Jan's Dreamworld Experiments

Can you guess which lens this is? / kdo uhodne, co je tohle za...

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:03:14 +0200

Can you guess which lens this is? / kdo uhodne, co je tohle za objektiv? (Taken with instagram)

Photowalk 5/5/2012

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:09:06 +0200

Here are my panoramas from the May’s photowalk. Open the photos to access interactive versions:

Petrified statue with no fingers observes photographers

Gate to nowhere and guinea pig king visits Earth grafitti

Decaying buildings in Apolinarska street

I also took some mobile photos with my iPhone 4S (you can find them also on instagrid):

And of course the photowalk had an epic finale this time, I took a group 360º panorama at the Zombiewalk 2012.

Panojournalists: Always stand where others are not standing

Fri, 11 May 2012 15:26:00 +0200

When you are a panorama journalist you need to be aware that you are not just taking a photo in the direction of your interest. You are taking a panorama that allows you to look around in all directions. You need to be aware of your surroundings.

Here’s a great list of hints and tips from a panojournalist I respect a lot: Ayrton360. He’s a star in his field and he shared this checklist during the Palmela 2011 Panoramic Photography Conference.

If I wanted to make a short list of the most important rules to make sure the panorama has a good composition, there are the three rules that it would include:

Always stand in front of the crowd (remember to avoid other photographers’ line of sight!)
Stand where others are not standing
Don’t be late

I cannot overstress the rule number 3 :) Here’s an example of me breaking all three rules in July 2009 during the master class with John Malkovich at the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. Ideally I would stand next to him and not on the other end of this beautiful hall. Mr Malkovich is just a tiny set of pixels in distance from here - that’s a shame for a panorama that was supposed to be about him:

Social Media Experts: Is this one of the worst things to do to a facebook page?

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:59:00 +0200

My blog howtoshoot360.com (and it’s Czech sister site jakfotit360.cz) has just became a part of an experiment which many branding and social media experts disagree with. I’ve announced that I’ll change the place where I’ll post news and interesting related content about How To Shoot 360º. Instead the howtoshoot360.com blog and it’s facebook, google+ and twitter accounts I’ll be using my own personal accounts.

Less is sometimes more and my motivations

The time has come to simplify my social media presence. I’ve got too many accounts and I can’t maintain them properly and engage in conversations in the proper way without hiring somebody for that - which I’m not yet ready to do. That also means, however, that I need to focus on what’s important and cut out everything else. By using only one profile I’ll be able to focus my energy where it’s needed the most and I’ll also merge all my communication hubs into one.

In the future I’m planning to return to posting to brand profiles of How To Shoot 360º and I’ll continue getting “likes”, google pluses, etc. for these pages in the meantime. I just won’t be using them actively for the time being.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. A business is supposed to have a facebook page. Using personal profiles is not recommended!

I think that’s past which ended the moment facebook has started allowing subscribing for public updates. Yes, I admit, it’s not the same as a facebook page, but it’s pretty similar. Personal branding is very important for me and it will help me to avoid having to update multiple profiles or having “Jan the photographer” pages which I think is a weird concept.

2. But your friends on facebook are not interested in a neverending stream of links pointing to howtoshoot360.com!

I don’t think that anybody is, not even hardcore fans of howtoshoot360.com. Therefore I try to mix an insteresting coctail of photos, links and news from the world of panoramic photography.

3. The readers and fans of howtoshoot360.com are not interested in your personal notes, photos and articles

I don’t think that’s true. Just a tiny bit of personal posts improves the connection with my readers and authenticity of my posts. Of course I won’t share everything publicly, I’ll keep many things just for my friends. I strongly believe, however, that if something would look like spam on a public page it will also look like spam on your personal profile. I won’t spam.

4. You are running a business, you are supposed to have a facebook page!

I’m just a person doing stuff :)

5. But but… I’ve got another question or comment which is not mentioned here!

Please add a comment below the article. I’m very interested in any comments, especially if you are involved in social media. If I’m doing the stupidest thing ever I want to know as soon as possible. I don’t think I am but if… :)

Zombiewalk 2012 in Prague

Sun, 06 May 2012 17:40:14 +0200

Prague, May 5th: 767 zombies walked through Prague during the annual zombiewalk. Open the pics to view 360º interactive panoramas.

Zombiewalk 2012 (Taken with Instagram at Karlův most | Charles...

Sat, 05 May 2012 18:24:30 +0200

Zombiewalk 2012 (Taken with Instagram at Karlův most | Charles Bridge)

360º panoramas from an anti-government demonstration in Prague

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:50:00 +0200

My newest experiment - blog panoreporter.cz - will be a place where I’ll publish my pano journalism photos from events I will attend.

For the start there’s mainly: Panoramas from the anti-government demonstration in the center of Prague on April 21, 2012 attended by roughly 100,000 people.

There are already panoramas from various events such as Tomas Sedlacek’s lecture organized by the Czech Google User Group, Tibet on Fire protest from in front of Chinese Embassy in Prague, STOP ACTA protest in Prague and a photo of the freedom at work conference “Svoboda Naživo”. More panoramas will follow.

Inside job (2010) trailer I recommend if you haven’t seen...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:40:00 +0200

Inside job (2010) trailer

I recommend if you haven’t seen the movie yet: About the causes of the global financial meltdown in 2008

Tenhle film doporučuju, pokud jste ho ještě neviděli: Inside Job - O důvodech vzniku globální finanční krize v roce 2008

Iceland, get ready for us!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:59:00 +0200

It’s about time to fulfill my photography and travel passion and to set out to a far away land again. It’s going to be a challenge with a months-old kid and it will be much less wild than the way we usual travelled but hey, the life is supposed to be lived, not survived! We’ll start with a safe but beautiful country. It went almost bankrupt recently and there was supposed to be a revolution then. Well, it’s time for us to find out and ask the locals! Time to visit ICELAND!

Please let us know:

If you went to Iceland and want to share stories and/or links to tips
If you want to go with us (most likely this summer)

Je na čase dostát mému fotografickému a cestovatelskému nadšení a zase někam vyrazit. S několikaměsíčním prckem to bude trochu výzva a o hodně méně divoké, než jsme zvyklí cestovat obvykle, ale život je potřeba žít, ne prožívat! Začnemě s nějakou bezpečnou, ale krásnou zemí. Nedávno málem zbankrotovala a také tam prý potom byla revoluce. No, je na čase, abychom to zjistili a zeptali se místních. Je na čase navštívit ISLAND!

Prosím dejte nám vědět:

Pokud už jste na Islandu byli a rádi byste se s námi podělili o zážitky nebo odkazy na tipy
Pokud s námi chcete jet (nejspíš tohle léto)

Author: Dieter Schweizer (Obersulm, Germany), Source: Wikipedia

Author: Brad Weber, Source Wikipedia

Author: Stefan Schafft, Source: Wikipedia

Author: Andreas Tille, Source: Wikipedia

Gates to Prague's Fairy Tale Underworld / Brány do pohádkového podsvětí Prahy

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:10:00 +0200

Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

Měl jsi někdy sen, Neo, u kterého sis byl jistý, že je skutečný? Co kdyby ses z takového snu nedokázal probudit? Jak bys poznal rozdíl mezi tím snem a skutečným světem?

Here’s my photos from Saturday’s photowalk. Join the next photo walk with me! Upcoming dates and more info is posted on the photowalk’s page.
Tady jsou moje fotky ze sobotní foto procházky. Připojte se ke mě při další foto procházce! Termíny a další informace jsou na stránce foto procházek.

The interactive versions of all following photos on 360Cities are here, here, over here, here and there. <- Odkazy na interaktivní verze všech fotek.

“Tentacles of The Creature” — behind the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague
“Chapadla příšery” — za muzeem Franze Kafky v Praze

“Charles Bridge and the island” — behind the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague
“Karlův Most a ostrov” — za muzeem Franze Kafky v Praze

Tip: If you can find this trail off the beaten track then you can enjoy the views of the Charles Bridge from angles no other turists can. This trail leads to the north only and is a dead-end to the south where it ends with a very interesting view of the Certovka River.

“John Lennon Wall is watching you” — Kampa, Prague
“Zeď Johna Lennona vás pozoruje” — Kampa, Praha

The picture of John Lennon first appeared here during the communism era as this wall started to be used as a place where anti-regime slogans and pieces of Beatles lyrics would be written. Today the original portrait is lost below the newer layers of art.

“Water goblin guarding Certovka” — Velkoprerovsky Mill, Prague
“Vodník hlídající Čertovku” — Velkopřerovský mlýn, Kampa, Praha

To see the water goblin you need to look behind the locks in the interactive version. It guards the mill-wheel of Velkoprerovsky Mill and probably lives in the Certovka river (The Devil’s river) below. Who knows what other beasts and creatures of the underworld you’d find there if you could take a look. Chances are, though, that if you decided to submerge in this area the underworlds would seize you forever.

And here’s our group - from the left: Václav, me, Jakub. Nobody else showed up so it was only the three of us. Probably the weather conditions that were far from perfect in the morning and thus many people decided to stay at home.

Photo walks in Prague - Foto procházky v Praze

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:52:34 +0200

Yay! The photo walks organized by me now finally have their own website: fotoprochazky.cz (most of it is Czech only but it will gradually improve). Upcoming dates and meeting places are announced at srazy.info/foto-prochazky/

Hurá! Foto procházky v Praze už mají svůj web! fotoprochazky.cz Aktuální datumy a místa srazů jsou a budou vyhlášovány na srazy.info/foto-prochazky/

The official icon of the photo walks is - Oficiální ikona foto procházek je:

Street art / pouliční umění (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:47:16 +0200

Street art / pouliční umění (Taken with instagram)

Heart / Srdce (Taken with Instagram at John Lennon Wall)

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:34:13 +0200

Heart / Srdce (Taken with Instagram at John Lennon Wall)

Photo walk in progress / Foto procházka v plném proudu (Taken...

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:28:05 +0200

Photo walk in progress / Foto procházka v plném proudu (Taken with Instagram at John Lennon Wall)

Man and the box / Muž a krabice (Taken with Instagram at Stary...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:10:33 +0200

Man and the box / Muž a krabice (Taken with Instagram at Stary vitkovsky tunel)

Tunnel (Taken with Instagram at Stary vitkovsky tunel)

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:48:42 +0200

Tunnel (Taken with Instagram at Stary vitkovsky tunel)

Tomatoes day 1 / Rajčátka den 1. (Taken with instagram)

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:37:20 +0200

Tomatoes day 1 / Rajčátka den 1. (Taken with instagram)

Oops. Elevator down (Taken with Instagram at 360Cities.net World...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:17:30 +0200

Oops. Elevator down (Taken with Instagram at 360Cities.net World Headquarters)

Photo Walks in Prague and 360º Photography Workshops

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:25:00 +0200

Here’s news on my photo community projects:

Photo Walks in Prague

Join the Saturday’s photo walks in Prague, Czech Republic. A group of photography enthusiasts sets out to the streets to take photos together. Everybody can attend for free. Upcoming dates: April 7, 2012 and May 5, 2012.

360° Panorama Photography Workshops

I’ve moved my Saturday’s 360º panoramic photography workshops from afternoons to mornings. This enables me to fully attend all my workshop participants’ needs before 2pm and then to join the photo walk with them.

Upcoming two-day panoramic photography workshops

I’m currently preparing a workshop with two full days of intensive 360° photography training in a group of 10 people. Intrested? Let me know.

Crane / Jerab (Taken with Instagram at Divadlo Na Vinohradech)

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:33:56 +0200

Crane / Jerab (Taken with Instagram at Divadlo Na Vinohradech)