Beginning with his studies at the photographic department of the School of Arts and Crafts in Bratislava, this book shows how, in the mid-1970s, Podstrasky began to work as freelancer and his photos appeared in newspapers and magazines. He rarely participated in the activities of the photographic community and the whole of his work remained practically unknown to the expert and general public and only recently did it become obvious that he was one of few Slovak photographers to succeed in fully capturing the other face of life during "real socialism"--the final phase of development of the communist system before its ultimate decline. This biography details Podstrasky's ability to record gloominess, helplessness, and personal and social resignation and stands as a testament to the artist's important place in the history of photography.