An interview with Prague based architectural photographer Radek Úlehla

“My belief is that early in one’s career these personal projects are an important part of a portfolio development. This has a significant advantage in providing the flexibility to explore subjects that you want to shoot and to showcase our skills in a way that best reflects your vision.”

Radek Úlehla is a freelance photographer based in Prague. He got into photography through his travels and it’s great to have a job that is also his passion.

He is mainly focused on architectural and commercial photography. When he studied abroad in Lisbon with a prized scholarship, he bought his first camera even though money was tight.

He loves being out and about, camera in hand and shooting all day, every day.

Radek has worked with acclaimed international brands, such as Swiss Pro Helvetia, Poente, Czech’s Škoda Transportation, Redbull & Česká Spořitelna.

He has even had a photoshoot with Billie Eilish.

Hi Radek, I hope all is safe and well with you and many thanks for taking the time to share with our community.

Can I congratulate you on a superb portfolio, I've been an admirer for sometime now.

Can you tell us what has been keeping you occupied recently throughout 2020 and what your plans for 2021?

Hi Pete, thank you so much for your kind words. In spite of covid, 2020 was one of the best years of my career. With the world experiencing the effects of the pandemic, many of my scheduled shoots were postponed so I used this unexpected free time to focus on improving my lighting and post production skills.

I am still new to architectural photography, and as I expand into this new area I continue to shoot a significant amount of commercial projects such as business portraits and commercials. I did not feel pressured to take every job that was offered, and I used that flexibility to focus on improving my skills -- drawing on resources like the amazing website of Karl Taylor.

In the remainder of 2021, I am looking to expand my portfolio of architectural work both within the Czech Republic and, as travel becomes more accessible, exploring additional opportunities to shoot in foreign countries.

My belief is that early in one’s career these personal projects are an important part of a portfolio development. This has a significant advantage in providing the flexibility to explore subjects that you want to shoot and to showcase our skills in a way that best reflects your vision.

I couldn’t agree more in regards to the personal projects. You could say that M.mode for me has become a sort of personal project. I don’t think it can ever be a bad thing to put your energy and focus into something you love, only good things can happen.

Could you tell us a bit more about your past, your education, ethos and how you approach your work currently?

I was born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic. Early in my life I was focused on playing basketball competitively, but as I drew closer to graduation from school, I realized that I did not have the skills necessary to make a living playing professionally. After this I started out into the working world and found myself working as a shoe salesman and then in airport security.

These were jobs that I considered extremely boring -- yet doing them became one of the most important lessons of my career. By showing me what I did not want to pursue these types of jobs, I reinforced the desire that I had to follow my passion to become a photographer.

I then had the chance to study in Lisbon, for the whole scholarship I bought my first camera and took the opportunity to start to shoot as often as I could. Even though I do not have any formal education in architecture, I have always admired the artistry of the industry. Many of my favorite pages on Instagram were full of crops of New York's skyscrapers showing each building blending into the other.

In Prague we have one small skyscraper, but I took a camera and went about shooting our native architecture in the same style as these crops from New York. I constructed a personal project from these first photographs, and then I shot another building and another and found myself falling in love with architectural photography. This all began a year and a half ago, but my approach has not changed much during that time. I find myself increasingly passionate about architecture, always trying to think about my next personal project and how it can shape my portfolio.

There is something about architecture, for me, which is very special. There is such history in all these buildings we photograph be it old or new. They are a sign of the times and documenting them at any stage of their lives is just as important. I find the relationship between good and bad architecture rather interesting too….personal preference obviously, but sometimes you have to question why we live in the houses we do when things could be so different if inventive and sustainable architecture was used. You could even argue if we had used better designs in our housing structure would global warming be where it is today….

How do you go about getting work and what do you find is the best solution you've found?

A year ago as I was starting out, I asked one of the Czech photographers that I was assisting if he had found any success sending unsolicited emails with links to his portfolio attached, and he dissuaded me from spending time attempting random contacts. He has found that the best way to create opportunities is to make as many personal interactions as possible with working architects.

I am working on developing these networks through a combination of both methods, using personal contacts to expose as many architects as possible to my work, and finding those that share my artistic vision and style. By finding professionals that share my aesthetic, I am focusing my approach on partnering with young architects, developing trust, and forging bonds with innovative designers that are the future of the industry.

I agree, forming relationships with architects is certainly the way to go. You really want to be in the room having the discussions than being left out in the corridor.

Where do you see the future of photography heading, not only in our genre but as a whole?

This is a great question. I think that when it comes to architectural photography the industry will not change that much, as the goal is to present in the best possible way how the building really looks. There are opportunities for innovation in real estate photography, as we see technology like virtual tours being used in place of static photography.

Technology will have a big impact in other genres such as product photography and commercials. 3D imaging will become increasingly common, as it will become cheaper to render products than to shoot them traditionally.

I hope so…I mean in regards to our genre.

What is the interior and architectural scene like in Prague, is this where do you do most of your work?

All my work so far has been in the Czech Republic, as I have been shooting architecture for less than two years. The architectural specialization is relatively small in comparison with other genres of photography overall, but more and more photographers join the field each year and this increase in participation in the scene is great for the industry.

As a photography community we love a bit of gear talk, could you tell us what equipment you have in your bag and enlighten those who aren't familiar a little bit more about your process.

From the first camera that I purchased I have used Canon products. I still shoot a lot of commercial work, and for that I have a Mark IV which is an amazing camera that will continue to meet my needs for years to come.

I want to try a mirrorless camera like the Canon R5 at some point but it is a rather expensive purchase and honestly I love the satisfaction that comes with the sound of the mirror. The lenses that I use include a 17 and 24 tilt shift, 24-70 mark II and a sigma 85mm art.

The next lens I want to buy is 50 TS. I shoot through CamRanger on my iPad, which immediately allows me to view my work on a bigger screen than just on the camera and I utilize several external lights with different types of soft boxes as needed.

Perfect sized kit! I have downsized in recent years and find myself always reaching for the 24TS and 24-70mm.

Do you feel that you're happy with the work you produce?

You know, I am always critical of my work and always strive to be better. Because I have been in the industry for such a small amount of time, I am eager to learn as much as I can from every shoot. The most important thing that I can do is to try with each project to deliver the best work that I possibly can at this stage in my career. I know that I am on the right path but I can never stop working hard and continuing to learn.

I was giving a tutorial the other day to a really good photographer who, like yourself has only been doing it for a few years. I’m slightly envious of the new breed as the online resources and courses which are out there is so much better then even, 5, 10 years ago. I think the likes of Mike Kelley, Rich Baum & Nathan Cool have really helped people gain confidence in the industry.

Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers to keep motivated and pushing yourself forward?

I know that might sound like a cliche, but my advice is to find something that you like and pursue it regardless of money. Follow your passions above all else. Even when you do not have a busy shooting schedule, find time to study or engage in a personal project or just take a camera out with you and see what works for you and what does not. Taking the time to take part in these activities will make you better prepared when the work comes.

Great advice. It is a marathon not a sprint. As artists we do it for ourselves and as long as we’re happy, keep pushing ourselves for better and keep the love for the subject, life will be so much fun.

I think we should talk a bit about copyright How do you go about educating your clients about licensing and is there anything we can be doing better, especially in the UK to inform our clients better?

This is one of the toughest parts of our industry. Oftentimes it's hard to explain to clients what licensing even is. I learned as much about copyrights from articles on Fstoppers and Apalmanac and find that it is the artist’s responsibility to inform and educate clients on what licensing is.

Understanding of licensing also depends on the market in which you work and for whom you shoot. I have learned from my experience in the commercial world that the bigger and more sophisticated the client is the more knowledge they will have, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the artist to make clear issues of licensing and ownership. The most important thing is to clear about all conditions before the shoot.

Wise words.

Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you go about creating your stylized look?

My main inspirations are movies and books. I love Wes Anderson and his one-point perspective or architecture in the classic TV series Hercule Poirot. I also recently bought a book by Ezra Stoller and find those photos breathtaking.

About the style, I think that style is something that evolves throughout your whole career and it is something that pushes you forward. I love geometry and symmetry and those are elements that I try to emphasize every time I shoot.

Everyday I have conflict with the style I want to create. I change from dark and moody, to light and bright, to saturated/unsaturated imagery etc…make your mind up already!

I also love Wes Anderson, and as my portfolio speaks volumes, one-point perspective…Do you have a favourite thing you like to shoot and why?

I shoot for the Czech online magazine Earch.cz, where there is considerable choice as to which buildings we want to shoot. I find that most of the buildings that we shoot are from brutalist era of architecture. Many of these buildings have not been reconstructed or are awaiting demolition. I find it fascinating to have the opportunity to document them in their original conditions.

Great job!

What would say the highlight of your career would be to this point?

I do not really dwell on highlights that much. I am glad that I have progressively more opportunities to shoot the amazing structures come to realization by great architects.

They spend many years making their ideas real and we have the responsibility of capturing their vision each time we photograph their work. I am grateful when Dezeen, Apalmanac or your site share my work, because it shows me that I am accomplishing the steps necessary to remain on right path to success in this industry.

Well you certainly are. You should be very proud of what you have achieved in such a short amount of time in your career so far. It is full of many highlights from where I am sitting. It took me 12 years to get my first magazine spread.

Do you have any favourite photographers that inspire you and anyone you think we should be keeping an eye out for?

In the case of world architecture, I admire Younes Bounhar, Simon Devitt, Fernando Guerra, Simone Bossi and of course Mike Kelley. He will probably never read this, but it is so great what he has done for the community and how he helps young and new photographers with his tutorials or with Apalmanac.

Don’t worry, Mike knows who your are buddy….Me on the other hand, he has no idea who I am…hahaha

One photographer that I would recommend to you is Matej Hakár from Slovakia. His work is amazing and in my opinion is one of the best in Czech - Slovakian photographers working today.

In other genres I love the work of Justin Bettman, Joey Lawrence and Adam Bartas.

Lastly, what have you learnt and taken away from the past years events?

I have learned that there is great value in taking opportunities to stop and refresh. As freelancers, it is our responsibility to see that we make holidays and free time a priority. It is easy to forget how important days off and spending time doing nothing are and how taking a moment to clear one’s mind and relax can help focus you when you return to work.

Fantastic. It has been a great pleasure having you this week. Keep up the great work and stay in touch.

To see more of Radek’s portfolio please see the following links - Website - Instagram