Public Republic

An interview with the photographer Markéta Kalvachová by Aneliya Angelcheva

“All I want now is to look at life. You may come and look at it with me, if you care to.” Oscar Wild

Iceland is a place where Nature has put a bridge between its inexhaustible beauty and life. Icelandic beauty gives a rise to new interpretation of the world and art is the form of expression that best describes all transformations and alterations of nature. And namely nature is that never failing source of inspiration for Markéta Kalvachová. Her photographs are pure reflection of all stunning views in Iceland. It seems her audience can see the colors and even smell the fragrance of the atmosphere there.

Iceland is a place where Nature has put a bridge between its inexhaustible beauty and life. Icelandic beauty gives a rise to new interpretation of the world and art is the form of expression that best describes all transformations and alterations of nature. And namely nature is that never failing source of inspiration for Markéta Kalvachová. Her photographs are pure reflection of all stunning views in Iceland. It seems her audience can see the colors and even smell the fragrance of the atmosphere there.

Captivated by the speechless but majestic natural beauty of Iceland, Markéta decided to set out for Iceland in 2006. Meeting Tim Vollmer in the summer of 2006 was the turning point that entirely changed her life. Originally trained in law with a degree from Charles University in Prague, she has now turned her hand to photography, specializing in landscape panoramas and nature photography.

You can find Markéta Kalvachová and her amazing photographs here and here.

How did you decide to leave your country and move to a place in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

I originally came to Iceland in 2006 to work during my summer vacation at UNI. Soon afterwards I met Tim who had been here since 2005, and we decided to start living and working together. Because of its small size and peaceful surroundings, Iceland is a very relaxing place to live and I enjoy it very much.

Photography is speechless art, but it involves so many feelings and emotions. It’s capable of expressing a certain state of the soul. Do you share the same opinion?

Yes, definitely. I always try to express in my photographs what I see and feel, and I love any photographs which express atmosphere.

The contrast between law and photography is somehow charming but yet how did you become involved in photography?

I have always taken photos and it started out as a hobby. When I came to Iceland in 2006, I met the photographer Tim Vollmer and this meeting changed my life in more than one way! My life is all about photography now and we consistently work together as a team to improve our techniques.

Is photography your lifestyle?
Yes, definitely, at least since I came to Iceland.

Do you have a formula for a successful photograph?

There is no magic formula. There are some basic composition rules in photography that every photographer should follow. When I take a photo, I try to follow the “rule of third” which really makes a stronger composition.

I saw pictures of the erupting volcano taken from helicopter. Wasn’t it a dangerous undertaking?

It was a wonderful experience to fly by helicopter and see the eruption. I was a little afraid at first, but afterwards I was happy I went. If you ever get a chance to witness a volcano erupting, I highly recommend it!

Marketa, tell me about the so cherished aurora borealis. It is beautiful. And I can’t believe it is real.

I saw it for the first time in September 2006. It was a fantastic light show in the sky and reminded me of the movements of spotlights in the theater – the light was just dancing above us. Increased aurora activity is predicted for 2010 – 2014 and so far this winter we have had some rather spectacular and frequent aurora sightings.

You prefer taking panorama photographs. Why? Is there anything special about that?

Sometimes it is not possible to catch the beauty of landscape in one image, this is the reason why I love to do panoramas. I like to capture anything connected with nature.

Marketa, I was enchanted by the Icelandic beauty – the colors of ice, the outstanding beauty of the highlands – all frozen forms created by the greatest artist Mother Nature are inspiring and captivating. But it is alarming that more and more scientists warn about an upcoming global catastrophe such as global warming, which is a good example of the detrimental effect of human activity. What are your thoughts regarding climate change?

Climate changes have been affecting mankind from the beginning of time. I do not think we influence it that much. Anyway, I do not mind if Iceland becomes a bit warmer because more vegetation will grow here. Iceland is relatively warmer despite its name, but this is influenced by the Gulf Stream.

Icelandic names are incredibly difficult to pronounce. I myself feel lost somewhere in the middle when trying to read a name of a town for example. Did you get used to pronouncing them?

Oh, yes, tell me about it! To me Icelandic was like Chinese. In the beginning I did not understand one word! However, the pronunciation is not so difficult once you learn the rules and now even I can pronounce Eyjafjallajökull! 😉

You and your family live in one of the most incredible places in the world. What are your plans for the future?

We are flexible in our plans because we never know what will happen. Nevertheless, we have some photo tours of Iceland and Greenland lined up in 2011, which will be in German, English and Czech. We hope to exhibit our work in Iceland and abroad in the near future.