Jan Šroubek

I was born in the latter half of last century (1958) in Beroun, though frankly, I must admit, I don´t recall much about the event. But I do remember when I started taking photos seriously, it was in the spring of 1999. From the dawn of my time I have had a relations with visual arts, first attending the Folk School of Art, where painted my first picture, that of a cock, under the guidance of Mr. Patak, painter teacher. I learnt to compose pictures, I discovered the secret of gold cutting and from time to time I skipped the classes. Then my parents laid into me at home and art was over. Also I don´t really remember getting my first camera but I know that it was a "Pioneer", a big bakelite which could do almost nothing, much like myself. Then later I also had a Russian "Ljubitel", a two-shutter reflex camera

But back to the year 1999. I was introduced to photography by my friend Jirka Semrad, he even advised me what camera I should buy, a Canon EOS 50E with a 28-135 lens. Quite a super combination. Even though I don´t use it anymore, I still have it and it will always be dear to my heart. Always. I have stayed loyal to Canon as presently I use a Canon EOS 1V and a 1D Mark II with lenses from 16 to 400 mm.

I prefer to take photos of people. Reportages, genre photos, portraits and nude models. I have friends who are musicians and I like taking photos of them. I have contacts with Martin Zak of Stara Almara, I have also taken photos for the booklet included with a live performance CD featuring bluegrass music by the band "Relief", I photograph Eva Holicka with her jazzmen, bands like Tri dny na brise, P.R.S.T. etc. I enjoy travelling and do it frequently which brings me an inspiration for my photography. Perhaps the greatest experiences were in Cuba and on Bali Island. It was really a pleasure to shoot there. Several times I have shot re-enactment of the "battle by Austerlitz".

I am member of a free association of similarly disoriented people calling themselves "Beroun´s Fotorici". I annually exhibit with them in the gallery "Holandsky dum" in Beroun, besides this I have had a few individual and collective exhibitions from Paris displayed in the village of Zelkovice. I have published (so far) 2 books, a photo collection "Znam Te malo" with texts by co-author Honza Velisek and a photographic publication "Obrazy a pribehy" with a co-author Jirka Semrad.

My photos can be found in magazines such as PHOTO Life, Fotografie Magazine, FotoVideo and Photoart, where my portfolio was published in issue No. 2. I have received some awards from these magazines from time to time.

Since I know how difficult it is to arrange an exhibition for the amateurs, I established "Certak Gallery" in Lime Plant Certovy Schody in the village of Tman near Beroun where it is possible to exhibit under very favourable conditions. The gallery was created especially for amateur photographer presentation even though I try to also include the professional works from time to time. Gallery has its opening in July 2004 and for example artists such as Lucka Svobodova, Petr Hasal, Garik Avanesian, Jan Karbusicky and Daniela Duskova, Jirka Semrad and Jiri Kolis have exhibited their works already there.

It is my great pleasure to be in a contact with people such as Mr. and Mrs. Hucek, Vilem Kropp and Josef Koudelka. They have been a great asset to me for which I am very thankful.

I enjoy the Beatles, good wine and straight-forward people.

Good luck and best wishes to all.

Jan Sroubek

Photo Collections: