Blog about Black and White photography, Fine Art photography

April 2, 2016April 2, 2016 by Matej Michalik

Which hotel to choose in Stone Town, Matemwe or Nungwi in Zanzibar?

In Stone Town, I recommend Tembo House Hotel. It is a three-star hotel and it offers a very good standard. It’s advantage is central location and it is directly by the sea, so you can enjoy your breakfast with your feet sinking in the sand. There’s also nice staff, really in this hotel you will feel like at home.

In Pwani Mchangani I can recommend Ocean Paradise Beach Resort and Spa. I had a half board, it was really good choice and the quality of food was very nice. The hotel garden is beautifully maintained. They have private part of the beach with sunbeds where the Beach Boys do not have access. The beautiful white sand beach further enhance your experience. It´s truly a paradise.

Ocean Paradise Hotel, Pwani Mchangani, Zanzibar

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April 2, 2016 by Matej Michalik

Exchange rates and prices in Zanzibar

Exchange and payment in Zanzibar

The first option where you can exchange money for the Tanzanian shilling is at the airport. As in other countries, even in Zanzibar, it is not convenient to change money at the airport. The exchange rates at the exchange offices can be negotiable but you will never get close to the rates that are in Stone Town.

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April 2, 2016April 2, 2016 by Matej Michalik

13 things you should know visiting Zanzibar

Like each country, Zanzibar has some of its customs, rules or principles that a tourist should know during their stay. After my 14th day trip to Zanzibar, I decided to put together a few things that you should read before you arrive in Zanzibar. This will avoid unnecessary inconvenience.

1. Money

Local currency in Zanzibar is the Tanzanian Shilling (TSH). US dollars are generally acceptable in Zanzibar. It is best to exchange your dollars for shillings in Stone Town right at the very beginning of your stay, where you get the best rate. Also, in most hotels it is possible to pay with a credit card such as Visa or Mastercard. Money is also possible to withdraw from the ATMs, which can be found in Stone Town, I also found one in Nungwi. You can find more information about paying and prices in Zanzibar here.

2. Time

The local time in Zanzibar is GMT + 3.

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April 2, 2016April 2, 2016 by Matej Michalik

B&W photos of local people on Zanzibar’s beaches

Beaches around Zanzibar are public, any of the hotels have their own private beach. Hotel managers therefore do not have much control about what is going on at the beach. But don´t worry about your safety. Local people are here trying to earn some money on tourism, nothing more. Though overall, it is recommended that you should not go far at night along the beach and carry valuables.

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February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 by Matej Michalik

The magical Icelandic lighthouse at Dyrhólaey

This Icelandic lighthouse is located near the spot where I took pictures of beautiful beach with black lava sand with huge stone. We were staying in Vik. As it turned out, it was a good starting point because close the Vík you will find lava columns Reynisdrangar, this amazing lighthouse and endless beaches along the coast. If you would like, right at the lighthouse you can even book accommodation. The Lighthouse hotel accommodates five guests with two double bedrooms and one single.

The light station at Dyrhólaey was Established in 1910. The first lighthouse was a steel skeletal tower, prefabricated in Sweden, and the present lighthouse was built in 1927. I’ve done a couple of photos of the lighthouse, I hope you will like them.

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February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 by Matej Michalik

Giant rock on the black sand beach in Iceland

Dyrholaey is a nature reserve in the south of Iceland. In the local reefs there are a number of birds nests. You can see them as they are floating over the sea and catch fish. The coastline is covered in beautiful beaches with black lava sand. A short walk away on a grassy headland is this magnificent lighthouse.

The giant rock on the beach – impressive composition

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February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 by Matej Michalik

The abandoned airplane wreckage in Iceland

When I saw the abandoned wreckage of this aircraft, it caught my attention so much that I immediately looked for the location of this place. A lot of the most famous places in Iceland are located right next to a famous ring road. But this place is a little out of the way.

Planning your trip in advance is very important. It is easy to find this place, the wreckage is located about 10 km from the town of Vik. Also, you will not even need a 4×4 car. Check this useful guide from Matthew Karsten.

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February 1, 2016March 6, 2016 by Matej Michalik

Skógarfoss; one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland

After we arrived in Iceland and rented a car at Keflavik airport (read more about car rentals in Iceland), the first night we stayed at one hotel that is directly located in Keflavik. It was midnight so that was the best option for us.

In the morning we went directly to Skógarfoss, this waterfall was our first stop towards Vík. There is one more waterfall on the way, called Seljalandsfoss but we decided to see it in the afternoon. Why? I will write about this in an upcoming article.

First impression

We parked in a parking lot and immediately we heard the amazing and powerful sounds of the waterfall. I’ve seen it already many times on the Internet, it is one of the most visited places in Iceland. However to see the power of falling water from 60 meters with my own eyes is something breathtaking and surreal. The view is very moving.

The measurements of the Skógarfoss Waterfall

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January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 by Matej Michalik

Exhibition of my photos gets underway in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

After my last successful exhibition of Black and White photographs in Moscow, which was held in August 2015, the pictures moved to Nizhny Novgorod. The exhibition takes place in Russian Museum of Photography. The exhibition opened the director of the museum – Viera Tarasova with Alla Nuzdina from the Slovak Institute in Moscow. You can find an artictle about the exhibition in the Slovak language on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

The exhibition will continue until January 31st, 2016.

Address:

Русский музей фотографии

603005 г.Нижний Новгород, ул.Пискунова, 9а

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November 13, 2015 by Matej Michalik

My Long Exposure Photography workshop at Foto Slovakia 2015

Today, the biggest photographic event in Slovakia – PHOTO SLOVAKIA 2015 was held. Besides the exhibition of the photographic equipment, the visitors had the opportunity to attend many workshops and talk to the famous Slovak photographers during their lectures and further discussions.

I was invited to lecture about Long Exposure Photography – taking pictures with strong ND filters. We talked which filters and other photography gear I use, we learned how to calculate the exposure time and we also looked at the postprocess and how to convert photos to black and white.

I would like to thank all the participants for attending, if you have any questions, I’m here for you.

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