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A serious illness led this photographer into exploring a surreal perspective on the world – and into helping others get into photography

Petr Hricko reveals how photography changed his life

Name: Petr Hricko

Location: Czech Republic

Subject: Portraits, nature and street

Equipment: Leica Q, Canon 5D Mk IV, 5D Mk III. Lenses: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM, Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM, Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 L USM, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Website: www.petrhricko.cz

Petr Hricko sets out to use photography in a surreal and creative way to express his feelings. “I try to catch moments that are as natural as possible, even if some of them might seem unrealistic,” he says. “The most inspiring place for me to be is in nature, but I also love people-watching, where I imagine sad or funny moments within the situations taking place.”

Petr’s initial discovery of photography emerged from a dark and troubling time, after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. It was during his treatment that a friend bought him a camera, a gift that had a bigger impact on his life than either of them could have imagined. “I found that photography was a good tool to focus on something completely different,” he says. “Since then I’ve photographed on a daily basis, with either a digital or a film camera. My intention with my work is to inspire other people who might be in the same hell I used to be.”

Through the sale of prints of his work, Petr has helped other people finding themselves in a similar situation to him by supplying them with kit and teaching them photography. “It was great to see how it improved their battle with their disease.”

Petr’s work covers a variety of genres, from capturing the wonders of nature to staging amusing and ambitious selfportraits. One of his personal favourite images comes from his self-portrait series, in which he can be seen levitating behind the tree (opposite-top). “It describes how I feel in the forest and where I get my energy from when I’m there. I enjoy pushing my limits further and coming up with more complex visuals.”

Petr says he has many exciting projects lined up, including publishing a book about his trips to Iceland. “People who are following me on social media know that my favourite place to photograph is Iceland! You can see Iceland in all four seasons through my eye,” he says. He’s also working on an intriguing magazine that he claims has an interesting concept... Petr Hricko says: “I try to catch moments that as natural as possible, even if some of them might seem unrealistic.”