#90 The Day I Met a Deer, And Nearly Lost My Mind

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90 Sunrise Over The Hills

It happened in New Zealand.  

Fog rolling over the hills. Golden light sneaking through like smoke. It was one of those mornings I’d dreamt about for years.  

I jumped out of the van, grabbed my camera, and ran toward the ridge. There I saw a deer poking his head through the most beautiful light I’d ever seen.  

I stood there, heart racing, ready to take the shot…  

I switched on the camera and almost had a heart attack.  

The worst nightmare… one that’s happened more times than I’d like to admit. I realized my SD card was still plugged into my laptop.  

Cursing myself.  

Then the grass under my boots started glowing as the sun made its way through the fog. Tiny drops of dew catching the light.  

I wanted to cry. 

A deer above the fog, in the most amazing landscape, with perfect light and my fucking card sitting in my laptop, on the table.  

I wanted to kill myself.  

Nothing I could do other than rush back to the van and grab the card… so I did.  

By the time I got back, the deer had enough time to smoke a whole cigar… gone 100 times over and when it comes to that beautiful light I saw? 

Don’t even get me started…

Pissed to the core! 

I then took some shots that day but it wasn’t the same.

Anyway… 

I’m sharing this with you because I don’t want you to make the same mistake. 

Simply, check your camera before you go. Or carry extra SD cards in your pocket at all times. You never know when you’ll make such a detrimental mistake.  

It’s worse than being a smoker on a hike and forgetting your lighter.  

Fuck, that happened to me too.  

Luckily, I don’t smoke anymore.  

Anyway…  

Here ends the lesson.  

#89 Train At Sunset In Sittard

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89 Train Sittard-Geleen

On the way home I stopped by the bridge that goes over the rails in Sittard… and waited for the train to enter the scene. I took few shots and this one stood out.

#88 Sittard Hospital

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88 Sittard Hospital

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with shooting vertical panoramas… stacking 5 or 6 shots and stitching them together in Lightroom.

Why?

Because it gives you massive, high-detail images that look incredible in print.

You don’t need crazy high megapixel camera. Just a steady hand and a bit of overlap between shots. 

Lightroom does the rest.

Some of the final images turn out huge… the kind you could hang on a wall and still see every bit of detail up close. 

I’ve got a 19mm Sigma lens that is perfect for vertical shots…

Anyway… 

If you’re curious, I’ve got a few of those prints ready:

👉 https://liborbednarik.pixieset.com/sittardphoto/

That’s my Pixieset page. it’s where I host most of my photos.

They handle everything… prints, shipping, quality checks — so when you order, you’re getting something that’s ready to hang straight out of the box.

Solid, high-quality prints delivered to your door.

If you’ve ever wanted one of my shots on your wall, then check the link.

https://liborbednarik.pixieset.com/sittardphoto

#87 Sunrise in Limbricht

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87 Sunrise in Limbricht

When there is fog rolling across the fields and the sun starts to punch through it, that’s your window.

That’s when you already outside with your camera shooting this photos like madman. 

Because that kind of light doesn’t wait. You’ve got maybe 10-15 minutes before the best moment is gone. 

It’s in that time when ordinary turns beautiful. And you’ll end up with shots that look like movie stills without even trying.

And if you know your way around Lightroom, a few small tweaks… like lifting shadows, warming tones, and softening contrast… can turn a dull photo into something jaw-dropping.

And that’s exactly why I’m building this fog preset pack.

These presets are made for moments like this…

They bring back depth, tone, and atmosphere instantly.

You’ll spend less time editing, more time shooting.

But that’s something for later…

#86 Field At Night Kollenberg

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86 Field At Night - Kollenberg

“Sometimes you don’t find the shot. The shot finds you.”

Rolling into December super strong with a shot I took a while ago. I went up Kollenberg after dusk with no idea what I’m gonna shoot. Just chasing that feeling of beeing outside, in the dark, walking around Kollenberg.

At first I thought nothing fancy to shoot but then the carved lines so perfect they looked like someone drew them. 

Felt like each one leading into infinity. 

So I took a shot.

#85 Geleenbeek Munstergeleen

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85 Geleenbeek Munstergeleen

A shot from my morning walk in Munstergeleen overlooking Geleenbeek.

One second, everything was gray and lifeless. The next, it looked like a scene ripped straight out of a film. 

Beautiful!

#84 I cycled 100km to Monschau

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84 Monschau Bikepacking Trip

A while back, I cycled 100km to Monschau.

Minimal gear. Just the essentials strapped to my bike. I knew where I was gonna sleep. No tent, just a tarp, a half-sized mattress and a bivy bag.

Nothing fancy.

The forecast said rain.

I couldn’t care less.

Sometimes you just need to go.

I arrived in the dark. Set up my tarp and crawled into my bag. I had few beers with me so I cracked them open. Sat against the rail and enjoyed the evening.

Eventually, I passed out.

When I woke, rain was pouring in sideways. The bivy was soaked. Cold biting through the bag. 

And you know what?

It was perfect.

Because it reminded me of something most people forget…

You don’t need everything to go right for things to mean something.

You just need to go.

See, life throws storms your way. Sometimes it’s weather, sometimes it’s work, and sometimes it’s your thoughts whispering… 

“Why even bother?”

But that’s the thing…

You go anyway.

You push through the cold, the doubt… because there’s always a moment on the other side when the clouds break, and you realize you made it.

Might sound cheesy but it’s true.

And all you need is the guts to keep moving.

Little wins make you alive.

Keep going.

#83 Tiny Feet, Big Dreams

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83 Tiny Feet, Big Dreams

He once told me,

“I want to take pictures just like you.”

And I swear, those words hit harder than anything I’ve ever heard. Because in that moment, I realized something few people ever do…

Kids don’t follow advice.

They follow example.

They copy your moves, your tone, your fire. They watch you closer than you think. They become the echo of your actions.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be like my father.

He wasn’t famous. He wasn’t rich. But he was skilled.

Once, he built a mechanical printer from scratch. A metal arm that held a pen and drew whatever the computer told it to. To me, that was wizardry. To him, it was just another Tuesday project.

Later in life, I watched him build a house. Nail after nail. Beam after beam.

That house still stands.

He doesn’t.

He’s gone now.

But sometimes, he shows up in my dreams… not saying much, just there.

Now, I see my son watching me the way I once watched him. 

Those eyes that see everything.

He sees me behind the lens, chasing light.

He sees me designing, building, creating… turning ideas into something real.

And I see him absorbing it… mirroring my steps without even knowing it.

And it hits me… this is the circle.

The same spark, passed down like fire from one torch to the next.

That’s legacy.

Not money. Not property. Not some name etched in stone.

A father’s strength reborn in his son’s curiosity.

A spirit that refuses to fade.

I’m yet to watch my boy aim the camera and squint into the light…

But it will come.

I know it.

Time will tell.

#82 Horses at sunrise

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Horses at sunrise

Cold.

Quiet.

You could feel the stillness in the air.

A majestic atmosphere.

The whole scene backlit by golden light.

No deadlines.

No noise.

A bunch of horses around.

Me?

I was right there.

Free.

Watching the light.

Watching those horses move, thinking how peaceful their lives must be.

That’s the shot.

That’s the story.

Because sometimes, the world rushes by…

#81 Silhouette Of St. Peter’s Church

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Silhouette Of St. Peter's Church

My favorite silhouette of St. Peter’s Church in Sittard.

No doubt about it.

The sky was on fire… the sun slicing through. The reds were so vivid I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

You could see every shade of gold. Nature put on a real show that day, and I’m damn glad I captured it.

Oh, and the spot where I stood to take this shot? Gone. Erased. Demolished.

That’s what makes it hit harder for me.

It’s a moment that existed once… and now it’s burned into memory.

#80 One Second Forever

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One Second Forever

A train tears through the fog like a beast set loose from hell. Steel screaming. Air splitting… and above it all… a single bird, cool as ice, perched on the wire. Didn’t even twitch. Just watched while chaos thundered beneath it.

That’s the shot.

My favorite!

Glad I pressed the shutter on time.

#78 Cold Air, Warm Light

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Sunrise From Adam Beckersdreef

I can feel winter knocking.

Not here yet, but close enough to smell it in the air. The mornings are colder. The fog rolls in heavier. And when the sun finally breaks through… it hits the landscape like fire through smoke.

I took this shot a while ago… but every time I look at it, I can still feel that glow.

That silence. That peace. Man, I loved being out there.

#77 Lightroom Presets With Some Industrial Undertones

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Lightroom Presets With Some Industrial Undertones

A few days ago, I was playing around with some Lightroom presets and came up with this dark, desaturated, industrial, orange look I really liked.

You know that moment when you look at a photo and think,

“Damn… this looks like it’s straight out of a horror movie”?

That’s exactly what I was chasing.

I’ve been experimenting with gritty, cinematic tones for a while, but nothing ever clicked until now.

This one’s got that eerie, Halloween kind of vibe.

It’s dark. It’s moody. It feels cinematic.

And if you apply it to your photos, I can almost guarantee… they’ll hit different.

Wanna give it a shot?

Hit me up, and I’ll send it to you.

#76 Early Morning Coffee Hike

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76 Libor Bednarik Early Morning Coffee Hike

This shot already tells half the story with that glow of the burner.

But let me take you behind it. 

It was my first time hiking through the forest in the dark.

I wanted to go early… way before the world is awake. After a week of grinding, noise, and deadlines chewing at my brain, silence is the best therapy there is.

But hiking through those woods before dawn?

Man, it’s no joke.

I swear someone was watching me from behind the trees. My flashlight feelt too weak, and every rustle sounded like some animal was about to eat me.

Still… wouldn’t change a thing. 

Need it to get out.

I made myself a cup of coffee and sat there in silence. Could have sat there all day. But time was moving way to fast.

I packed up, hit the trail, and finished the loop… about 7 km of early morning magic.

Took some great shots along the way.