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 by Milan Hutera

Banska Stiavnica Afternoon Visit

In late August 2016 I briefly visited the old mining town of Banska Stiavnica in the heart of Slovakia. Its rich history is closely associated with mining operations and because of its historical importance, it was proclaimed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. I can’t believe it was eight years since my last visit. The weather wasn’t particularly nice for photography, but I managed to snap a few photos I’m happy with. Hopefully my next visit will be much longer and it won’t take me another eight years to make it happen.

The old mining town of Banska Stiavnica is one of the most important landmarks of Slovakia and it is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The mines around town were rich in silver ore and other precious metals. The town was also a home to first mining college in Europe and the first ever Technical School in the world - established in 1763. This photo depicts a late August afternoon overlooking the rooftops of the historic center of Banska Stiavnica. The metal and wooden rooftops are a necessity due to large snowfall in winter months. The hilltop Calvary, which is perhaps the town's most famous landmark, is visible in the distance.
The old mining town of Banska Stiavnica is one of the most important landmarks of Slovakia and it is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The mines around town were rich in silver ore and other precious metals. The town was also a home to first mining college in Europe and the first ever Technical School in the world - established in 1763. This photo depicts a late August afternoon overlooking the rooftops of the historic center of Banska Stiavnica. The metal and wooden rooftops are a necessity due to large snowfall in winter months. The hilltop Calvary, which is perhaps the town's most famous landmark, is visible in the distance.
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 by Milan Hutera

Equestrian Festival Samorin 2016

At the end of July, I visited the beautiful equestrian facility in Samorin. X-Bionic Sphere hosted a four day Equestrian Festival Samorin 2016 and like last year’s Summer Masters 2015, it was a joy to shoot. Althought last year’s event was better organized and with better line-up, I still managed to get some nice photos. The highlight was, once again, a night-session, which attracted hudreds of visitors.

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Rotenstein 2016
 by Milan Hutera

Rotenstein 2016

At the end of May 2016, I visited the medieval festival called Rotenstein. The festival is held in a beautifully preserved medieval keep in Small Carpathians called Červený kameň, or Rotenstein in German. Visitors could enjoy lots of shows, including short plays inspired by medieval tales, workshops, falconry shows and jousting tournaments. This was my second visit of the festival and although the program was nice, I think it wasn’t as smooth and well organized compared to last year.

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 by Milan Hutera

Empire Slovak Open 2016

In mid-May 2016, I shot the semifinals and finals of ITF Empire Slovak Open, the largest women’s tennis tournament in Slovakia. This ITF tourmanet with the prize money of 100 000 Dollars serves as the International women’s championship of Slovakia. Katerina Siniakova won the singles, defeating Anastasia Sevastova in a three set battle. In doubles, the talented Slovak junior Tereza Mihalikova claimed the title with her team-mate Anna Kalinskaya. They defeated the higher-ranked duo Anastasia Sevastova and Evgenyia Rodina in two sets.

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 by Milan Hutera

Florence 2016

In April 2016, I visited Florence for the first time along with some of my friends. The goal was to get to know the city, that is often labeled as the birthplace of Renaissance. Since it was my first visit, I concentrated on the most famous landmarks, such as Santa Maria del Fiore, Basilica di Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti and its gardens and more. Despite many beautiful buildings, I found Florence to be a little less “visually rich” compared to Venice. Hopefully I’ll be able to return soon to explore less known places away from the main tourist paths.

A morning view of the Florence old town, dominated by Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral.
First light on Piazza del Duomo with its jewel Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy. The incredible size of the cathedral, the closeness of the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the overall smallness of Piazza del Duomo made the shooting incredibly challenging.
Beautiful details of Florence's cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore main entrance at Dawn.
A play of light and shadow inside Giotto Campanile, the belltower of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy
The arcade at Basilica di Santa Croce during a rainy April Mid-Day.
The famous dome of Santa Maria del Fiore from the gardens of Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy
Dawn light at Neptune Fountain on Piazza della Signoria, Florence Italy. Neptune Fountain was designed and sculptured by Bartolomeo Ammannati and his collaborators between 1563 and 1575.
A cold spring evening view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo
A cold spring evening view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo
Many beautiful vaults, frescoes and stained glass windows can be found inside Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence, Italy
A black and white rendition of a night view from Piazzale Michelangelo, overlooking Florence.
One of many lion reliefs on the facade of Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy
Perseus with the head of Medusa - a bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, located in Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria, Florence
The Rape of the Sabine Women is a sculpture by Italo-Flemish sulptor Giambologna. It is carved from a single piece of marble and was in the works from 1574 to 1582. The word "Rape" was commonly used to describe abductions at the time. The sculpture is on display at Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazzale della Signoria, Florence.
A cloudless April dawn on Piazza della Signoria, the central square of Florence, Italy.
One of the Saints on the stained glass window displayed at Museo di Santa Croce, Florence, Italy.
The famous brick dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, designed by Filippo Bruneleschi. The dome consists of 4 million bricks and it is considered to be the masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.
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Hans Zimmer Live in Bratislava
 by Milan Hutera

Hans Zimmer Live in Bratislava

On May 5th, I had the opportunity to photograph Hans Zimmer, world renowned Oscar winning movie sountrack composer, during his live performance in Bratislava. His body of work includes the music to films like The Lion King, for which he won an Oscar, Gladiator, Thin Red Line, Crimson Tide, The Da Vinci Code, The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar and Inception. The show itself was outstanding. Hans communicated with the audience a lot, explaining what pieces he and his large band/choir/orchestra would perform next. Unfortunately, we accredited photographers, were only allowed to photograph the first song. It’s a shame, because there were many beautiful moments during the concert, that would look excellent on photographs. Nevertheless, the show was amazing and I’m glad I had a chance to see it.

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 by Milan Hutera

Fed Cup – Slovakia:Canada

In April 2016, Slovakia played the Fed Cup World Group 2 Play off against Canada. The winner retained the position in World Group 2, while the loser was relegated into regional competition. After losing to Australia in February, Slovakia managed to win this tie 3:2. Dominika Cibulkova was the driving force this time, winning both her singles rubbers against Francoise Abanda and Aleksandra Wozniak. Our team also had a new member. Tereza Mihalikova, who won Junior Australian Open 2015 and was a finalist of Junior Australian Open 2016 made her debut in the doubles match. She and Jana Cepelova almost won their match against Canadian duo Sharon Fichman and Charlotte Robillard-Millette. The Canadians were more lucky in the third set super tie-break.

Aleksandra Wozniak of Team Canada argues with the line judge during 2016 Fed Cup World Group 2 Play Off Tie against Team Slovakia.
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 by Milan Hutera

IBU Cup Biathlon 2015/2016 – Osrblie

The 7th edition of IBU Biathlon Cup 2015/2016 took place during the second weekend of February 2016 in Osrblie, Slovakia. The toughest individual races were held on Saturday, February 13th (Four shootings, penalty minutes instead of penalty loops, 20 kilometers for men and 15 kilometers for women). Matvey Eliseev of Russia won the men’s race and Marine Bolliet of France claimed the victory in women’s race. World Cup star Tiril Eckhoff of Norway also made an appearance in the heart of Slovakia. Her superfast skis and four penalty minutes were good enough for fifth place.

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 by Milan Hutera

Fed Cup – Slovakia:Australia

In February 2016, Slovak Fed Cup team played the first round of Fed Cup World Group 2. against team Australia. The Aussies led former US Open Champion Samantha Stosur proved to be too tough for us. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova defeated Arina Rodionova and Dominika Cibulkova won her match against Kimberly Birrell. On the other hand, Samantha Stosur defeated both Jana Cepelova on Saturday and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on Sunday. She then added the deciding point in with Casey Dellacqua, defeating Daniela Hantuchova and Jana Cepelova in three sets.

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 by Milan Hutera

Titanic: First Voyage, Real Artifacts, Real Fates Exhibition

In January 2016, I visited and photographed the exhibition dedicated to Titanic’s first and only voyage, held in Bratislava, Slovakia. In this exhibition, visitors can see the real Titanic artifacts salvaged from the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps a bit low-key compared to other large scale exhibitions the Titanic exhibition is well worth visiting for those interested in naval history.

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