Bird’s view
Looking at Hungary from high above
Written by Ontzlake Aglovas

Not many photographers have been able to publish their first book at the age of 22. Daniel Somogyi-Tóth, a student at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, is one who has. In another unique turn, Somogyi-Tóth chose to introduce his book of aerial photographs of Hungary with an hour-long organ recital in Budapest’s famous Mátyás Church. For that performance, the young Somogyi-Tóth got a standing ovation.

”Like the Bird" displays 200 colour photographs of Hungary, all taken from the air in the past two years. (His cousin, and best friend, you see, is a pilot.) It is a formidable collection, both artistically and geographically. Some scenes are inevitable. There are the de rigeur, albeit impressive, views of the Danube cutting its delicate reverse arc through the Hungarian capital. There are yachts on Lake Balaton and there is Visegrád Castle, for once below us, on guard by the Danube Bend, the setting sun glinting off the waters. There are also the provincial towns from Tokaj and the much overlooked city of Miskolc in the east via lonely country chapels and numerous castle ruins to the silenced volcano of Somló and the Eszterházy Palace in the west.
But the strengths of this volume lie in the unexpected, detailed pictures that combine patterns of color or texture, often in strong summer light, with the unusual angle of view from the plane. These can be natural scenes, such as the cattle, sharply white, against the deep green of the background puszta (plains), next to a hazy, purple, winding stream. Somogy-Tóth is also sensitive to architectural patterns, making even the concrete monstrosities of the communist 1950s appear startlingly novel - see the shot of Moszkva tér on pp 37. So too his observations on agriculture and industry – such as the stark outline of the colossus excavator captured in the lignite mine at Visonta, near Gyöngyös. Its other strength is the well-thought out juxtaposition of images and geometry – a lonely, brightly painted single unit diesel train trundling diagonally across the maize fields contrasts yet complements the orange dumper truck on motorway construction duties on the opposite page. Somogyi-Tóth planned many of these shots meticulously. Yet on reflection, there are some surprising views missing. Paks Nuclear Power Station is probably quite boring from the air (and possibly off-limits for photography in this age of security fears), but he might, for example have been able to make some startling images of the oil refinery at Százhalombatta.

Perhaps too it’s only me – but the use of the stopped down lens to produce the darkened images is a tad overdone – don’t be fooled by those dark seemingly moonlit silhouettes of Budapest on pp 46 – 48. They were taken in bright summer sunlight. But if this book has a weakness, it is, sad to say, the use of too many images that are less than pin sharp. Somogyi-Tóth shows he can do it – look at the clarity of the arched roof of the Keleti train station on pp 52 - you can see the lines of steel ribbing. But turn a few leaves over to the Royal Palace taken, it seems, about thousand feet above the intersection at
Krisztina tér. It, similarly to many others, is fuzzy. Perhaps I’m being too perfectionist, yet Somogyi-Tóth must value perfection - how else would he have got so far so young? Produced in English and German, as well as Hungarian, "Like the Bird" will surely sell, at least at airport and railway station shops - it is an ideal buy for one of those last minute presents. For those browsing with more time, it will perhaps attract more the connoisseur of Hungary – the whole country - rather than to the short stay expatriate. Since he has only been working at his photographic skills seriously for two years or so, perhaps we can expect an even better second album from the musician-photographer some years hence. Chances are he’ll introduce that by conducting an orchestra playing his own first symphony.

"Like The Bird" 200
aerial photos of Hungary
Daniel Somogyi-Tóth
Well Press Publishing