Andrássy Avenue is undoubtedly among the most beautiful roads in Budapest; as a result of which, it has deservedly become one of the most important World Heritage Sites in Hungary. But how much does today’s road resemble the original avenue and why we cannot find any church nearby? Let us shed light on the impressive story of Andrássy Avenue.
It all started in 1870, when – after long political and economic battles – the House of Representatives approved the plan of Count Gyula Andrássy, the Prime Minister at that time. The idea was neither new nor unprecedented, as the City Park and the outer areas were connected to the city centre by Király Street during this period. However, the narrow street was not able to cope with the increased traffic; furthermore, due to its design, it could not provide appropriate ventilation to the 6th district of Budapest. Thanks to its excellent orientation, the new road provided solutions for both problems at the same time, and its design strengthened Budapest’s position as a world city.
Photo: www.facebook.com/andrassy83.85/
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/AndrassyAvenue/
Eventually, the construction lasted five years, and the avenue was handed over on 20th August 1896, the year of the Millennium Celebrations.
The road was designed by dividing its length of more than 2 kilometres into three well-separable sections.
From Bajcsy-Zsilinszky road to Oktogon with 3-4 storey apartment buildings;
From Oktogon to Kodály Körönd with 1-2 storey apartment buildings;
From Kodály Körönd to Heroes’ square – single-storey villas and palaces.
The former avenue led from the crowded city centre towards the relaxing atmosphere of Budapest’s City Park. The construction took longer than had been expected; the last part was built only in 1885. That was the time when the avenue was renamed Andrássy Avenue.
Photo: www.facebook.com/budapestikepek/
As Budapest romantikája reports, despite its denomination, there was a baron who dedicated even more to Budapest’s beautiful avenue: he was Baron Podmaniczky. He was responsible for the supervision of the construction. According to the legend, when the project was suspended due to the Red-Eye Tavern, he took control to expel the Pest outlaws who obstructed him in the construction of the State Opera House.
Podmaniczky has always considered it his sacred mission to develop Pest into a cosmopolitan metropolis, and the Avenue was the jewel of this endeavour.
Rumour has it that the Baron did not plan churches next to the new road because it would have disturbed the nobles in a calm ride with their horses and carriages. However, Podmaniczky put a lot of work into convincing the top ten thousand of the benefits of the Avenue and the construction next to it.
The appearance of the top ten thousand also attracted the more impoverished strata, so the road was soon filled with life. The Baron even tried to make artists move here as well, as he offered a plot of land at a discounted price for a painter’s and a sculptor’s art colony. Since then, most of the buildings have been reconstructed; however, Budapest’s Andrássy Avenue still retains its former charm today.
The construction of the new Danube Bridge is progressing well; that has been proved with a recently published visual design.
As we reported in September, the construction of the Galvani Bridge has been on the agenda since 1980 and has reached an important stage this year; as a result of which, the planning of the tram lane passing through the bridge has started.
As Budapest Fejlesztési Központ reports, the project was well-founded as in the downtown section of the Danube we can find a bridge almost every kilometre, while in the lower section of the river, including Csepel, there is no crossing opportunity for more than 10 kilometres. The need for the bridge also comes from the ring-radius road network layout of the capital,
and the construction of the road network connected to the New Danube Bridge can create the new boulevard of Budapest.
Thanks to the new Danube Bridge and the associated road developments, a direct connection can be established between:
11th district (Újbuda),
21st district (Csepel)
the southern part of the 9th district (Külső-Ferencváros),
the northern part of 19th and 20th districts (Pesterzsébet and Wekerletelep),
the 10th district (Kőbánya) and the road leading to Budapest Airport.
In order to keep this new part of the city on a human scale, the living conditions will be given a special role in the design of the bridge and its road network.
According to Balázs Fürjes, Secretary of State responsible for the development of Budapest and the metropolitan agglomeration,
“The design of the new southern Danube bridge is progressing well.”
“The bridge eases the city centre with 55,000 cars a day. It will also have tram, bicycle and pedestrian transport, with wide spaces.”
As the Hungarian news portal Origo reports, the Secretary of State also shared a picture of the future design; as he wrote in his Twitter post: the “faithful visual plan” shows what the new Danube Bridge in Budapest will look like:
Halad az új déli Duna-híd tervezése,jól dolgozunk együtt Ferencváros,Csepel,Újbuda polgármesterével,a BKK csapatával.A híd napi 55e autóval tehermentesíti a belvárost.Lesz rajta villamos,kerékpáros és gyalogos közlekedés is,tág terekkel.Íme a tervhű látványterv,ilyen lesz: pic.twitter.com/c8YvpyBHvq
An exhibition opened at the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Beijing on Wednesday presenting photographs of the empty capitals of the Visegrad Group countries in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic.
The ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia attended the opening of the month-long exhibition.
Hungary’s ambassador, Máté Pesti, noted in his address that the epidemic had dealt a severe blow to the tourism, small businesses and the societies of the V4 countries, but art could provide “comfort in the midst of hardship and grief”.
The show relates the story of 2020 by showing the emptied streets and squares as well as details such as people wearing masks or waiting for virus tests.
The ambassador said he felt lucky to be in China, where life had returned to normal after the epidemic was suppressed and precautionary measures were eased.
Andrea Szonja Buslig, the embassy’s cultural attache and director of the cultural institute, told MTI another V4 exhibition is in the pipeline for December as part of the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes series. The institute hosted the first part of the exhibition in September and due to great interest, a second part will be held in December together with Hungary’s V4 partners.
As we wrote before, museums, libraries, cinemas, zoos and skating rinks must suspend their services in Hungary, details HERE.
More than 13,000 entries from a total of 110 countries – among the Hungarian professional and non-professional photographers, Bence Máté was awarded second place in the Nature category, while Mea Baráth and Márton Mogyorósi recieved first prizes for the People, Lifestyle and Architecture/Other categories.
The International Photography Award has been supporting and recognising outstanding talents in photography for more than a decade. During this year’s event, more than 50 Hungarian entries arrived at the world-wide contest, both in the professional and non-professional/student categories.
The jury panel, made up of established experts in the photography eld judged over 13,000 entries to internationally select the winners in each of the 13 Professional and Amateur/Student categories.
These winners will compete for the Top 2 prizes–Photographer of the Year 2020 and Discovery of the Year 2020. The international winners will be revealed at a special online event in conjunction with the Lucie Awards, details to be announced soon.
Bence Máté, world-renowned nature photographer also received an award at the prestigious competition said the following about his work:
“Photography for me is like breathing, nature is where I feel most comfortable. Each photo is the result of long planning and hard work that often lasts years. A lot of things can be planned: the perspective, background, and lights. However, I have no intention what will appear in front of me and when -I depend entirely on the weather and the whims of the animals, and every day, every minute, something new happens.”
Hungary is the perfect place to take magnificent photographs and videos. Besides Budapest, there are other marvellous places where you can take incredible shots and share them with the entire world. In this article, we would like to show you some Hungarian Instagram profiles you need to follow if you would like to see amazing photos of the country.
This Budapest-based photographer mainly takes photos of Budapest, but you can also find Lake Balaton, Szeged, and other Hungarian cities. His pictures are mostly panoramic images, landmarks, aerials, city skylines, and nature photographs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFPhO0lh1pc/
arthurmiller71
This Budapest-based photographer takes pictures of the Hungarian capital like they were paintings. From the Matthias Church or the Chain Bridge to Heroes’ Square, you can find all the major attractions of the Hungarian capital on one site.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEeCcPMnwrm/
Imre Krénn
Krénn is a city and nature photographer from Budapest who is always eager to find the perfect concept and his vision and world in one picture. He usually takes photos during sunrise or sunset and exclusively without any people on the photographs to avoid the viewers losing their attention from the magnificent Budapest sights.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD1k-amHrQq/
Bence Tövissi
Known for his night pictures and huge landscapes of Budapest, this young amateur photographer works as a professional and takes your breath away with mesmerising pictures of the Hungarian capital.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDy8qAGhrtd/
Áron Felszeghy
The young Hungarian photographer studies photography and does portraits, cityscapes, commercials, event photos, and food photos. On his profile, you will mainly get pictures of Budapest, but there are other Hungarian cities in his repertoire.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF5HZkshGhO/
Featured image: www.facebook.com/ZoltanGaborPhotography
Péter Orbán has been enchanted by the natural wonders of Balaton since his childhood, and now as a professional photographer, he enchants us with his stunning photographs, which he takes from the most unique places at the Hungarian lake.
Péter Orbán was born and raised at Balaton, more specifically in Badacsonyörs, a village right at the foot of the lake’s iconic northern mountain, Badacsony. He has worked as a professional photographer since 2015, but photography has been an important part of his life for over ten years now.
Péter’s main focus is nature photography, but he has photographed weddings, real estate, and much more. His work has been featured on various printed and online platforms from book covers to advertisement campaigns.
His photos have also appeared in prestigious magazines such as National Geographic and PhotoPlus, the world’s best-selling independent Canon EOS camera photography magazine.
Photo: Peter Orban Photography peterorban.hu facebook.com/ophotography
In an interview with Roadster magazine, Péter says that he has a very special bond with Balaton. He likes to hop on a bike or take a walk to explore some hidden places in the region, and he “often spends days browsing an online map to find a new lookout spot”, adding that searching for the right place often takes longer than taking the photo itself.
Photo: Peter Orban Photography peterorban.hu facebook.com/ophotography
To the question of whether he has a preferred place near Balaton, his answer is very simple: “everything in the region is my favourite”.
He then mentions Csobánc Hill (Csobánc-hegy) that has beautiful views over the lake and the famous monadnocks at the same time. He also likes the plateau of Fekete Hill (Fekete-hegy) with its lonely trees and many great hidden spots.
Photo: Peter Orban Photography peterorban.hu facebook.com/ophotography
Besides the Hungarian lake, Péter often photographs events, buildings, and various other objects, but as he says, Balaton is his real source of motivation, a place that enables him to travel without having to actually hit the road and that has something special to offer even on an ordinary day.
Photo: Peter Orban Photography peterorban.hu facebook.com/ophotography
He became the best young bird photographer last year already, and now he won the award for the world’s best macro photographer. Macro photography is extreme close-up photography, usually of small subjects and living organisms like insects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life-size.
According to Szeretlek Magyarorszag, the Close-up Photographer of the Year contest was organised for the second time this year, and Hungarians could win in many categories. The competition was not easy since there were many good photos in the finale. The organisers published the finale results on September 24 on the website of the event.
The absolute winner of the contest was the French Galice Hoarau with
a photo taken of an eel larva.
Interestingly, it is hard to say what exactly we see on the photos of the contest since they show small details of our world which are hard to notice in our everyday life. Here is one that is easy to identify:
https://www.facebook.com/CUPOTYawards
Tamás Koncz-Bisztricz, who is now 16 years old, won the title of Young Close-up Photographer of the Year. This is not the first time he won an international or Hungarian photo contest. In 2020, he won with a photo titled “Little Ball” (Kis gömböc) showing a Sminthuridae.
Mr Koncz-Bisztricz told Szeretlek Magyarorszag that
he started to take macro photos in December after visiting Csaba Daróczi,
a famous Hungarian nature photographer. He likes to take photos of everything in nature, so it did not take long to convince himself to continue his career in the world of macro photography. Interestingly, he took the award-winning photo in the morning of January 1 after he arrived home from the New Year’s Eve party. He noticed before that there are many tiny wonders on the field which one can only capture in the morning when the weather is still cold.
https://www.facebook.com/daroczi.photography
Mr Koncz-Bisztricz likes this segment of macro photography since it is relatively easy to take surprising but at the same time artistic photos. The Close-up Photographer of the Year is a relatively new contest started by a British couple, Tracy and Daniel Calder, last year.
The jury awarded two more Hungarians, Csaba Daróczi and Bori Papp. Interestingly, Daniel Calder invited Mr Daróczi to join the contest after he found his beautiful photos on Instagram. Finally, he got second place in the animal category with a photo taken of a spider in a swamp. He became the ‘Nature Photographer of the Year’ in 2019.
Spiders by Csaba Daróczi. https://www.facebook.com/daroczi.photography
Bence Máté and Bori Papp also took part in the finale with a pelican and a fly. Amazingly, Ms Papp is only 12 years old but has been taking photos for four years.
Zofia Rydet started to take photos in the 1940s as an autodidact, and she was so talented that today she is the most well-known Polish photographer. Because of her love, she visited Budapest many times in the 1960s and the 1970s commemorating the everydays of the Hungarian capital. You can see some of her masterpieces below.
She started a monumental project in 1978 to take a photo of every Polish home.
St Stephen’s basilica in 1967. Fortepan / Zofia Rydet
Therefore, she made more than 20 thousand photos about everyday people in their backyards or living rooms.
Hungarian photographer Rafael Schmall has been gaining international recognition since the beginning of his career. Now in one of the most famous astrological photography competitions, the Hungarian artist won the first prize in his category.
Szeretlek Magyarország reported that Schmall, an employee of the Zselici Csillagpark, won the first prize in the category of Mankind and Space at the Insight Investment Astronomy of the Year 2020 competition, one of the most famous ones in the field of astrology photography. His photography, entitled as “Technológia börtönében” (would be translated as In the prison of Technology) not only convinced the jury with its exceptional technique and concept but with its message as well.
The white lines visible on the photography are satellites, and thousands of them can be found around the atmosphere of planet Earth. Only Elon Musk plans to install another 10,000 in space. The message is that no matter how modern telescopes humankind creates, it is going to be hard and challenging to do scientific research because thousands of satellites will disturb our vision.
Photo: www.facebook.com/rafaelschmallphotography
Schmall has been awarded by NASA before and won the National Geography Hungary astrology-photographer of the year award twice earlier. Here you can admire some other works of Schmall.
The 38th Hungarian Press Photo Exhibition displaying some 350 photographs will open on Wednesday at Budapest’s Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Centre.
The images were selected by an international jury from among 6,079 photos submitted by 267 photographers, the organisers told MTI on Tuesday.
The exhibition is free to visit on the first day, on Wednesday, September 09, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The exhibition is open to visitors free of charge on Wednesday, and will run until Nov. 15.
The curator says on the official site, the press photo exhibition has been an excellent occasion for a joint recollection of memories for almost four decades.
Through the works of the photojournalists, we can recall the most important political events, joyful and sad stories, and the global and local environmental changes of increasing importance from the previous year.
We can remember the most prominent sports competitions and achievements, the most memorable cultural events. At the same time, we must also face some saddening and unresolved social issues again, or we can be just pleased to see some improvements emerging in the pictures.
The role of the 38th Press Photo Exhibition from the aspect of recalling and reminding is even greater than before. Namely, over the past months, since the outbreak of the pandemic, our lives have turned upside down, leading to a change in the meaning and significance of things. We have been introduced to new concepts, and they have become parts of our lives. The word “quarantine” is no longer just a strange, difficult expression in the title of a Rejtő novel, but it has become our everyday reality. One thing we have learned about COVID-19 is that it will change our lives for a long time to come.
The grand prize-winning photographs presented at the press photo exhibition in the Capa Center, like the works of András Hajdú D. and Bea Kovács, or Orsolya Ajpek’s photo reportage on the tragedy of the river cruiser Hableány, and even the concert and circus photographs of Balázs Mohai and Ádám Urbán – which could not even be taken in recent times – do not only recall sometimes sad, sometimes joyful, and once in a while uplifting events, but they also remind us that not so long ago we actually had a normal life.
We trust that this normal life is to return soon, and photojournalists will have other subjects to photograph than the pandemic and that they will have the opportunity to work without restrictions, presenting and preserving everything that happens with us and around us in normal times.
(Tamás Szigeti, curator)
Location:
Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center 8 Nagymező Street, 1065 Budapest, Hungary
Open to the public: 2020. 09. 09. – 2020. 11. 15. Tuesday – Friday 2pm – 7pm Weekend 11am – 7 pm Closed on Monday and on public holidays
The Hungarian government has announced its Hungary 365 photo contest for the second time, after last year’s hugely successful debut, the organisers said.
Images can be submitted by professional and private photographers in the three categories of nature and landscape, built and tangible heritage, and community life, with a deadline of Oct. 18.
Prizes in each category include cash awards of 1 million forints (EUR 2,800),
with a jury and the public voting accordingly, Otto Kaiser, the head of the jury told MTI on Monday.
The contest is being organised by the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, the Hungarian Tourism Agency, the Association of Large Families and the Hungarian Hiking Association.
The contest in 2019 drew more than 17,000 entries which can be seen at https://fotopalyazat.magyarorszag.hu/online.
Breathtaking panoramic view, picturesque attractions, romantic atmosphere… The fabulous city of Budapest is home to numerous “instafriendly” places where it is worth stopping and taking a photo if you visit the Hungarian capital. In this article, we collected some of the most important spots that will undoubtedly collect dozens of likes for you. Check them out 😉
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Photo: www.facebook.com/spiceofeurope/
Being the first bridge of Budapest that links the two sides of the city over the River Danube, Széchenyi Chain Bridge has become one of the most important symbols of the Hungarian capital.
The 380-metre-long suspension bridge provides a beautiful background, along with the two stone lions guarding the entrance of the bridge.
Furthermore, you should not miss this amazing view in the evening either when it is brightly illuminated by the luxurious Grasham Palace (Pest side) and picturesque Buda Castle (Buda side) in the background.
Fisherman’s Bastion
Photo: www.facebook.com/spiceofeurope/
Due to its unique panorama from the Neo-Romanesque lookout terraces, Fisherman’s Bastion has become one of the most significant tourist attractions in Budapest. Along with the Matthias Church, it has been part of Budapest’s World Heritage Sites since 1987, as a part of the Buda Castle District. Few may know that its stone towers – that provide a breathtaking panorama to all the visitors – symbolise the seven Hungarian conquering leaders.
Gellért Hill
Photo: www.facebook/spiceofeurope/
When visiting Gellért Hill, the panoramic view of Budapest opens up from everywhere, including the Citadel, the Rock Church, and the statue of St. Gellért.
If you would like to make an #instafriendly selfie with Budapest’s breathtaking panorama in the background, make sure you do not miss these lookout points.
Besides Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Buda Castle is another important symbol of the capital, peaking in the middle of the Castle District that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Hungarian Parliament Building
Photo: facebook.com/HungarianParliament/
With its height of 96 metres, the neo-Gothic Parliament of Budapest is the largest building of Hungary, located along the River Danube. Thanks to its spectacular architectural style, the building has become a popular tourist destination.
St. Stephen’s Basilica
Photo: Pixabay
In the heart of Budapest, you can discover the magnificent panorama of the capital from the terrace of St. Stephen’s Basilica, which surrounds the main dome at a height of 65 metres and can be reached by climbing 364 steps or by taking the lift. After reaching the top, do not miss out on taking some selfies with the shining city in the background. 😉
The exhibition Highlights, organised by the Budapest Street Photography Collective (BPSPC), aims to promote the work of 12 talented photographers who have been capturing the moments of street life in Budapest for years.
The exhibition will take place at Budapest Rooftop Cinema, the only rooftop bar on the capital’s Buda side: the venue also operates as a cinema and an exhibition space, which provides a great backdrop for the event, in addition to the music and the bar’s regular drink selection.
As Funzine reports, the opening ceremony will start at 7.30 p.m. on 15 August, with the screening of a short movie about the photographers and a slideshow of their works. In order to avoid large crowds, screenings will be repeated every 30 minutes.
The event is organised to promote the work of Budapest Street Photography Collective(BPSPC), a group of 12 talented photographers who have been photographing the streets of Budapest for years. The artists all come from different walks of life, and each of them has a unique style in photography, but they have at least one thing in common:
“they want to capture life in the streets through photographs that are taken spontaneously and with great care at the same time, to give an undistorted picture of our cities and the era we live in,”
Photo: Márton Neményi/www.facebook.com/budapestspc
says the introduction on BPSPC’s official website, where you can also check out the stunning works of all photographers. (The group will of course be present at the opening ceremony.)
Conditions in Hungary are still not favourable for street photographers; according to the BPSPC website, “one takes a risk even by using their own camera in the street”. Events like this one are therefore a great opportunity to draw the attention of the public to the local SPC community.
Photo: Bertalan Soós/www.facebook.com/budapestspc
Those interested can visit the exhibition even after the ceremony, in the opening hours of the Budapest Rooftop Cinema. For more details about the exhibition, please visit the Facebook event.
The exhibition CAPA105 by Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Centre is open until 30 September to showcase some curious details from the life of the world-famous photojournalist.
As Nullahategy reports, the container exhibition will give visitors an insight into the extraordinary life of the photojournalist, who was originally born as Endre Friedmann in Budapest.
Visitors at the opening event of CAPA105 exhibition in Budapest Park on 29 July. Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus
The opening ceremony was held on 29 July, where actor Bálint Adorjáni and musician Barna Szőke performed pieces from books written by and about Robert Capa. The installation showcasing 105 works will give visitors an insight into the lesser-known aspects of the artist’s life, like how his Hungarian roots helped and, at other times, hindered his professional career, some interesting and dangerous events he got into during WWII, or his favourite pastime activity of reading in a bathtub.
Actor Bálint Adorjáni and musician Barna Szőke performing at the opening ceremony. Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus
The CAPA105 exhibition is located at open-air venue Budapest Park and is available from 29 July through 30 September in the opening hours of the establishment. Entrance to the exhibition is free of charge.
Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus
Apart from Budapest, the artist spent many years of his life in the cities of Vienna, Prague, and Paris, and he became known for photographing some really significant events in history, such as the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the First Indochina War. Here you can read more about his extraordinary life.
The colourisation of monochrome images is usually a meticulous process that requires specialised training and expensive software; however, the latest technological advances allow people to bring history to life within a few seconds and see the world with the eyes of our great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents.
The idea of adding colour to a monochrome image dates back to the beginning of photography. Early black and white photographs and postcards were coloured by hand with varying results as the colours and shades chosen were not always true to life, 24 wrote. In the 1880s, a Swiss chemist Hans Jakob Schmid invented the photochrom process that allowed for the production of vivid colour photographs approximately 50 years before colour photography was generally available.
Keleti pályaudvar on a postcard from 1912 Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In the second half of the 20th century, these techniques were replaced by different computerised methods and automated colourisation technologies.
The photos of Budapest Colourised illustrate the magical process of bringing monochrome photographs to life with the help of artificial intelligence.
The Hungarian blogger transforms photos from the copyright-free and community-based photo archive Fortepan and posts the unique images on Instagram. We have gathered some of the best photos:
As Robert Capa claimed: “It is not enough to have talent. You also have to be Hungarian.” Numerous Hungarian photographers exerted a significant influence on modern-day photography and earned worldwide fame as the pioneers of this artistic medium. Through their unique outlooks, the names of Brassaï, Capa, Kertész, Moholy-Nagy and Munkácsi entered the history of photography.
André Kertész (born Kertész Andor)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Wolfgang H. Wögerer
André Kertész is best known for his contributions to photojournalism, employing distinctively dynamic compositions throughout his influential photo essays. According to Artmirror, he can be considered one of the most important representatives of subjective documentary photography. He was born in 1894 in Budapest to a middle-class Jewish family. As a young man, he was mainly preoccupied with literature and the theatre. His fascination for photography started in 1912 when Kertész and his brother received a camera from their mother as a shared gift.
During World War I, he took photographs of life in the trenches intending to capture people’s emotions. After a bullet wounded him, Kertész was sent to Budapest for rehabilitation. Swimming became part of his daily routine, and while sitting by the side of the pool, he observed the way the water and the sunlight refracted the swimmer’s body. This moment marks the beginning of his life-long fascination with distortions.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BV-Xfw4jJfE/
His brother Jenő played an essential role in Kertész’s life: Jenő was a “perfect collaborator” who provided insightful critiques of his work and served as a model and a muse. After the war, Kertész moved to Paris in 1925, and this move had a great impact on his career. He was soon hired for freelance work by various periodicals, and the artistic environment in Paris had a significant effect on his work. During these years, Kertész developed a distinctive visual language with his poetic photos of Paris streets.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVIxpFhDraz/
In 1936, he moved to New York to further his career as a photographer, but he could not achieve a breakthrough for many years. In 1964, John Szarkowski, the preeminent curator of photographs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, organised a show for Kertész that became a great success and was followed by exhibitions and honours. His work became popular within the marketplace for fine art photography during the 1970s, and he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1972.
Brassaï (born Gyula Halász)
Brassaï was a painter, sculptor, writer and one of the most prominent photographers of the interwar period. He had a considerable influence on both commercial and avant-garde photography. According to Patrice Petro, Brassaï was a “pioneer of documentary photography” through his rather provocative photographs of the nightlife in Paris. Born in 1899 in Brassó, he adopted the name “Brassaï” after his hometown in 1925. He studied painting and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest and Berlin and served in the Austro-Hungarian army until the end of World War I.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_j4gZpD_pn/
In 1924, Brassaï moved to Paris and became a journalist. He used photography to document his articles, but later, he became more fascinated with this medium. At night he wandered the deserted streets and captured the essence of the city nightlife. Brassaï published these photos in two separate books: Paris de Nuit (Paris by Night) and Voluptés de Paris (The Secret Paris). Today, these images are considered his career-defining masterworks and the classics of early street photography. His friend Henry Miller called him “the eye of Paris” after his insatiable curiosity and his devotion to the city. Brassaï’s oeuvre also includes images of high society and portraits of his friends and contemporaries, such as Dalí, Picasso and Matisse. In 1979, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_Ej3jpJBf/
László Moholy-Nagy (born Weisz László)
Photo by Hugo Erfurth Source: Wikimedia Commons
László Moholy-Nagy was a radically experimental individual, a painter, a sculptor, a writer, a photographer and a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was born in Bácsborsód, to a Jewish family. As a young boy, Moholy wanted to become a writer and some of his poetry was published in the Szeged newspapers while he was still in school. After he graduated in 1913, his uncle encouraged him to studied law in Budapest. Moholy’s studies were interrupted by World War I, and he enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian army in 1915. Drawing became part of his everyday life, and he produced hundreds of sketches on the backs of military-issue postcards. They were colourful, lively, and often humorous.
Moholy published short stories and literary criticism while in Budapest, and his intention of seriously turning towards art became stronger. He started to attend evening art school classes and entered his work in exhibitions. His paintings and drawings were figurative and tended towards Expressionism. In 1919, he moved to Vienna and joined the MA group of Hungarian avant-gardes. The group was led by the artist and writer, Lajos Kassák, who strongly influenced Moholy’s career.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Sailko
After spending one year in Vienna, he went to Berlin, where Dadaism and Russian Constructivism influenced Moholy’s figurative style. The earliest of his Constructivist paintings already illustrate Moholy’s life-long preoccupation with light and transparency. His earliest paintings were more static, but during the mid-1920s, his compositions became more dynamic, and he started to develop his own individual style. Moholy also produced linoleum and woodcut prints, and sculptures of wood, glass and metal. Around 1922, he began to experiment with the photogram (a photographic image made by laying objects onto photographic paper and exposing it to light) and by the middle 1920s, he developed a distinctive photogram style.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZNPOQ0lIB6/
In Berlin, Moholy met Walter Gropius through, the director of the Bauhaus, which he had founded in Weimar in 1919. Gropius can be regarded as one of his mentors, and their friendship lasted over 20 years until Moholy’s death. At the Bauhaus, Moholy continued to develop his painting and also produced camera photographs. His most famous photos are characterised by multiple exposures, strong diagonals, abstract forms, incorporation of shadows and have strong compositional resemblances to his paintings. During the 1920s and 1930s, Moholy also created a body of Dadaistic photomontages, which he called “photoplastics,” the “plastic” referring to sculpture. Besides working as a freelance designer, he set up a studio and did advertising, exhibitions, stage designs and costumes. Moholy believed that the most important aspect behind a work of art was the product, not the artist.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Between 1929 and 1936, he shot several black and white short films. From 1934, Moholy worked with a design firm in Amsterdam and produced numerous colour photographs. In 1935, he moved to London and continued to explore the potentials of colour photography. Two years later, on the recommendation of Walter Gropius and at the invitation of Walter Paepcke, Moholy moved to Chicago and became the director of the New Bauhaus design school.
Martin Munkácsi (born Munkácsi Márton)
Martin Munkácsi is one of the most well-known Hungarian photographers who revolutionised fashion photography and contributed to the birth of photojournalism with his reports and sports photos. He was born in 1896 in Kolozsvár and became a journalist and photographer, specialising in sports. By the end of the 1920s, he became one of the most sought after photo reporters in Hungary.
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In the late-1920s, he moved to Berlin, where he revolutionised fashion photography by changing the previously static composition into a dynamic one and experimenting with unique angles. Munkácsi rejected the rigid studio setting and took the models outdoors. As a photo reporter, he was able to travel half the world, from America to Egypt and from Turkey to Liberia. Fleeing from Nazism, he emigrated to New York in 1934, and he achieved great success in America as a fashion photographer.
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Robert Capa (born Friedman Endre Ernő)
Photo: www.facebook.com/MagnumPhotos
Robert Capa was a pioneer of war photography and photojournalism. He worked in Spain, Europe, China and Vietnam, risking his life numerous times to capture his iconic war images. You can read the story of the famous Hungarian photographer HERE.
The Fallen Soldier Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Robert Capa
Hungarian photographer Adrienn Vincze has been the most successful Hungarian contestant in the Moscow International Photo Awards competition this year. From among the many thousand contestants Adrienn has been selected to be given three awards.
She won a gold within the category “Editorial-Environmental”, which went for her picture series “The Story of an Elephant Surgery” that is part of her project called “Behind the bars”. Click HERE to see the project!
She also received two honorable mentions for her pictures “Elegance on a Sofa” and “Dandelion” within the category “Animals/Wildlife”. The picture “Dandelion” features a beautiful white peacock to call one’s attention to the interesting and beautiful fact that flora and fauna reflect similar natural patterns.
Adrienn Vincze Photography
Her picture “Elegance on a Sofa” is part of her series featuring pets but is not the first in the series to win her an award, as her picture “Smiley, my friend” of the same series was awarded silver in last year’s competition.
Adrienn’s pictures seem to be popular at the MIFA, which is best displayed by the fact that she was able to set a Hungarian world record in 2017, when she was granted an exceptionally high number of awards at the competition (six in total), among which there were two golds and two silvers.
This record has not been broken in Hungary ever since.
This is the third award within the space of just a few months for Adrienn’s first series of her project called “Behind the bars”. This series had already won two golds at BIFA 2019 and MIFA 2020, respectively and was granted an honorary mention at IPA, New York in category “Editorial-Environmental”.
This unique series of pictures shot at an elephant surgery shows the hardships and challenges around the topic of wildlife conservation. In the space of a little less than 4 years up until now with this success, Adrienn has collected her 29th international award which is now the most recent of a collection featuring award-winning works from a broad spectrum of categories, ranging from architecture to photo manipulation to animals to wildlife.
Her exceptional talent lies in her perspective.
She is the only Hungarian associate to work with National Geographic Washington at the international cooperation level. Her work is centered around crime against animals, animal protection and within this category there is an area called big animal protection, which she puts a special focus on. Big animal protection is widely known in the anglo-saxon part of the world and deals with issues such as exotic animal protection, zoos, parks, animal trafficking, possession of animals by private individuals and cases of misusing animals.
Her work and efforts in this field have already given her much limelight in Hungary, as she was the first to propose in her thesis to regard and research Big Animal Protection as an academic subject of its own kind. In Hungary she was the lead of a regional investment project for years, which she would support by raising awareness by way of lectures and involving international engagement.
In September of 2019 Adrienn had to change the scope of this project due to changes in circumstances and ever since then she has been acting as a visual storyteller and specialist lecturer in this field doing her best to go further with the project in future. As for the beginning of her career, she started out by taking part in rescue missions acting as coordinator.
Focusing on what is the interest of the animals, she maintains good relations as Animal Ambassador with all institutions that have a stake in the field of animal protection in Hungary.
After more than two months of curfew, we can go out again with proper safety precautions. At the end of this tense period, everyone can recharge and relax a bit, and luckily you do not have to go far for that as several wonderful places can be discovered in Hungary as well. Come along to see what they are 😉
As summer approaches, we would like to enjoy the bright sunshine even more, discover the natural treasures, and recharge ourselves with new experiences. In the current viral period, it is still advisable to avoid crowded places and visit less-populated sites.
Fortunately, our small country is full of wonderful landscapes, which are worth a visit for a shorter or longer period and can easily be reached by car.
The northern shoreland of Lake Balaton provides a breathtaking panorama for its visitors, involving six landscape protection areas within the territory of the Balaton Uplands National Park. The most important attractions of the region are:
Tihany Peninsula – the first protected landscape area of Hungary, famous for its geology as well as flora and fauna.
Tapolca Basin – described as the most beautiful landscape of Hungary according to several poets, novelists, and painters.
Szentgyörgy and Csobánc Hills – active tourists can enjoy wine cellars, hiking trails, and adventurous bike paths while enjoying the wonderful panorama of the region.
Danube Bend
Image: www.facebook.com/hotelsilvanus/
For the lovers of romance, the Danube Bend is the perfect choice.
The fairytale streets of Szentendre, the forests of Zebegény, the botanical garden of Vácrátót, and the Visegrád Trout Lakes are all amazing sights that are worth a visit.
Not to mention the village of Kisorosz that offers an experience as if we were in another country and provides several ideal picnic spots for visitors.
Lake Tisza
Photo: www.facebook.com/TISZATOKLUB/
The second largest lake of Hungary, Lake Tisza, also awaits its visitors with several exciting programs. Besides observing the perfect flora and fauna of the area, you can also be amazed by the wooden water promenade of Lake Tisza. In the vicinity, you can discover Karcag, famous for its beautiful windmill.
As Hello Videk reports, travelling by car is still one of the safest modes of transportation. For those who do not have a car, car rental can be the perfect solution. This can be realised by Europcar car rental company, where all the cars are perfectly disinfected, including all interior and exterior surfaces. If required, the chosen vehicle can be delivered to your home.
It is also highly recommended to always bring a face mask and hand sanitiser with you, no matter whether it is a shorter or longer trip.
We still have to take care of ourselves and each other, but luckily we can recharge our batteries outside the four walls. 😉
