Martin Vrabko Professional Photographer Bratislava

Main Awards, Honours and Achievements

WARREN MOTTS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE AWARD. 2015
Warren Motts International Service Award is presented to individuals who have made major contributions in promoting and developing professional photography on an international level. The award is not necessarily conferred each year, and a maximum of 25 may be given. Award is presented by PPA – Professional Photographers of America.

Leadership Award 2011 (Internacional Photography council)
As a first european photographer awarded the prestigious “The Leadership Award” in the field of portrait photography, by The International Photography Council which operates under UN auspices, in 2010.

Master QEP 2010 (Federation of European Photographers)
The Master Qualified European Photographer (MQEP) Certificate is reserved for the best QEP holders. Until 2014 only 51 Top European Photographers have received a Master degree for their supreme quality.

President of Association of Professional Photographers of Slovakia. 2009 – 2015

Cofounder and chairman of the jury of World Photographic Cup 2013 – 2016
Chairman of the jury of FEP’s European Fine Art Photograph of the Year Award in 2011.
Regular member of jury of QEP and Master QEP FEP qualification. 2009 – 2015
Lectures and exhibits his work internationally at photographic forums and congresses such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Bulgaria and Russia.
Runs a studio in commercial and portrait photography in Slovakia.

IPC Leadership Award

Master QEP Certificate

QEP Certifikates

Martin’s path

If I were to introduce my work, probably the best words to characterise it would be Light, Beauty and Emotion. Essentially, no matter what I take pictures of – whether it is a portrait, a landscape or another kind of photography – I’m constantly searching for these three attributes and consider them an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

During my photographic journey, which started around 1995, I have been through many genres such as portrait, architecture photography, advertising photography, business portrait, artistic nude and report photography. All these areas have one thing in common – they all entail working with people.

Taking pictures of people still attracts me. On my journey, I have had the opportunity to work with people on the margins of society, as well as celebrities, politicians, actors, actresses and several world famous spiritual teachers. These encounters have taught me two things. We are either all unique, or we are all ordinary. The second thing is that beauty is everywhere. Each face is beautiful; you only need to be close enough.

In the past few years, after a long era of commercial photography, alongside doing portraits, I have started to devote myself to my own personal projects, the contents of which cross the boundaries of photography, and which submerge into the depths of human souls. I have brought my experience in Feng Shui, Tantra and Shamanism (which I started to explore in 2004) into my photographic practice.

I have started to study music and its influence on human behavior. In my practice, I have proved its magical effects many times.

Since 2008, I have also devoted myself to the production of short films – commercials, music videos and documentaries.

Upon request of my audience, I have created several educational programs for both beginners as well as professional photographers. I have repeatedly given lectures in many European countries: Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia and Russia.

I actively participate in international photographic events, as a jury member of the Federation of European Photographers or of various national competitions. I collaborate on the World Photographic Cup project as well as on various smaller projects of international importance.

Martinova cesta

Ak by som mal predstaviť moju tvorbu, asi najvýstižnejšie by ju charakterizovali slová Svetlo, Krása, Emócia. A v zásade nezáleží na tom čo fotografujem. Či ide o protrét, krajinu, alebo iný druh fotografie, tieto tri atribúty neustále hľadám a považujem ich za nevyčerpateľný zdroj inšpirácie.

Na mojej fotografickej ceste ktorá začala okolo roku 1995 som prešiel mnohými žánrami ako portrét, architektúra, reklamná fotografia, biznis portrét, umelecký akt, reportáž. Jedno však tieto oblasti majú spoločné, a to je, že vždy ide o prácu s ľudmi.

Fotografovanie ľudí ma priťahuje dodnes. Na svojej ceste som mal možnosť pracovať s ľudmi na okraji spoločnosti, celebritami, politikmi, hercami, niekoľkými duchovnými učiteľmi svetového formátu. Tieto stretnutia ma naučili dve veci. A to, že buď sme všetci výnimoční, alebo všetci obyčajní. Tá druhá je, že krása je všade. Každá tvár je krásna, stačí byť dostatočne blízko.

Po dlhej ére komerčnej fotografie som sa v ostatných rokoch popri portrétovaniu začal venovať osobným projektom, ktoré presahujú svojím obsahom rámec fotografie a ponárajú sa do do hlbín ľudských duší. Do svojej fotografickej praxe som preniesol skúsenosti ktoré som nadobudol v oblastiach Feng Shui, Tantry a Šamanizmu, ktorým sa začal venovať v roku 2004.

Začal som študovať hudbu a jej vplyvy na ľudské správanie a vo svojej praxi mnoho krát overil jej magické účinky.

Od roku 2008 sa venujem aj tvorbe krátkych filmov, či už reklamných, hudobných alebo dokumentu.

Na vyžiadanie od publika som zostavil niekoľko vzdelávacích programov, tak pre začínajúcich ako aj pokročilých fotografov. Opakovane prednášam a lektorujem v mnohých krajinách Európy. Írsko, Veľká Británia, Francúzko, Taliansko, Rakúsko, Nemecko, Dánsko, Belgicko, Maďarsko, Česká republika, Slovensko, Lotyšsko a Rusko.

Aktívne sa podieľam na medzinárodnom fotografickom dianí, či už ako porotca Európskej Federácie Profesionálnych fotografov alebo rôznych národných súťaží. Spolupracujem na projekte World Photographic Cup a na rôznych menších projektoch medzinárodného významu.

Martin says about his work:

“The most important inspiration for me has always been the power and magic of light. I learned the true meaning of the word photography as literally the drawing of light. Ever since this intimate discovery I have seen and see the light. Everywhere. All 24 hours of it. I always see natures astounding and beautiful existence clothed in its infinite wardrobe of lighting.

In the beginning I could not afford professional lighting equipment so I was forced to create my own, which I still use and prefer. It changed my vision of the world around me, allowing me to perceive so many things which are normally invisible to our biological perceptions. Truths hiding just out of sight. New visions, new versions of reality which nature teases us to discover so that we can be witnesses to the infinities of perception and existence.

After what seems like an era of advertising and artistic photography, the door to Feng Shui and its magic world of ‘seeing energy’ opened for me. It here that I find myself now. Adding to the forces of light, the invisible but more encompassing forces of living energies. Energies which create and are created by light, shadow and life itself.”

Martin o svojej práci hovorí:

“Jednou z najdôležitejších inšpirácií pre mňa bola a je sila a kúzlo svetla. Pochopil som, čo doslova znamená slovo fotografia – teda svetlo-kresba. Od tohoto momentu som videl a dodnes vidím svetlo všade. 24 hodín denne. A vždy vnímam prirodzenosť existencie samotnej, zahalenej do jemných svetelných oddieňov.

Na začiatku mojej fotografickej cesty som si nemohol dovoliť profesionálnu fotografickú techniku a bol som nútený improvizovať a vytvoriť si vlastnú, ktorú často používam aj dnes. To zmenilo vnímanie sveta okolo mňa a začal som si všímať veci, ktoré bežne opomíname. Ťažšie viditeľné pravdy, nové vízie, iné verzie reality, ktoré si prirozdene žiadajú byť odhalené. Toto všetko mi umožnilo začať vnímať nekonečno našej existencie.

Po rokoch strávených v komerčnej a reklamnej fotografii sa mi otvorili dvere do magického sveta ľudskej duše, energií a Feng Shui. Tu som našiel zmysluplné uplatnenie mojej práce. Kombinácia sily svetla a neviditeľných aspektov bytia mi umožnila preniknúť často tak do jeho najvačších hĺbok ako aj do najsvetlejších miest.”