Sports offer a photographer everything
Photographing sports is what I love doing more than anything else. I am not only talking about superstars and their mannerisms; I always long to capture the fascinating moments that decide about trophies and medals, the emotions of both favourites and outsiders, their incredible commitment, their nerves, their boundless joy or deep sadness. Only sports can offer you such a mixture of emotions.
My most favourite place to photograph tennis is Roland Garros
Tennis is my number one sport, especially Roland Garros; I have been taking pictures in Paris almost continuously for the last 30 years and the thousand images of red clay always thrill me. Though the clay may seem like one colour, it isn´t. There are so many shades of orange! All those smudges and the pictures they create, the texture, the flying sand… And if you can find the right angle, it´s just fantastic.
The tennis calendar year traditionally kicks off in Melbourne; I always look forward to going there because it´s warm and I like its relaxed atmosphere. I can really enjoy it although I have to work fifteen hours a day at every Grand Slam. My greatest love is Paris; Roland Garros was my first Grand Slam and I like its ambience very much. Photographing Wimbledon is also a wonderful experience: almost no billboards, just green and white everywhere, and the service is excellent. The US Open is a bit more complicated; too many people, noise, high humidity, often a long way to the courts, plus the night sessions. I usually leave Roland Garros at midnight, but in New York at 3 a.m.
Photographing skiing is charming
I love skiing and photographing it. Standing close to the track is always an exciting experience, though in most cases there is no time to register the enormous effort and concentration. You often have only a fraction of a second to take a picture, and if you miss it… This is also true of swimming, athletics, or football.
I like to photograph my favourite places
I live in Prague and love to photograph it. I also like to take trips to South Moravia, a wine region with a nicely rolling countryside that is called Moravian Tuscany. And I often photograph the nature of South Bohemia: water birds, birds of prey and the wild life around ponds. I rarely go out without my camera because photography is my life.
