THE BEST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS
One of the highlights of our Mile Day & Big Night event held on Friday 22nd November was the first Mile Awards – a competition for wedding photographers across Europe, with the worthy aim of supporting these creative professionals. Photographers sent in a huge number of images and turned up in large numbers for the Big Night. Before we go any further, though, we would like to say a big thank you to the competition partner, photography services agency Kvalitní fotky.
OVERALL WINNER: FRANTIŠEK VALIČEK
František Valiček flew in from Košice for the Big Night awards! With nominations in three of the five categories, František felt it would be a crying shame to miss the evening. In the end, he came first in the Wedding Dress category and, given the number of nominations he picked up, took away the overall top prize. He wrote on Instagram that he felt like this achievement had changed something in him, so we asked what he meant exactly. “This achievement has given me a huge boost of energy and inspiration. I’ve gained a lot of confidence. An award like this on the Czech and Slovak photography scene has given me the courage to aim even higher and maybe one day fulfil another dream – to get closer to the world’s very best,” he told us. As soon as the awards were announced,offers from leading agencies, brands and magazines started rolling in, František told us.
WINNER, WEDDING DRESS CATEGORY: FRANTIŠEK VALIČEK
CATEGORY CURATOR: TEREZA VALNEROVÁ
The picture was taken at noon on a windy day. František noticed that the dress took on the look of an ancient Greek statue whenever the wind caught it. “It was a fascinating sight, so for a while I just watched the wind playing with the fabric. Then I waited for the next gust of wind and pressed the button.” It wasn’t until he got home that he then noticed the bride had raised her hand at just that moment, which both softened the composition and added dynamism.
WINNER, MELTING HEARTS CATEGORY: VOJTĚCH HURYCH
CATEGORY CURATOR: JINDŘICH ŠTĚRBA (KVALITNÍ FOTKY)
“I entered this photo in the competition because it perfectly expresses what these two people are really like. How do I know? Because they’re friends of mine. It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that I was simply lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” Vojtěch Hurych says, adding that it’s great when a photo reveals more about the character of the bride and groom than the style of the photographer. “It doesn’t always work out that way, which is why I love this picture.”
WINNER, AFTER DARK CATEGORY: ZUZANA FAJMONOVÁ
CATEGORY CURATOR: ONDREJ RYCHNAVSKÝ (RYON)
How did this photo come about? The groom had got tired of posing for photographs by the evening, but Zuzana had this idea in her head and kept trying to persuade him to give it a go. “In the end I got his friends to rope him into it and we put the shot together. It was a lot of fun taking the picture and it was pretty much the last photograph I took that day. Although he was soaking wet, the groom gave me a big hug to show me how he felt.”
WINNER, GENIUS LOCI CATEGORY: MICHAELA RUSAŇUKOVÁ
CATEGORY CURATOR: MARTIN FALTEJSEK
What does Michaela have to say about her winning picture? And why did she enter it? “When I took this photo, I knew this was ‘me’. It’s not a typical wedding photo, but rather an image that reflects the way I see light and the world.” Hard light, hard shadows, geometry, forms, reflections. This is what Michaela says represents her and what she wants to do, so her ideal client is one who appreciates this kind of style.
WINNER, CREATIVE CONCEPT CATEGORY: ANETA PŘIBOVÁ
CATEGORY CURATOR: JAKUB CABALKA (PUF CREATIF)
According to the photographer, the picture is an interesting take on design and an unconventional approach to flat lay photography. “It’s fair to say that this photography style, and adding decorati- on to pictures, is having a bit of a moment. At the same time, the photograph has the feel of a fashi- on editorial.” The combination of casual style and luxury clearly impressed this category’s curator, so Aneta took away the award.
FINALISTS
CATEGORY: WEDDING DRESS CURATOR: TEREZA VALNEROVÁ
Photo: Markéta Šindlerová
Photo: Jana Hronská
CATEGORY: MELTING HEARTS
CURATOR: JINDŘICH ŠTĚRBA (KVALITNÍ FOTKY)
Photo: Klára Slámová
Photo: František Valiček
CATEGORY: GENIUS LOCI
CURATOR: MARTIN FALTEJSEK
Photo: Kateřina Václavíková
Photo: František Valiček
CATEGORY: CREATIV CONCEPT
CURATOR: JAKUB CABALKA (PUF CREATIF)
Photo: Gabriela Jarkovská
Photo: Jonatán Jan, Wedding Factory
CATEGORY: AFTER DARK
CURATOR: ONDREJ RYCHNAVSKÝ (RYON)
Photo: Tereza Hanusková
Photo: Jakub Plšek
Text: Jan Šedivý
