Hello stranger,

You’re at Jan’s Bielak internet photo gallery.

Because it’s my page I suppose I should write something about myself.

I’m an amateur, a hobbyist but let’s start from the beginning, from the reason, from the person who brought me to photography world – my father. My first memory about photography caused my interest in it. The memory about day of my first communion when my dad took out his old camera (I think it was one of the Zenit’s) and shoot photos at the ceremony. I remember how he every few minutes measured light with an old Sverdlovsk 4 and how he walked silently around the church to have the best shots. Few days later we (my, my mother, father and my older brother) sat together and browse the photos freshly got from the photo lab.

So called me being a photographer began with a competition at my gymnasium – it was o local KONKURS about neighbourhood in which I live at my home city – in which I participated because my father convinced me to do so. My dad walked through whole neighbourhood with me and advised me about technique aspects of photography, sometimes we walked very late at night and sometimes before sun rise. I didn’t have my own camera so my brother borrowed me his “idiot-camera” – that way I call all simple basic cameras for average users – Canon A??? After few days I picked up the best ones, corrected them a bit on a PC ( I never correct much, can say that my photos are in 95% natural), I send them to print and next day took them to school. About a month later results were known – I won.  I was extremely surprised and my parents were very proud, especially my dad.

In summer between gymnasium and high school I bought (with a little help of my parents) myself a proper camera – Panasonic DMC-Fz30 (sold it recently). I took a lot of great photos with it throughout 3 years of my high school – during which I was the school photographer. During second year I persuaded principle to buy a proper camera for school – I chose which one, arranged everything and there it was – Canon 400D with 2 lenses 28-135mm and 50mm f1.8. Using this DSLR I understood that I want and I need a DSLR for my own. About 3 months when I didn’t still have enough money I read hundreds sites, booklets, magazines etc. about which camera to chose. Because of my like of macro photography and of not typical shots I have chosen a model with tilt monitor and LiveView – Nikon D5000 with kit lens 18-105mm.

At present I still photograph mostly flowers and try macro shots.