About us
The inspiration for the founding of CHOICE images came at a meeting of photojournalists from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland at the photographic workshop "Choice - Credit Suisse Masterclass for Photojournalists from Central and Eastern Europe". The workshop was organized by the International Center of Photography, held in Budapest in 2004 and led by Robert Pledge, president of Contact Press Images agency.
In the recent past, the societies of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone historic changes which have given rise to a unique set of social conditions. As natives of the region, the founders of CHOICE images provide documentation of these changes and events, as well as of their influence on social and cultural life. The agency's strength lies in the personal approach of its individual members and their emphasis on the autonomy and quality of their projects.
CHOICE images provides an independent source of photo documentation about the life and events of Central and Eastern Europe and serves as a clearinghouse for media, publishing houses and cultural organizations.
CHOICE images is an agency collectively owned by its members. For administrative and artistic reasons, membership is limited to a maximum of 12. Current members are Evzen Sobek (CZ), Martin Marencin (SK), Viktor Fischer&Alena Dvorakova (CZ), Andrej Balco (SK), Rafal Milach (PL), Karel Tuma (CZ).
News
26.11.2011
Czech Press Photo 2011
Alena and Viktor won in the Everyday Life category at Czech Press Photo 2011 for the work “Spiritual Service in Prison“,photographed for Czech edition of National Geographic magazin.
In the same they received one year “GRANT OF PRAGUE - CZECH PRESS PHOTO 2011“ for the project City and Water.
21.12.2010
WATER SLIDESHOW
Alena Dvorakova and Viktor Fischer: Slideshow WATER II with the music by Peter Smith:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpdbn8rVOXA
09.02.2010
The serie of pictures of Alena Dvorakova and Viktor Fischer “New Year's swimming in the North sea” has been selected for the short list in the Sport category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2011.
26.12.2009
Czech Press Photo 2009 competetion
Alena Dvořákova and Viktor Fischer won second prize in the category of Nature, for the file, The Nature Sulfur Water Spa, Tuscany, Italy
13.10.2009 - 23.11.2009
CHOICE CHOICE in gallery FotoGrafic / exhibition
CHOICE CHOICE presents rather unconventional portfolio of "documentary" photographs which schows the world of classical photographic documents mingled with the manipulated reality of today´s world.
www.fotografic.cz
05.10.2009 - 06.10.2009
Karel Tuma from agency CHOICE Images had a lecture within the frame of workshops and speeches of ALEXIA FOUNDATION / WITNESS TO HISTORY - The Importance and Ethics of Documentary Photojournalism on Charles University in Prague.
10.05.2009
Exhibited cycle “Domésticas” by Andrej Balco was awarded by special price at GRAND PRIX FOTOFESTIWAL 2009, 8th International Festival of photography in Lodz, PL
www.fotofestiwal.com
27.01.2009
Czech Press Photo 2008 competetion
Alena Dvořákova and Viktor Fischer won third prize in the category of Nature, for the file, The Shark Tunnel, Tenerife Island, 27th. December 2007
07.09.2008 - 26.10.2008
Noordelicht Photofestival 2008 with members of the agency CHOICE images
On Noordelicht Photofestival 2008 / the focal point is Behind Wall. Eastern Europe after 1989 is part of the festival, where are used the photographs by Andrej Balco/Suburbs and by Alena Dvorakova & Viktor Fischer/Onsovice and by Karel Tuma/Young Alternative.
04.03.2008 - 29.03.2008
Organizers of the photoproject One Day in the Life of the Czech Republic have issued a call for participation to all members of the agency, with the aim of producing a picture publication and presentation in the form of a travelling exhibition. MANES Exhibition Hall, March 4th – March 29th 2008 / Prague, CZ.
10.03.2008
Alena Dvoraková and Viktor Fischer are named as double finalists of the Sony World Photography Awards.
05.03.2008
Karel Tůma finished his two new photoessays about folk customs of carnivals for the CHOICE IMAGES website, entitled Carnival in Roztoky and Únětice 2005 – 2008, and Carnivals in the Districts of Prague.
31.01.2008 - 26.02.2008
Exhibition - Karel Tuma
Karel Tuma presents his two photographic cycles „Between Worlds“ and „Stand Against MMF and the World Bank“ in the Galerie auf der Pawlatsche, Vienna.
20.02.2008
Rafal Milach took 1st prize in the World Press Photo competition
A member of the CHOICE Images agency has received a prestigious award in the World Press Photo competition. Rafal Milach took 1st prize in the category of Arts and Entertainment for his file, Retired circus artists, Poland.
16.11.2007 - 31.01.2008
Members of CHOICE Images were successful in the Czech Press Photo 2007 competition
Viktor Fischer and Alena Dvořákova won first prize in the category of REPORT, for the file, Clean Monday Festival. Galaxidi, Greece, also took first prize in the category EVERYDAY LIFE, for the file Life of the Greatest Czech, and they won two other minor awards. Andrej Balco took first prize in the category PORTRAIT for the file Sunday Wishes, Slovakia.
The exhibition CZECH PRESS PHOTO 2007 takes place from 16th November 2007 do 31st January 2008 in the Cross Hall and the Knights’ Hall in the Old Town Hall, Prague.
27.12.2007
COURRIER INTERNATIONAL, the French magazine (No.882 / 27.IX.2007) used the photography of Martina Marencina from the project SLOWLY SLOVAKIA, as an illustration to the article SLOVAQUIE MON AMOUR / text Andrzej Stasiuk / pp. 52-54.
06.12.2007
Andrej Balco won an award in the FRAME 2007
Andrej Balco won an award in the FRAME 2007 photo contest. In the category INDEPENDENCE, 1st place: Andrej Balco – Domésticas. The competition is organized with the aim of providing a public environment for presenting the works of professional photographers and students in central and eastern Europe. www.fotoframe.net
01.11.2007 - 30.11.2007
Exhibition by the CHOICE Images
Exhibition by the CHOICE Images picture agency in the Leica Gallery, Bratislava
As part of the Month of Photography event, the work of the CHOICE Images picture agency is presented in the Leica Travelling (Train) Gallery.
13.11.2007
Andrej Balco won an award in the FRAME 2006 photography competition.
Andrej Balco won an award in the TRAVEL category of the FRAME 2006 photography competition.
1st prize: Andrej Balco – A Sunday Wish. It is the aim of the competition to provide a representative space for the independent work of professional photographers and students in the region of central and eastern Europe.
07.09.2007 - 15.10.2007
Exhibition - Martin Marencin
SLOWLY SLOVAKIA - an exhibition of the work of Martin Marencin in the Gallery of the Slovakian Institute in Prague, Czech Republic
(Jilska 16, Prague 1)
10.10.2007
In the third issue of the internet magazine 5klatek (www.tamtamagency.com.pl) the Polish TAM TAM agency published an introduction to contemporary Czech and Slovak documentary photographers and members of the CHOICE Images agency (namely Evzen Sobek, Karel Tuma a Andrej Balco).
08.08.2007 - 30.09.2007
Alena Dvorakova and Viktor Fischer are working on photographs from a further continuation of the project Villages in Prague, for which they received a grant from the city district of Prague-Suchdol. They focus on the lives of the people in the area where the city plans to construct a highway bypass. They are working on this project with the prominent independent sociologist Vera Dvorakova -Janu. The culmination of the project will of course be its exhibition. The magazine National
Geographic (Czech Edition) has also expressed interest in the project.
18.06.2007 - 01.09.2007
Karel Tuma is working on this collection of photos in connection with the Florenc Multicultural Centre in Prague. The project is supported by a grant, and its aim is to draw attention to the opportunities for workers from less developed areas of Europe to find work in the European labour market in the Czech Republic.
15.08.2007
Martin Marencin completes work on his publication on the plastic arts in contemporary Slovakia, part of which is composed of reproductions of works and portraits of artists. This forms part of his ongoing work on the theme of PORTRAITS, for which he continues to gather material.
06.08.2007
Karel Tuma has prepared two current features on techno-music culture. One consists of a collection of documentary photos on this theme taken between 1998 and today, and the other is a collection from the last big meeting of techno fans in central Europe, Czechtek 2006.
29.07.2007
Photography Festival NOORDERLICHT invites Alena Dvorakova and Viktor Fischer to participate in the exhibition ‘Act of Faith’, to take place from 15th of September to 28th of October 2007, at the location Aa Kerk, in Groningen, the Netherlands. www.noorderlicht.com
02.02.2007 - 31.03.2007
Exhibition - Rafal Milach
Exhibition: Rafal Milach / Young Russia / Yours Gallery:
I would like to invite you for the opening of YOUNG RUSSIA exhibition in YOURS GALLERY
ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 33, Warsaw, Poland / 02.02.2007 opening 19.00
If you don't have time the exhibition will be available everyday till 31st march!
21.01.2007 - 25.02.2007
Exhibition - Martin Marencin
SLOWLY SLOVAKIA - an exhibition of the work of Martin Marencin in Brno, Czech Republic
(Galerie Artistu, kino Art, Cihlarska 19, Brno)
01.10.2006 - 26.01.2007
The CHOICE Images agency is cooperating with Czech Centres of Culture in a project addressing documentation and exhibition. This scheme is administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the title Dissidents and Major Figures in the Resistance to the Regime of Normalization in pre-1989 Czechoslovakia. Work related to this project will appear on these pages from mid-January 2007.
09.11.2007 - 07.01.2007
Exhibition - Martin Marencin
SLOWLY SLOVAKIA - an exhibition of the work of Martin Marencin in the Orava Gallery
(Dolny Kubin, Slovakia)
23.08.2006
CHOICE Images photographic agency has published these web pages, and in doing so has officially launched its activities.
14.08.2006
The creative couple Dvorakova & Fischer have been supported for many years in their work by the largest photographic sales and service business in central Europe, FOTOSKODA.
10.08.2006
Alena Dvorakova and Viktor Fischer are planning for November what may be the final exhibition of their project „Mission“ in the Czech Republic at the prestigeous Gallery G4 in Cheb. Last year the project was successfully presented in, among other places, the Old Town Hall in Prague, the Photographic Festival in Lodz and Mesici photography in Bratislava.
