Acknowledged photographer Jaroslav Sýbek died in České Budějovice on Monday at the age of 76. The Prague native, whom friends nicknamed Baryk for his love of dogs, succumbed to the consequences of a severe head injury he suffered in February this year. His wife confirmed the sad news to the Czech News Agency.
Sýbek was a prominent figure in Czech photojournalism, known for his ability to work with both natural and artificial light. His professional career began unusually; he studied mechanical engineering and worked as a designer at the Jawa company. He entered professional photography in 1973 when he joined the Prague editorial office of ČTK. After nine years, he moved to South Bohemia, where he worked as a regional photojournalist until 1996. Later, he worked for Mladá fronta Dnes and Deník.
From the English King to South Bohemian Fish Harvests
During his fifty-year career, Jaroslav Sýbek captured countless historical moments and personalities, including presidents Václav Havel and Miloš Zeman. However, he will be remembered by colleagues and the public primarily for his humane approach. He immediately addressed the people he photographed by their first names and managed to create an informal atmosphere, which was reflected in the authenticity of his shots.
“I’m happier when the newspaper publishes, for example, a photo of a friend bathing a dog in a fountain, or a neighbor who brought a full basket of mushrooms from the forest,” Sýbek said at the opening of his last exhibition in March 2024.
In addition to his reportage work, he was famous for his love of the South Bohemian landscape. Among his favorite motifs were sunsets and traditional fish harvests, especially from Rožmberk Pond. According to his colleagues, he was almost constantly in the field, documenting life in the region with a camera in hand until his last months.
The Legacy of a Master of Black-and-White Reportage
Sýbek's contribution to Czech photography was also appreciated by his successor at ČTK, Václav Pancer, who particularly recalled his early black-and-white reportages from Prague. Sýbek was active even in old age; this year, he celebrated half a century of his work with a thematic exhibition titled Jaroslav Sýbek: Half a Century as a Photojournalist, or I Photographed the English King, which referred to his meeting with then-Prince Charles in Český Krumlov.
- 23 years of working for the ČTK press agency
- Specialization in reportage and landscape photography
- Passion for cynology and mushroom picking
- Long-term documentation of South Bohemian fishing traditions
Jaroslav Sýbek left an indelible mark on South Bohemian journalism not only with his photographs but also with his distinctive communication style, thanks to which he was a widely known and popular figure in the region.