TITLE: After Dark

I am a night animal. I have always found it fascinating how the darkness can transform even the most familiar things into something different. Walking through familiar parts of the town brings intense feelings of freedom and peace and at the same time, the need to focus harder on every small detail, hardly audible sound, intuition talking to me.

What is my town like? It is small, nevertheless, its population of around 14,000 inhabitants rates it among ‘larger’ towns of the Karlovy Vary Region, that is the smallest, coldest and poorest of all regions of the Czech Republic. My town is situated on the foothills of the Ore Mountains and is surrounded by coal and clay mines. Indeed, it is not a fancy tourist destination by any means.

Blocks. Parking lots. Blocks. Their ubiquitous presence may make one easily forget that the town originated in the 12th century. Only a few historical buildings left, not to speak about the displacement of the original German population after WW2. That is my town in a nutshell.

I am a night animal, I like the vibes coming after sunset. Dimly lit by the street lights, the routes I know by heart, seemingly boring, unworthy of attention, become mysterious thanks to the darkness. Almost no one in the streets. I feel like walking through a ghost town.

I may be caught in a vortex of thoughts and feelings, but despite that, I remain calm. I savour the magic moments that stop time, breathing the cold air that turns lungs into metal. Anywhere I go, my camera goes, ready to capture the strange, mysterious atmosphere of the small, mining town after dark. Join me on my exploration, meet me among blocks. I will show what you would fail to notice in broad daylight.

AUTHOR: Jitka Ertelová (Czech Republic)

Iam a 35-year-old single mother who lives in Chodov, a small town in the Karlovy Vary Region, Czech Republic. In 2016, I graduated with a master´s degree in English and American literature from the Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. Following my graduation, I began to work at a law firm.

My passion for photography began after undergoing the final eye surgery in 2007. I am still lazy-eyed, and have astigmatism and high myopia, but thanks to the procedures, I wake up without the urge to find glasses, put it on so to be capable of seeing the world around me. Years later, I still recall observing objects, nature, people, and everything I could, for a long time, feeling as if a brand new world opened for me to explore. The need to capture my new reality made me buy my first camera, spending more time paying attention to the smallest details, the way light changes spaces and the vibes of objects perceived. I changed the camera, but my enthusiasm and approach remained the same. I do not look for beauty to capture. I do not crave to be among crowds in fancy destinations. Exploring inner peripheries, elevating ordinary objects to things worthy of attention, conveying emotions I feel when I am behind the camera, ready to capture my new world – that is my goal.

I do my best to keep my creativity and passion alive despite my busy schedule, balancing the part-time work with taking care of my 4-year-old son.