen inside out where watching beatuty of wharf. This is a view from Gamla Stan towards Sodermalm in Stockholm.

I was standing in front of this window to the kids world for some time. In front of me in mean while kids where walking to school. I really liked that window on the rough wall, window to the kids play world. Iwas wondering how I can take it, I did it this way, what do you think?

I am getting few comments about quality of my scans. As you maybe now, scans I have here are just direct result of scan without any modification. I normally scan whole roll and select few good ones and only resize and sharpen them before placing on web.
I have got suggestion, with a good arguments, that I should pay more attention to quality of scans. Enhanced a bit, do correct cropping, clean dust and so. Yes I think there is a point in those suggestions as one of you said, this web is my presentation and it should be as perfect as possible :-). I'll try my best.