/ Altered Images

New visionaries
in 21st century photography

Can we start off by you letting us know what camera you use and how long you have been taking photography seriously and are you a professional or do you have ‚other’ work too?

In fact I have never been professional photographer. Ok, I finished Fine Arts Highschool majoring in photography but the next step was Academy of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design. Currently I’m a creative art director in one of the biggest advertising agency in Poland.

“60568” 2010

Describe your creative process on 60568? (as this will be the one on the facing page to this interview – I love the mood you have captured in this shot, just stunning). What software did you use, etc..?

The first part was a photo session with my favorite model. Without any idea but almost defined atmosphere of the finished image. I knew that I want to make something dark, melancholic, maybe sad. Something in gothic style. That’s why we used specific makeup and lights. Usually I like to set upper light and get deep shadows with dark blende. I used Canon 5D camera with 28-70 lens and ordinary flash lights. RAW files was edited at first in Lightroom then in Photoshop. I left RAW source as the smart object until the end of work – this gave me the freedom to change the photography settings like color temperature or exposure. At the beginning I had to define strictly what I want to do, so with ordinary (digital) brush I made a sketch. Working with sketches is much simpler, faster and more effective than without them. In first three hours I tried a lot of combinations with different directions, shapes of dress and sizes of figure and I made a background of image. Background is very important part of my works. Sometimes I spent couple of hours until it looks strictly as I want. It’s a combination of many layers of painted sheeds, photographs of dirty walls, parts of metals, wood, old paintings… The next steps were just modeling of dress by adding many layers of parts of fabric and splashes of paint. It was most boring part of creation (but I like to do it ) Brush strokes that you can see near the model’s hips was created especially for this work by using traditional brushes and acrylics and then scanned into photoshop.

How close are your ideas for pictures to the end result?

It depends on the case. Sometimes final work is exactly as I had invented at the beginning, in other case I started without any idea, invented something, but final effect is completely different. Process of the creation is really strange and mysterious:) I think it’s important not to worry and feel free in it.

How long can a photomanipulation take to ‚make’.

Again: it depends on the case. Sometimes it took me couple of hours, in other case – couple of weeks. Sometimes I ‘m unable to finish some pictures. Thats why they are ommited numbers, which are titles of my images.

What features of digital photography are pivotal to your work?

You can do everything you want. The imagination is the limit. Get parts of real world, products of your imagination and put them together into new wholeness, and then do it again in a different sequence. It’s a lot of fun.

What kinds of ideas are you interested in exploring as an image maker?

I want to share the atmosphere, not ideas. I like contrasts, beauty and ugliness, I mix strange and unexpected with ordinariness, love and happiness with sadness and hopeless. I don’t want to talk to much to my recipient, everyone has an own story about these feelings

What would be the one thing that someone could say about your work that would make you die happy?

“I found myself in your images”

Do you see yourself as a photographer or a digital artist?

Absolutely I see myself much more as digital artist. I have great respect for serious photographers. They can see what I’ll never see.

Lastly, most photographers give their photographs titles but you more often than not just give them a random number, any reason?

I like when the artist isn’t the narrator. He communicates a message but doesn’t explain it. Numbering doesn’t dictate the interpretations of the images. I give the vision, the recipient decides if perception of what he sees. Is it sad or happy picture? About love or hate? She’s falling down or she’s arise? I do not know, everyone has a different perception, different experiences and different associations. I do not want to impose my own interpretations.

Alteres Images, 2011