Vítek has been interested in nature and protecting it since he was a child. For the last 20 years he has been doing it professionally. After living in Chile for 10 years, the Czech-native returned from Latin America to become curator of primates at the Prague Zoo and work at his nation's National Museum.
His photos are frequently published in magazines and digital media, and he has been winning attention and awards for years, including the accoladed of WildArt Photographer of the Year in 2021. Hi macro photography work captures animals in the natural environments, documenting details that are often not visible to the naked eye. As a result, his a frequent contributor and lecturer internationally.
"Photography is a tool for documenting nature and protecting it. I've always loved observing and documenting beetles and other bugs in a different way than just dissecting them and storing them in a depository, and photography seemed like the natural solution. In 1997 I purchased a Nikon F60, and have been happy/loyal to the brand and photography ever since." Vítek says.
In recent years, I have been trying to move my photographs from a purely documentary level to a more artistic level, in order to attract people who would not even look at an "ugly" spider or snake. I am increasingly trying to support organizations dedicated to conservation and wildlife protection, and I often focus for work around specific areas or species that need attention. Examples include Proboscis monkeys and sea turtles in Borneo, the Rainforest Alliance or WWF and their lowland gorilla habituation program.
I often work with aquatic animals - invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. In recent years, I have tried various underwater equipment that would allow me to take both macro and wideangle photography.
At the same time, I need equipment that works well both underwater and half in water and half above water. Cheap cases were not comfortable to handle and the optical quality did not suit me either. Solid cases are very expensive and their use is limited by the camera and lens model.
I came across equipment from Outext that suits me with both optical quality and handling. It is also very important for me that I am able to replace the macro equipment with a wide-angle glass on another body within a few minutes. And always using the same case. I am excited about Outex and I believe that I will take very interesting pictures with it, which will be used in conservation of endangered species.
Mg.Cs. Vít Lukáš, DiS.ZoologistConservation photographyVice-chair - EAZA Terrestrial Invertebrate TAGPrague, Czech RepublicTel.: +420601374292
