The Saint’s Touch, Prague, Czech Republic is a composition that captures a forced perspective between two of the city’s most significant historic monuments. Shot just after sunrise in late May, the distant complex of Prague Castle and the spires of St. Vitus Cathedral are bathed in a crisp, warm light.
In the foreground, the image features the baroque stone statue of St. John the Baptist, sculpted by Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokoff in 1706, standing on the gothic wall of Charles Bridge. While this location is typically packed with crowds, photographing at this early hour allowed me to capture the bridge in a rare state of tranquility. Only a few early-rising tourists, eagerly awaiting the sunrise, wander the bridge. It’s not that difficult to get a composition with no people at all.
The defining element of this composition, which inspired the title “The Saint’s Touch”, is the precise optical illusion created by the camera’s position. From this exact angle, the outstretched index finger of the saint appears to perfectly touch the very tip of the cathedral’s main spire in the background. This intentional alignment bridges a physical distance of several hundred meters, transforming a grand architectural vista into a personal, poetic narrative about perspective.
Copyright Milan Hutera, 2026. All Rights Reserved.
