Kamil Herák
Not just a football photographer
I am not the youngest, I spent almost three decades in the last century. I was born and spent my childhood in Česká Kamenice, small town in northern Bohemia. However I have been living in Prague since the high school studies and I love this city. I have an economic university degree and I worked for international banks for more than 15 years. I am a freelance photographer at this time, I externally work for Sport newspaper and for CAAF. I have been happily married for more than 20 years. I have two daughters and my animal friends, Ernie the Golden Retriever and Charlie the cat, who always give me great pleasure. I love traveling, cooking, good food and beer. And football of course!
From Africa to NFL
I sometimes call myself a traveling photographer. I do not want to join in the common overuse of words as a traveler or expedition, so I do not use them. I like to travel and I travel a lot, but I do not consider myself as a traveler and I was probably only once on a real expedition. Sometimes I just call them my travels and other times I call them my photo travels. I have visited countries such as Uganda, Malaysia, Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, India and many others and sometimes I take pictures. I have photographed mostly animals and people and in recent years also American football. I started shooting football more or less by accident after I fell in love with the game during my first visit to the USA in 2011. Other trips followed, and in 2016 I was the first Czech photographer to receive a credential and could officially photograph the NFL in Minneapolis. Since then, I have worn the NFL vest in Oakland, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and four times in New Orleans.
Shooting, printing and speaking
My football photos have not only been printed by Deník Sport, Lidové noviny, FotoVideo magazine, Nedělní Sport, Pražský deník and Svět sportu magazine, but they have also appeared on websites like iSport and iDNES. And last but not least they have been used on the website and Facebook page of the Czech Association of American Football, who supports my fotball trips. Czech Television, Television Seznam, Czech Radio Radiozurnal and Czech Radio Plus reported on my NFL photography. Three pictures from the NFL and NCAA matches were chosen by the Sport Photography of the Year jury to accompany the winning pictures on the exhibition at the Old Town Hall in Prague. I am a member of the Club of Sports Journalists and AIPS.
My actual equipment is Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and I usually use it with M.Zuiko ED 300 mm f/4 IS PRO, M.Zuiko ED 40-150 mm f/2,8 PRO and M.Zuiko ED 12-40 mm f/2,8 PRO lenses.
