Once known as Bohemia, and later part of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic has a rich cultural heritage, including its capital, Prague, which has been a center of art, architecture, and political thought for centuries.
Though I’d been to the Czech Republic before, only to Brno, I’d been dreaming of a trip to Prague for what felt like forever. This year, I finally treated myself for my birthday with that long-awaited adventure—and let me tell you, it was everything I hoped for and more. I had an absolute blast.
The early bird catches the worm, they say. I think the early click frames the perfect pic. So, on my first day in Prague, I woke up at 5:00 AM, as any normal person on vacation does. After sipping my coffee and staring at the hotel wall for an hour, I headed out around 6:00 AM to the historic center—before the crowds gathered but still in time for the golden light of sunrise. To my surprise, many others had the same idea, and most of us had something in common: a camera in our hands. The things we do for our photos.
By this point, I can say that I’ve become obsessed with the golden hour. While I understand that, from a physics perspective, the sun hits the planet at a lower angle and the light has to pass through more atmosphere, making it much softer, I still don’t understand why the light wrapping the world in its soft and golden colors feels like wrapping my heart in a warm blanket on a cold morning. But I might never understand, and that’s also fine. I’ll just enjoy every moment of it to the fullest. Now, enough with the romanticism; here’s the product of my early morning clicks in Prague:
Sunset stroll at Petřín Hill
Something that I always seek out when in a new place are the higher vantage points, such as hills, church towers, roof tops, or anything that offers me a panorama of the area that I’m visiting. And Petřín is a hill with a tower on it, quite a good combo for me. Combine them this time with the evening golden hour, Prague offered another memorable moment that enchanted me with beautiful views and light.
Afternoon on Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad is a historic fortress offering stunning views of the Vltava River and the city. It is known for its ancient fortifications, the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the Vyšehrad Cemetery, where many notable Czech figures are buried. It is also a quiet and relaxing place to spend the afternoon, with plenty of greenery and spaces to relax in the park.
During my visit, as it was still early afternoon with harsh lighting, I loaded a roll of Fomapan 400, which in Prague costs as little as 3.5 EUR—a real bargain. Not only did it help me forget about the harsh light and the really high cost of each frame when using other films, but it also produced some satisfying results. Yes, there’s some grain, but I think it’s at an acceptable level.
really love the one of people walking up the hill in the sunset