I have been involved in photography since studying high school in non-photography school. For the first few years, it seemed like a hobby, similar to both grandparents, but at the time of graduation, when I had been published in print for two years now, the choice was clear. At that time, the possibilities of studying at universities were very limited, and thanks to the fact that I dealt with utility photography, I took on the position of newspaper photographer, but the occasional collaboration with ČTK enjoyed me much more.

In 1997 I started to focus on illustration stock photography, which I do to this day, and what I enjoy most is that one day I am a photographer traveler, the next day a food photographer and the third a fashion photographer. Since 2001, my wife Kateřina and I have regularly taken stock photos, which you can find in many world agencies: Getty Images, AGE fotostock, Shutterstock, Adobe stock, Alamy and many others. I focused a small part of my work on custom photography from weddings to advertising photography. Important customers included, for example, Czech Railways, JLV, Norwegian HYDRO, Norwegian City Self-Storage, bus manufacturer SOR, calendars for REDA, PRESCO group, BALOUŠEK tisk and others.

In 2014, we established our own winery and in the years 2015 - 2018, at the time of the largest construction of the winery, there is not much time left for photography. Thanks to one substantial order, the beginning of 2019 is the beginning of a time when most of the winery feeds me and I can choose a photographic work that is not just about earnings, but must be fun. At the same time, a milestone is coming in the form of the transition to the Canon R mirrorless camera. After only a few months, it is clear that it was the best choice. This is followed by a gradual replacement of the lenses with amazing Rk glasses, which was completed at the end of 2020 with a Canon RF 100-500 lens and a Canon RF 85 macro lens.

The year 2019 marks the first steps behind the camera, which after a year I am beginning to capitalize on a long - term documentary project withMoravinZaVin for the oldest winemakers' organization in the Czech Republic, founded in 1964.

Practically since 1999 I have been engaged in graphic design, web design, calendars, flyers and the like. Most often as orders from A - Z, from photography to the final product. I left the creation of the www for a while, but since 2015, with the arrival of the wix system, I am again and glad to dedicate myself to the complete creation of the www pages.

Richard Šemík l +420 603248313 l ric (a) devino.cz