Putting into perspective the weight of the election, just a very quick recap of where he was coming from. He already served 4 years as PM between 1998–2002, but he could not secure a second tenure back then. It came as a huge disappointment for him and that made him reconsider his approach. After a catastrophic governing performance by the left, Orbán got back into power with a two-thirds majority in 2010. He used this privileged opportunity to strengthen his power and to secure it for the long term. Eventually, it resulted in further two-thirds victories in the following elections, though that was thanks to a very customised electoral map and system and the gradual deconstruction of a free press and never-ending communication campaigns against made-up enemies. The division in society kept growing, but eventually economic struggles were needed to make more people realise which way the country was heading.

Péter Magyar, now Prime Minister-elect and leader of the newly-formed opposition party Tisza, managed to build up a whole party and secure a landslide victory on 12 April 2026 in just two years. Once a member of the inner circles of Orbán’s Fidesz party, he was very much aware of the tactics and the weak points of the ruling party. While Orbán was focusing on international politics, trying to paint a picture of himself as a man of great international influence, he was disregarding the growing number of domestic areas that were not functioning properly in the country. Magyar, on the other hand, focused on these questions. He went to every part of Hungary to meet people, to talk to them, and addressed topics that affected everyday life, not some abstract global geopolitical questions. During the official campaign it was very common for him to visit four towns and hold town hall meetings every single day.

The contrast was very stark: someone who is working on showing photos of himself shaking hands with Trump and fighting battles in the EU, versus someone who actually goes where people live and talks to them in person. Fidesz was also trying to mitigate this, but their version was closed town hall meetings where only carefully selected supporters were allowed in, in enclosed spaces. Then they realised that this needed to change and Orbán was forced to move out of his comfort zone and do open-air rallies. That probably brought out the differences even more. The once great communicator Orbán was struggling to move beyond the very simplified narrative of their campaign, which was built purely on primary instincts — mainly fear.

What happened on 12 April 2026 is simply historical. A party that built up a corrupt system they called NER (National Cooperation System) and governed Hungary with a two-thirds majority for the last 16 years — long considered unshakable — suffered a huge defeat. Tisza won big, and participation in the election was nearly 80%, which is considered very high. They have a two-thirds majority and a legitimacy that has not been seen in Hungary since 1989–90 when communism ended.

While the near-religious supporters of Orbán don’t understand what happened and it came as a shock for them, the greater part of the country felt a huge relief. The young generation played a great role in the election results. Fidesz was simply unable to address this demographic segment and clearly did not understand how young people think and what has changed in the world. On the night of the election, as the results came in, huge euphoria erupted and big parties broke out in the capital, Budapest. Not just the young but many people flooded the streets and a great celebration started and lasted until dawn. People were screaming: “It’s over” — what was once very difficult to imagine had now just happened.

Hungary is not in an easy position. The economy is not in good shape, but there may be even more work to do to fill the trenches that have been dug over the past decades in society. While it will require a lot of time, effort and dedication, what you can feel now if you walk the streets is hope. Hope that this society has said a big “no” to what was going on and expressed very clearly that it wants change. People in Hungary want to live in a European country, as despite all interruptions this has been the country’s direction for the past one thousand years.

One year ago, it was clear that these would be unprecedented and very exciting times. Far from knowing that it would bring such a huge change, it was certain that after 16 years, this time the elections would be important and Orbán’s victory was far from guaranteed. I dreamt of documenting this time in Hungary. I especially dreamt of doing this work for an independent newspaper. It is still not easy for me to process that it actually happened. I had the chance to work for 24.hu, which is one of the leading independent news sites in Hungary. I attended Tisza party rallies in the countryside and photographed Péter Magyar speaking in small towns and bigger cities. I attended Fidesz rallies, including the Peace March they organised on 15 March. I also worked the whole day on election day and stayed up late to document the celebrations on the streets.

I feel very lucky to have been able to witness history from the front row.

Thank you for reading!

Gábor

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I consider it an important routine to revisit my work and reread my journal from time to time. I usually do a more extensive review at the end of the year. I enjoy slowing down and dedicating time to reading and reflecting on the past 12 months.

I found this practice beneficial for several reasons. First, it helps me realize how much happened in one year. While we remember the major events, we tend to forget the smaller, joyful moments. I enjoy rereading my diary and realizing how active and busy I was. I don’t mean that activity is the only or best measure of time well spent, but I am quite focused on spending my time in a conscious way.

This year was particularly busy for me. Without going into much detail, the most significant development in my life was diving into documentary photography and photojournalism. I completed a long-form feature that was published in a national newspaper this year. I also started working on other projects.

To learn more about this genre, I attended the Pictorial Collective workshop this summer and a VII Foundation workshop in Sarajevo in November.

After months of virtually knocking on the editors’ doors, I started working as an external freelance contributor to the national online and print newspaper Népszava. I received some interesting and some less interesting assignments, but I had the chance to cover street protests, which I enjoy doing. I was also accepted into the program of a leading Hungarian online news outlet, 24.hu, and will be working for them starting early next year, covering the campaign period leading up to the parliamentary elections.

As I broke into the field of documentary and photojournalism, I had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people and make new friends. It’s wonderful to share our passion for photography.

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In addition to documentary photography, I continued to explore street and creative photography. I had the chance to spend a few days with many friends in a very inspirational environment in the Tatras in Poland.

Of course, I didn’t forget my camera while traveling. I completed another Camino de Santiago this year and this will allow me to finish my 6-year long photo project on the Camino. I have big plans with this project next year. And I travelled with my friends to Latvia and Estonia which was a fascinating journey for me.

This is a brief summary of what my professional career over the past 12 months. (I mean as a photographer. I also started my coaching practice this year, but that’s a different story). It feels good to reflect on the fact that I put in the effort and while sometimes it was very difficult and I had a lot of doubts about the direction I was taking, eventually I made good progress. It is also important to take a moment to racknowledge this progress and be grateful for where I am and that I can afford to spend time doing what I love - photography.

Thank you for following and reading my blog this year. I hope it inspires you to be bold and creative!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Gabor

Some of my favourite photos from 2025

(In chronological order)

This post might be too long for emails so you will need to open it to view all the photos.

Ciao,
Gabor

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I recently returned from a photography workshop in the Tatra Mountains near Zakopane, Poland. Those four days were all about photography. It was my third time attending this workshop, where we go out every day with the mission of taking creative photos. We returned to the headquarters late in the afternoon, held an individual editing session, and discussed each other’s photos in the evening. The next day, we start over.

One thing I really enjoy about this workshop is the pressure to go out every day and find visually exciting photos, which requires me to rethink how I take pictures. It is a great opportunity to experiment and deconstruct and rebuild the way I approach framing.

This workshop is organized by the amazing photographer, Zoltán Vancsó. I highly recommend checking out his work because it is of the highest quality. I discovered his work about three years ago and immediately decided to join his next workshop.

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At that time, I had become familiar with basic compositions, and I could take decent photos. However, I soon found them boring and didn’t know how to continue my photography journey. Then, I saw his earlier works. I clearly remember sitting in front of my computer screen, mouth agape, looking at the photos. A whole new world opened up for me. I had lots of questions. “Is it allowed to do this?” Can you really do this? The compositions were so bold yet clear and deliberate. The way contrast was handled was impressive. And, of course, the use of black. The powerful impact of using large areas of black was impressive. I was fascinated.

It’s no secret that his style and way of thinking have greatly influenced my photography. I also apply what I’ve learned from him to my reportage and documentary projects. Because I believe that photos should be visually exciting and interesting.

The photos we took in this workshop are not documentary or reportage. Perhaps we could call them creative photography. They stand alone and work individually. They may tell a brief story, but they are often more about abstractions and contemplations.

I like working with harsh light and sharp, deep shadows. I tend to underexpose most of my photos quite a bit. However, I also love black-and-white photos that are rich in tones and vibrant due to high microcontrast. I really enjoyed switching between styles based on the environment. I also experimented with colors.

As I usually do with my personal projects, I used my camera with a fixed 28mm lens. I like that constraint. It forces me to be more creative and experiment more by moving around my subjects. Even the little dance of moving around to find the right angle provides a different experience and a deeper creative connection because our body is more involved. I love feeling more connected to what is happening.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed these few days, which were all about photography, creativity, and the freedom to explore.

Here, I am sharing some of the photos I took during the workshop. However, I plan to use them in a different project I’m currently working on.

Ciao,
Gabor

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My close friends and I have a nice tradition. Every year, we travel and spend a few days together. After hiking in the beautiful Dolomites last year, we took a short road trip through the Baltics this August. Since we didn't have enough time to visit all three countries, we decided to focus on Latvia and Estonia this time.

Our trip started in Riga, where we flew. I loved the city from the very beginning. It felt much closer to the Scandinavian style than I expected. The city center was beautiful, especially the parks, and I loved the many wooden houses.

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We went to Jurmala Beach, which we reached just after it had rained all day. The water's surface was so calm, and the sun's orange colors made the whole place feel eternal.

After a nice walk, we sat down for a drink and played cards. This place probably offered the most opportunities for photos. Here are a few more photos from the same beach.

The next day, we left Riga and headed towards Tartu, the second-biggest city in Estonia, where we would spend the night. Along the way, we stopped to experience more of the countryside.

The next day, we continued northeast until we reached Narva, which is on the Russian border. From there, we headed to Tallinn. I enjoyed this city as well, although the old town was too touristy for me. Luckily, I had the chance to visit Fotografiska Tallinn, an incredible photo museum. I was pleasantly surprised by the two large exhibitions on display. Both were huge, with superb prints, and the environment and lighting were very nice. It's also impressive to have these two exhibitions at the same time. One was by Bruce Gilden, and the other was by Elliott Erwitt. I was excited for both.

In conclusion, I greatly enjoyed our trip—much more than I expected. Winters are probably harsh there, but I would easily go back to spend some time in both cities.

For more pictures, visit the gallery here.

Ciao,
Gabor

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103. Hungarian Derby at Kincsem Park

Every year, if I’m in Budapest during the Derby, I make sure to be there. I love the energy and vibrant atmosphere of the biggest horse racing event of the year. It’s also a great opportunity to take some striking photos and document the day as it unfolds.

The full gallery is here.

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Passau

I took a short road trip to Passau and Heidelberg. We were visiting a family friend, but I managed to carve out a few hours to explore and take some photos along the way.

Wetzlar

Although it wasn’t planned, I had the chance to make a quick detour to Wetzlar to visit the Ernst Leitz Museum and the Leica headquarters. I was especially excited because one of my favorite photographers, Joel Meyerowitz, had work on display.

Heidelberg

I really enjoyed the city’s atmosphere — the streets were still buzzing with students preparing for exams, while tourists had already started to fill the squares and cafés. I spent a few pleasant hours wandering through the old town, taking in its charm and character.

The full gallery of the German trip is here.

Photo Workshop near Ajka

I was really looking forward to taking part in this documentary photography workshop organized by the Pictorial Collective. We stayed in a small village near Ajka called Nemeshany, and had about four days to find a story or topic to build our next long-term project around.

It was quite challenging at first — my plan A, then plan B both fell through. But, as it often happens, I stumbled upon my story by chance. So now my next photo project is officially underway.

I also made time for some street photography and worked on a few shorter-form reportages during the workshop.

Ajka street

Let it Grow - Community Garden

A glimpse into everyday life at a local garden where families grow their own vegetables using traditional Bulgarian methods: raised beds, smart irrigation, and shading. In exchange for a small share of the harvest, they cultivate their plots with care — many of them visit daily, year after year.

The full gallery is here.

35. Valley of Arts Festival

A few of us spent an afternoon in Kapolcs, the main village hosting the Valley of Arts festival. We had just a few hours to put together a short reportage, which was later published in an online newspaper. I decided to focus my work primarily on portraits.

The full gallery is here.

Flea market

I also took a short walk through the flea market near Devecser, which is one of the larger ones of its kind. While bicycles are by far the most popular items there, it was a solitary fridge that ended up catching my eye.

Stupa

Since it was close to where we were staying, we visited the stupa in Zalaszántó — one of the largest in Europe. Despite being a popular destination for tourists, the place still feels peaceful and calming. The temple next to the stupa offers an ideal setting for meditation sessions, and a few newly built houses nearby provide retreat opportunities for those seeking to escape the noise of everyday life for a few days.

So that’s it — a quick checkpoint halfway through the summer. For me, it’s important to keep photographing not only when I’m working on a bigger story or long-term project, but to keep my eyes open and stay curious — to notice and capture the images and compositions that surround me every day.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve started working on a new project, and I’ll continue exploring smaller stories in the weeks and months to come. Some exciting things are on the horizon — and of course, I’ll be sharing them here.

Enjoy your summer!

Ciao,
Gabor

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In his recent speech, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán advised the organisers of this year’s Pride march not to “waste their time and energy.” Soon after, new legislation was passed that effectively banned the event altogether. Protests followed—some large, some small—but had little tangible impact. Uncertainty remained for weeks, as NGOs and organisers received vague or contradictory responses from authorities when trying to determine if the march would be permitted.

Eventually, the city of Budapest stepped in. The capital announced it would host a municipal event outside the legal framework of the new restrictions—essentially reclaiming space for the march to go ahead.

Even a day before the event, the prime minister reiterated that the march was illegal and urged people not to attend. In a concerning development, police installed temporary surveillance systems reportedly capable of facial recognition—borrowing techniques commonly associated with Chinese state practices. Whether these recordings will be used to issue fines remains unclear.

As usual, the government sought to show strength by banning the event and continuing its campaign to polarise society through the targeting of minority communities. But this time, it massively backfired—an own goal, to borrow the prime minister’s favourite football metaphor.

On Saturday, June 28th, the largest Pride march in Budapest’s history took place. Estimates suggest between 100,000 and 250,000 participants—far exceeding expectations. For many, this was their first-ever Pride. That alone sends a powerful message. The event also drew significant international attention, with numerous journalists and photojournalists reporting from the ground.

Only a few minor counter-protests disrupted the day. A handful of people held silent demonstrations, and one far-right party blocked a smaller bridge that was originally planned as part of the march route. In the end, this may have been for the better—the larger bridge was completely filled with participants anyway. Although there were some concerns about potential clashes, the entire event remained peaceful from start to finish.

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It was an uplifting and energising day. It’s been a long time since so many people stood together so visibly, expressing solidarity and resistance against the government’s continued efforts to erode freedoms and provoke division.

You can find the full gallery here.

Photographing Pride

I documented the day using my usual reportage setup: a Lumix S5 paired with the always-reliable Sigma 24–70mm. I carried a flash, but decided not to use it. I ran into a few issues—mainly because I’d only brought a small memory card and not enough spare batteries—so in the second half of the event, I had to be more selective and deliberate with my shots. Lesson learned.

Ciao,
Gabor

Photography is my way of telling stories that matter. If this post resonated with you, subscribe for more—and help spread the word by sharing it with others who might appreciate it.

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Each year at Pentecost, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather on a vast field nestled between the Kissomlyó and Nagysomlyó hills in Transylvania to attend the open-air mass. The tradition has deep roots, dating back as far as 1444 and in 2019 Pope Francis celebrated a mass there.

This pilgrimage is significant not only for its religious meaning, but also as a cultural gathering. Csíksomlyó is located in a region still home to many Hungarians, and the event has become a powerful symbol of connection and identity.

On the first day, in the afternoon, pilgrims on horseback arrive and take over the field. The sight of hundreds of riders in traditional clothing creates a truly striking and memorable scene.

On the second day, the vast field fills up completely as pilgrims climb the hill to attend the mass—every square meter is occupied.

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Many people choose to stay the night, keeping vigil under the stars. At dawn, they greet the rising sun with songs and quiet reverence.

As with most of my documentary projects, I photographed this experience using my fixed 28mm lens, though a few images were captured on my iPhone as well.

This was my first time attending the Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage, and I thoroughly enjoyed documenting its unique and powerful atmosphere.

You can find the full gallery of the series on my website.

Ciao,
Gabor

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I recently visited a beautiful graveyard in Budapest. It is called Fiume Road National Graveyard and it is one of the oldest cemeteries in Hungary. It is one of the biggest national pantheons in Europe and the biggest outdoor statue park. It is sometimes referred to as the Père Lachaise of Budapest.

It is a special place in the sense that it is full of tombs of famous people and many statues. This project is a series of portraits of statues. While walking around the cemetery, I chose those sculptures that express strong emotions and especially pain.

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It was an interesting project for me because I rarely do still life photography, and photographing statues is pretty close to that. But at the same time they are portraits. So it ends up being an interesting mix of the two, which I would call "contemplative portraits”.

Ciao,
Gabor

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I was recently in Spain and Portugal for a long distance hike along the coast, and before my return flight I had a day and a half to explore Lisbon. Because of the hike, I travel with the bare minimum, which means no camera, just my phone.

While the lens on my phone is pretty close to the fixed lens I mainly use on my camera (26mm vs. 28mm), working with a phone is still different. But constraints and limitations are great tools for sparking creativity.

With my photos from Lisbon, I focused mainly on composition and experimented with it. Sometimes I apply a clean structure to the photo and sometimes I try to carefully add more elements to make it more exciting.

The funny thing is that at the beginning of the year I set myself a goal to improve my color photography and since then I have been super excited about black and white. I am not going to forget about color, but I want to consciously pay attention to what is happening naturally and respect and appreciate it. And now it is black and white photography.

I have selected a few of my favorite shots for this short blog post, but you can find a larger selection on my website.

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Ciao,
Gabor

Photography is my way of telling stories that matter. If this post resonated with you, subscribe for more—and help spread the word by sharing it with others who might appreciate it.

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Just a few days after one of Hungary's most important national holidays, which I documented in my last post, the government moved quickly to implement legal changes that would allow it to impose greater restrictions on the right of assembly. Their showcase is banning the Pride event, but these changes lay the groundwork for banning many other protests that might be inconvenient to those in power.

A second protest was announced and planned for the day of March 25. The original intention was to hold this event on a bridge, but this request was denied by the authorities - only to be overturned by the court a few days later when it was already too late. The goal of the protest was to gather enough people to block the roads to the bridge from where the protest was moved to.

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As usual, I will not go into detail on this topic, but it is important to provide context for my photos. I took my camera to document the event. I used a fixed 28mm lens and did not crop the photos this time. Even though there was a lot of color throughout the event due to the LGBTQ flags and smoke grenades, I decided to go black and white again and didn't regret it. I think it just allows you to focus on a deeper level of what is happening without the distraction of color.

My intention was to create a reportage and also to focus on capturing people expressing their emotions.

You can find a wider selection of the photos on my website.

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Ciao,
Gabor

Photography is my way of telling stories that matter. If this post resonated with you, subscribe for more—and help spread the word by sharing it with others who might appreciate it.

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On March 15, we Hungarians commemorate the Revolution and the following War of Independence against the Austro-Hungarian rule in 1848-1849. It is a national holiday. But for many years, the focus of the events has been on actual politics and not really on remembrance. My intention is not to go deep into this topic, but I decided to visit the official event in the center of Budapest. I wanted to document how things are in Budapest in the year 2025.

My goal was not to prepare a complete material in the style of news photography, but to focus on the people. I like to go out and take pictures at big events. People are much more relaxed with cameras around, many of them are even happy when you take a picture of them. Try the same style on a normal weekday! People are also more emotionally charged on those days, which gives you better opportunities for pictures. But with that comes responsibility. I don't want cheap photos. Cheap, I mean in the sense that it might be tempting to go for "poverty porn" or to pick people who are obviously not OK. These photos can be very powerful, but I am not comfortable with the ethics involved. I want to photograph interesting people with strong characters, but the last thing I want to do is strip them of their dignity.

So I just did what I normally do, which is to be an observer. Walking around and looking for interesting themes and subjects. Catching the vibe.

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I chose my smaller camera with a fixed 28mm for this job. I love it for street photography. It allows me to blend into the crowd and take pictures without people noticing.

So in terms of visuals, I decided to stick to wide angle (with possible cropping in mind). It was a rainy and gray day, which pretty well matches my mood these days, so I decided to go with monochrome. It would have been very obvious and straightforward to make color images where the tricolor sign we were wearing that day dominated the photo, but I wanted something different. Removing the color allowed me to focus on something else without distraction. I also chose a less contrasty black and white compared to what I work with.

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I pretty much always shoot raw, but this time I decided to go raw+jpg. And I ended up just using the jpegs with very little post processing. There are two other things I did differently than usual.

I used a much wider aperture. When I take photos on the street, I usually use f8 and sometimes with zone focus and sometimes with auto focus. This time most of the photos were taken at f2-f4. I use a fixed shutter speed of 1/500s because I usually don't want my subjects to be blurry in case they move fast or I pass by them without stopping. And to make this work, I use Auto ISO. I don't care about noise, in fact I appreciate if the higher ISO brings some grain.

The other difference was the way I composed the photos. Usually I like to look for more complicated or complex compositions. Here I decided to keep it simple. Have a strong subject that dominates the photo and let the others take care of themselves. Of course I pay attention to the surroundings, but in this case my main goal was to focus as much as possible on the main subject, rather than looking at the whole composition in the frame. I am not sure if I managed to write it clearly enough, but the main difference is that in this case my thought process was to choose a strong subject and frame and compose the picture in a way that simplifies the picture and makes the main subject stand out more. In other cases, I focus on the whole picture and less on the main subject.

In this post I have chosen mainly portraits, which is only a part of my whole series. I invite you to check out the whole series which paints a more detailed picture of the event and the atmosphere there.

Best,

Gabor

Catania was our base during our visit to Sicily. The city is vibrant and alive, even in this early winter. I really enjoyed immersing myself in the city.

For this post I have chosen some of my favourite photos, but I have a larger gallery available on my website that I recommend you to check out if you want to get more of the feel of the city. Instead of giving you a general tour of the city, I would like to share some thoughts through these photos.

One of the things that fascinates me most about Mediterranean cities is how the Catholic symbols and religious elements coexist with the modern elements of everyday life. A great example of this is the picture above, which was taken in a car garage. You have all the different car parts and tools around, but in the middle you have a printed picture of Jesus.

Another element I love about these cities is the markets. They are such a spark of energy and vibrancy. I stumbled upon this market by chance, but it had already closed and what I got to see was the process of people leaving and cleaning up. But it was really fascinating! While some people were packing up and leaving, it looked like there was a party going on in the pubs next door. People having drinks and enjoying loud electronic music. It was a very interesting atmosphere! I have a short (very amateur) video to show you a bit of the atmosphere.

As well as the vibrant atmosphere of the markets, I love looking for and spotting characters. Like this person below.

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Winter light is always a beautiful playground in the urban environment with its harsh, deep shadows. This window of opportunity doesn't last long and the shadows can move quite quickly, I find it very enjoyable to work with them.

This was one of my favourite places! It is a bar under a bridge. It has chairs, tables and of course a TV to watch football games on.

This is an "environmental portrait" of a cat in its natural habitat. This photo was taken in the neighbourhood where we were staying. Our host said that his extended family lived there, parents, brothers, cousins... It certainly felt more authentic than staying in a hotel.

I think the picture above is very Italian. The old building, the little Fiat car, the cobbled street. 🤌

The photo above was taken at the fish market. Lots of loud chatter, people coming and going, huge tuna heads on the tables... Just a great atmosphere :)

Before leaving the city for the airport, the last part we visited was the harbour. There was an eclectic mix of beautiful yachts and very old fishing boats. Harbours always feel like a world of their own to me and this was no different.

Well, that was it. This was the last of a three part series on our trip to Sicily. If you prefer clean, tidy, Swiss city style, then this is probably not the first place I would recommend. But if you enjoy an authentic Mediterranean lifestyle and vibe, then Catania and this area are definitely worth a visit.

If you are interested in the full series, you can find it on my website: https://korosgabor.hu/catania

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It is very much the same distance and time to get to Syracuse from Catania as it is to get to Taormina, which is about an hour, but this time we are heading south.

The city is famous for its fascinating Greek and Roman heritage, stunning amphitheatres and remarkable architecture. It's also the birthplace of the legendary mathematician and engineer Archimedes. With a history spanning 2,700 years, the city was once a powerful force in the ancient Mediterranean world.

It is a 15-minute walk from the train station to the entrance of the old town. Here you are greeted by the Temple of Apollo and this is where the exciting part begins.

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I first visited the local fish market before plunging into the maze of Syracuse's narrow streets.

Wandering around the old part of Mediterranean cities is one of my favourite things to do when travelling. I get so excited exploring these very narrow streets, the old buildings and especially the people who still live there. And often you can find really eclectic compositions of things just begging to be photographed.

The interesting thing about the old town of Syracuse is that it is actually a small island. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge, but this also means that it is surrounded by the sea. The sides of the island are quite different as the views are different.

And now let’s talk a bit about the photos. For this I suggest you visit my website where you can find the full series of the photos.

This time I had no specific plans other than to look for shots in the narrow streets of the city. And I did find some good subjects there, but I think this time the seaside proved to be more exciting for me. On one side of the island, the colours were attractive, the cold blue of the sea combined with the warm tones of the rusty old fence and the rocks.

On the other side of the island, it was the hard geometric shapes and deep shadows combined with the human forms of the people and the statue, while the clouds take up a lot of the frame, giving it a slightly surrealist feel.

I was excited to take the photo above. I loved the way the sun hit the leather seat of this old Italian car. But I also tried to show more of the surroundings. In particular, I wanted to include the sea, which was not easy in this setup, but it is there. And the contrast between the warm coloured object on the right and the cold blue of the sky and sea is divided by this diagonal frame of the car.

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I used this contrasting and balancing composition technique in the photo below. Here the contrast happens on two levels. First, we have the silhouette of the man against a very light background and the white swans in the dark water. Secondly, on a more complex level, these subjects of the photo are also in contrast to each other and are placed in opposite corners of the photo. And meanwhile it is nice to play with the arrangement of the subjects in the frame, this place itself was very magical with this small inner lake right next to the sea.

The centre of the old town is obviously a church, in this case the Cattedrale metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima. It is very impressive how this huge building emerges from the network of narrow streets with the large square in front of it.

And what better way to end this blog post than with a photo of cats? So here it is.

Syracuse is a great destination for a day trip, and although the weather was a little windy, it was great to explore it in December, when it is not in peak tourist season. It really shows its different face at this time of year.

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If you are interested in the full series, you can find it on my website:
https://korosgabor.hu/syracuse

These posts are not intended to be an exhaustive guide to visiting the area, and the photos have been chosen purely for their aesthetic appeal. After all, it is a very subjective photo journal.

I spent these days with family members and our base was in Catania. This will be the subject of a separate post. This was an ideal choice as it was easy to get to the neighbouring towns by train. The journey to Taormina took about 50 minutes and the best part is that you can see Mount Etna out the window for much of the journey.

Taormina has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century and its history dates back to before the ancient Greeks established the first colony in Sicily in 700 BC.

Taormina stands today on the same historic site as its ancient predecessor, on a hill that marks the final outcrop of the mountain ridge that runs along the coast from Cape Pelorus. The town is situated about 250 metres above sea level, while an imposing, steep and almost isolated rock - topped by a Norman castle - rises another 150 metres.

When we arrived at the station, we didn't notice much except the sea and the rocks on the other side. We skipped the little shuttle bus and started walking along the coast. After about 10-15 minutes we turned left onto a road that looked like the start of a village. This is where the steep climb begins. It takes you to a very nice car park for vans with a beautiful view of the sea.

And this is where the fun begins. It is a narrower and even steeper path. This is also called the Goethe path. This is a lesser known way to enter the town of Taormina, but certainly a more enjoyable one. Not surprisingly, though, we met very few other people who were in the mood to climb this way. When we reached the top, it was the perfect place to stop for a beer and enjoy the majestic view of the sea with Mount Etna in the background, before plunging into the main street of the old town.

As it was December the town was not full of tourists, but it was a weekend and the centre was busy. The main street is very touristy. Restaurants and shops line both sides. Many of the shops are luxury brands. The weather was perfect, clear skies with strong sunshine. As it was already December, the street and the shops were decorated with Christmas lights. It is still difficult for me to see this decoration together with the warm, Mediterranean weather. I come from a part of the world where it is usually cold and the sky is often grey at this time of year, and I associate Christmas with this weather. Wearing a light hoodie at this time of year is just strange to me.

And now for the photography.

Capturing the beautiful scenery with the sea on the way up was a must, and there were a few opportunities to get a bit more creative. After the climb, I concentrated mainly on the streets of the old town, in particular there was one square that seemed to be the centre of the town. There were a lot of elements here that invited me to play around. The floor pattern was checked, there was a huge Christmas tree in the middle, two churches nearby and some other Christmas decorations. This, combined with the harsh light, provided a very good playground for me and my camera. My aim was to try and find some more complex compositions.

Because it was such a great environment, I also had colour and black and white images in mind. Here are some shots from the same area in black and white.

As has been the case for most of the past year, I work with only one fixed lens, a 28mm. I feel more comfortable with the wide angle, of course, but with the 28mm it is sometimes a challenge to fill the frame. However, this limitation has greatly enhanced my creativity and I still enjoy experimenting with it.

We had a very nice late lunch while sitting outside watching the late rays of light move across the square in front of us. This is where I took this photo.

After it was getting dark, we decided to take the bus back to Catania which was also convenient.

In summary, it was a really great day trip and though the city is rather touristy, the streets offer you good opportunities for some exciting shots.

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If you are interested in the full series, you can find it on my website: https://korosgabor.hu/taormina

Just after Christmas in December I was in Vienna for a few days and I had the chance to spend a few hours on the street taking photos. A few, I mean about 2-3 hours. I wanted to do this kind of candid street photography with people in focus.

Of course I still pay a lot of attention to light and colours but in this format I am a lot more forgiving with technical imperfections. I experimented with some techniques such as alternating between AF and zone focusing and as I use a fixed 28mm wide angle, I did a bit heavier cropping in post processing. This is something that I am planning to explore more this year.

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The area that I covered during taking photos was around the Stephansplatz in front of the St. Stephan’s Cathedral and the Kärntner Straße. The sun was hitting this street directly which was great as I love working with harsh light and deep shadows.

So I walked up and down this street a couple of times and did a few circles around the square until the light conditions stayed favourable. Which didn't last too long, to be honest. But it was enough to get some nice shots.

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If you are interested in the full series, you can find it on my website: https://korosgabor.hu/vienna-xmas-street

My first visit to Madrid was over twenty years ago and I only spent a day and a half in the city. At the time, the main attraction I wanted to visit was the Santiago Bernabeau stadium, home of Real Madrid. Other than that, the city didn't make much of an impression on me.

My next visit was some 16 years later when I travelled to Spain to start my first El Camino de Santiago. Again, I didn't spend more than 2-3 days in the city, but this time I wanted to explore it on foot. Which might not be the best idea in June as it can get very hot.

But then life took a turn and I spent a lot of time in Madrid over the last two and a half years. And it took me a while to fall in love with the city. But now I feel very comfortable when I am there and I am very excited to explore the streets of the city with my camera.

Most of the buildings seem like living things to me. They have their own character and are perfectly imperfect. The streets are busy and the atmosphere is lively.

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This time I am sharing some photos I took in December. I love the winter lights there. The sun is very low and the shadows are hard and long. The face of the streets changes very quickly. You really have to keep your eyes open to catch the right moment when the light hits the streets and buildings at the right angle.

There are many ways to take photos here. You can play with shadows. You can focus on people going about their busy lives. You can play with the colours or just go for black and white and focus on the patterns of the buildings and the light that plays a cheerful game with them.

A few more shots from the street.

I like to take photos that look like still life on the street. This is quite far from what is generally called a street photograph, as there are no people in them. But I have a very simple definition of street photography. For me, anything that happens on the street is street photography.

This photo is very statuesque for me. Or like a well composed painting.

And probably my favourite one from the series.

Thank you for reading and watching.

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If you are interested in the whole series you can check it on my website: https://korosgabor.hu/winter-lights-in-madrid

Enjoy your day! :)

As I went through all my projects from the year, it made me realize how incredibly busy this year was. I traveled a lot and I was quite productive regarding photos. It made me happy to see that.

So what is coming is a short selection of the photos from most of my photo projects in 2024. Enjoy it!

1-2. Mont Saint-Michel

In February with my friends we took a trip to Northern France. One of our destination was Mont Saint-Michel. The good thing was that it was not too crowded as we experienced cold, rain and strong wind. But it greatly contributed to the magical atmosphere of this place.

3-4. D-day Project

Our main goal in France was to visit all the beaches where the Normandy Landing happened in WW2. I had been planning to create a photo series on this topic and as this year was 80th anniversary it provided a great opportunity to realize this project.

5. Normandy

During our roadtrip one memorable moment was when we stopped for lunch at a private house which also functions as a restaurant on some days of the week. It is run by an old couple and they cook home made food. There is no menu, you take it or leave it. Everyone eats at the same big table. I took this shot after we finished our lunch and the couple started having their meal. Oh, and if I remember well, there is couscous on every second Thursday!

6-10. Barcelona

Also in February, I spent a few days in Barcelona which was the first time for me. It is a great place for street photography.

11-14. May Day in Budapest

On the 1st of May I want to the big May Day event in Budapest. That was a first time that I attended this event in the Városliget and this is a paradise for street photo. Many unique characters, lots of activity and you can easily blend into the crowd.

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15-21. El Camino del Norte

In May and June I walked the El Camino del Norte from Irun to Santiago de Compostela and then to Finisterre and eventually reaching Muxia making it 1,000km. It was my fourth Camino and the landscape was just spectacular. Northern Spain is super beautiful.

22-25. Derby Day

In the summer heat the Hungarian Derby is one of my favourite events that I try to catch every year. This year was more special as there was an amateur dachshund race too!

26-30. Dolomites

The summer trip with my friends took us to Bolzano where we spent two days with hiking in the Dolomites. Truly stunning place with beautiful hiking routes.

31-33. Tabarca Island

I had the chance to spend some time in Southern Spain in Almería and close to Alicante. These photos are from a small island called Tabarca where it is very special to stay for overnight as most of the people only come for a daytrip.

34-40. Madrid

I was in Madrid a few times this year and every time I enjoyed adding to my street photo collection. It is a very inspiring city for me. I love the harsh light and deep long black shadows. I also dedicated a separate project for the famous flea market the Rastro.

41-42. Virgen de la Paloma

I also had a lot of fun taking photos in Madrid during the Virgen de la Paloma festive. Oh my God those lights!

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41-43. Portrait Projects

This year I also manage to shoot some portrait sessions outdoors and in studio as well.

44-50. Nagyvárad (Oradea)

After two years I returned to the IMAGO photo camp at the end of October. This time it was in Nagyvárad and the photo was combined with zazen that is like a match made in heaven. It is very inspiring to go out everyday and shoot with other great and talented photographers. I enjoyed it a lot.

51-56. Budapest Street

Of course I took shots of the streets of Budapest whenever I am here.

57-59. Rysy

In autumn I took a short trip to the High Tatras and hiked up to the peak of Rysy. I was super lucky with the weather and though the hike was quite challenging, the view was just simply amazing. I am truly grateful for the weather.

And pretty much that is all. Well, not really, I still have photos that I took recently but have not managed to edit yet. So those will be in next years selection.

It was a very useful exercise for me to prepare this selection as it helped me to relive all the nice memories from this year and to feel deeply grateful for all this experiences that happened in the year. Also for the challenging ones that helped me to grow.

I hope you enjoyed this selection, please subscribe if you would like to receive my blogposts that will contain some writing about photography and of course some photos!

Enjoy your day!

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The time has come

I have been considering writing down my thoughts regarding my photography journey for quite some time and with the start of 2025 I feel the motivation to make it happen.

I will use it as a blog to post my meditations on photography and to also use it as a personal photo journal for my projects. It will be a newsletter too so everyone who is interested in following me on the journey can receive all the new content in the mailbox too.

You’re warmly welcome to join me on this journey!

Feel free to subscribe, it is a free newsletter!

Gabor

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