Welcome to a brand new collection on The Wandering Lens during which I interview fellow photographers from world wide about their work, their inspirations, suggestions and the tales behind their favorite pictures.
First up is Agata, a photographer who caught my eye on Instagram together with her beautiful drone work over snow lined landscapes. Take a peek at this reel on Instagram and also you’ll see what I imply!
The Interview
Photographer Title: Agata Wozniak-Kwasniewska
Web site: https://www.awkphotography.com
Instagram: @agatawk_photo
1. What’s it in regards to the mountain landscapes that conjures up your pictures, and the way do you’re feeling it influences your artistic imaginative and prescient?
Mountain landscapes are majestic and provoking, providing a palette of textures, colors, and light-weight which are each a problem and a delight to seize via pictures. The rugged peaks, serene valleys, and dramatic skies are an integral element of the image. These components have their very own character in every body. What conjures up me probably the most about these landscapes is the sense of scale and the reminder of the pure world’s magnificence. Mountains evoke a way of surprise and problem me to precise not simply what I see, however what I really feel of their presence.
This inspiration deeply influences my artistic imaginative and prescient by pushing me to hunt out distinctive views and moments that actually seize the essence of the mountain setting. I discover myself continuously exploring the play between mild and shadow, the textures of the rock and vegetation, and the best way climate and seasons dramatically alter the temper of the panorama.
Furthermore, mountain landscapes encourage me to experiment with numerous strategies, from lengthy exposures to seize the motion of clouds or water, to focus stacking to make sure each element from the foreground to the distant peaks is sharp. This setting challenges me mentally and bodily and pushes me to enhance my technical abilities whereas nurturing a deeper reference to nature.
In essence, mountain landscapes encourage my pictures by providing one thing that’s each intimidating and welcoming. They affect my artistic imaginative and prescient by driving me to not solely seize the visible spectacle however to additionally evoke the sentiments of awe, solitude, and respect that these wild locations encourage. By my lens, I goal to indicate the deep respect I really feel for the mountains, hoping to encourage others to understand and shield these magnificent landscapes.
2. Are you able to share your favorite location to {photograph} and what makes it particular to you?
My favorite locations embrace the French Alps, Senja, and Lofoten in Northern Norway. I lived within the Alps for almost a decade, simply an hour’s drive from some breathtaking spots that turned my playground. My love for the realm round Grenoble started throughout a scholar alternate in 2006, and it shortly felt like house. After ending my research, I returned with my rising household. Each time attainable, I escaped to the mountains for hikes, pictures, or just to get pleasure from a meadow brimming with wildflowers. Through the years, I used to be lucky sufficient to discover numerous components of the Alps, holding some locations expensive to my coronary heart. A number of to say are Vallée de la Clarée, Les Ecrins with its expansive valleys and towering peaks, Belledonne – my favourite spot for capturing sunsets after work, and the wild, comparatively undiscovered Vercors, which I explored extensively in my final years in Grenoble.
In summer season 2022, we relocated to Oslo, Norway, for an incredible job alternative. Curiously, we moved to a rustic we had by no means visited earlier than – an exhilarating leap. Nevertheless, I used to be already conversant in Norway’s breathtaking nature. Though I miss the fast proximity to the Alps, Norwegian landscapes supply their very own wild magnificence. Furthermore, Lofoten and Senja are only a 2-hour flight away, locations I’ve solely not too long ago begun to discover. Whereas Lofoten is well-known and sometimes crowded with vacationers in summer season, Senja provides a wilder, much less touristy expertise with its capricious climate and majestic mountains rising straight from the fjords. Regardless of this, my love for Lofoten is so sturdy that I go to yearly. The area’s unpredictable climate, able to biking via 4 seasons in a single day, from clear skies to hailstorms to rainbows, presents a problem I eagerly embrace.
3. How do you resolve in your artistic focus for a challenge or a single {photograph}, and the place do you draw your inspiration from?
Deciding on a artistic focus for a challenge or a single {photograph} is certainly difficult. I discover myself impressed by the pure world—its patterns, colors, and formations typically information what I goal to seize. Earlier than heading out, I completely analysis my location, using instruments like Google Earth to grasp the sunshine and put together as a lot as attainable technically. Nevertheless, as soon as on location, I are likely to immerse myself within the second and sometimes let instinct information me. This strategy means I generally overlook in regards to the pictures I initially deliberate to take…
As for drawing inspiration, I have to admit, Instagram has develop into my modern-day ‘Lonely Planet.’ Given my commitments as a full-time worker and a father or mother, it’s probably the most accessible and handy supply of inspiration for me. It provides a fast sneak peek to a world of infinite visible concepts, even when time and duties restrict my means to discover.
4. Might you describe a selected pictures approach or strategy you’ve been exploring not too long ago and what you’ve realized from it?
Round three years in the past, I started experimenting with focus stacking, after beforehand delving into bracketing. Up to now, I might carry an array of filters. Nevertheless, my again finally protested towards the burden. Now, I journey lighter, carrying solely the necessities—particularly, ND filters of assorted densities and a polarizer. Bracketing has confirmed to be an efficient answer when coping with scenes which have a excessive dynamic vary.
As for drawing inspiration, I have to admit, Instagram has develop into my modern-day ‘Lonely Planet.’ Given my commitments as a full-time worker and a father or mother, it’s probably the most accessible and handy supply of inspiration for me. It provides a fast sneak peek to a world of infinite visible concepts, even when time and duties restrict my means to discover.
Concerning focus stacking, I’ve grown fairly keen on it. It’s a method that has considerably expanded my artistic choices. Nevertheless, I continuously remind myself of the sweetness and artistry present in pictures with a blurry foreground. It’s a reminder that photos don’t at all times have to be pin-sharp from foreground to background. Embracing each sharpness and softness in my pictures has been a helpful lesson, including depth and selection to my work.
5. What’s your most popular lens on your pictures work, and why do you select it over others?
Actually, I don’t have a single most popular lens for my pictures; my alternative varies primarily based on the challenge. The 24-70mm lens has at all times been a dependable workhorse for me, however I’ve not too long ago switched to a 24-120mm for its further attain, and I couldn’t be happier with the choice. The additional zoom permits for extra flexibility with out sacrificing picture high quality.
In 2021, I acquired a 100-400mm lens, and it has been a revelation. The power to give attention to particulars and isolate topics has considerably expanded my artistic potentialities—I completely adore it. For wide-angle pictures that seize expansive scenes and dramatic foregrounds, my 14-30mm lens is irreplaceable. Its perspective is important for sure landscapes and architectural work.
Nevertheless, once I crave a break from standard views, I flip to my Edge 35 Lensbaby. This lens is a breath of recent air, permitting my inventive aspect to soar. It’s a useful instrument for resetting my artistic mindset, particularly once I discover myself in a photographic rut. Utilizing the Lensbaby encourages me to view the world in a different way, refreshing my imaginative and prescient and strategy to pictures.
6. Are you able to share one among your favorite photos and why you prefer it/why you’re happy with it?
Certainly one of my favourite photos captures ‘La Tour Percée,’ a secluded marvel nestled within the Chartreuse area of the French Alps. This pure arch is located on personal property, shrouded inside an expansive forest, with none official trails resulting in it. In actual fact, venturing there’s technically prohibited. But, like many others, I used to be drawn to its thriller and managed to seize one among my most cherished and probably my best pictures.
The journey to ‘Tour Percée’ was unintended; I had initially got down to seize a dawn from a close-by location however realized I used to be comparatively near this hidden gem. In a second, I made a decision to hunt it out, departing on what turned out to be a hazardous trek. The journey was arduous, involving three hours of navigating steep, treacherous terrain. Really, it was very silly what I did. Nevertheless, the trouble was rewarded once I lastly arrived to search out that I had the complete place to myself. Those that had been there earlier had departed, leaving me in solitude with this wonderful place.
The sensation of getting such a panoramic scene all to oneself is indescribable. It was not simply the great thing about the ‘La Tour Percée’ that made this picture particular to me, but in addition the recollections of the journey and the dangers taken to seize it. The {photograph} is a testomony to the lengths I’m keen to go for my ardour, and it embodies the essence of exploration and discovery that drives my pictures.
7. Trying again a number of years, has your pictures model advanced as you’ve continued to discover and {photograph}?
My pictures model has advanced tremendously over time, particularly round 2015, which was a pivotal yr for me. This was when my youngest baby was born, and I took a year-long maternity depart. Throughout this era, I had the chance to actually immerse myself in pictures. I devoted time to studying new strategies and deepening my understanding of Lightroom, which allowed me to boost my pictures in methods I hadn’t explored earlier than.
Being on depart additionally gave me the liberty to interact with my ardour for nature. I made it some extent to convey my digicam with me on each stroll I had with my daughter, capturing the great thing about the on a regular basis moments and the pure world round me. This time of exploration and apply was not nearly bettering my technical abilities but in addition about connecting extra deeply with landscapes I like.
Furthermore, it was throughout this transformative interval that I started working as a household photographer. This new enterprise allowed me to use the abilities and views I had developed, additional shaping my model and strategy. After I look again at it now, I see that my journey via pictures has been profoundly influenced by these experiences, marking a major evolution in my work and inventive expression.
8. What piece of recommendation would you give to photographers trying to seize lovely panorama pictures?
For photographers aiming to seize beautiful panorama pictures, preparation is essential. Begin by completely researching your location forward of time. Collect as a lot info as you may in regards to the space, specializing in geographical options, potential viewpoints, and the way the solar’s course modifications all through the day. Understanding the lighting situations is essential; the golden hour (shortly after dawn or earlier than sundown) and the blue hour (simply earlier than dawn and simply after sundown) supply softer, extra forgiving mild that may dramatically improve your pictures. Throughout these occasions, even minor errors could be overshadowed by the great thing about the sunshine.
Nevertheless, don’t underestimate the ability of photographing underneath difficult climate situations. Whereas it’s tougher, the outcomes can typically be breathtaking. In such eventualities, composition turns into much more important. It’s about discovering steadiness, guiding the viewer’s eye, and benefiting from what robust climate brings.
Beautiful mild could make a major distinction, turning a superb picture into a rare one. But it surely’s the mixture of preparation, understanding of sunshine, and composition that actually elevates panorama pictures. And many luck, I’m afraid too.
9. Should you’re recommending a location in Norway for photographers to go to, the place would it not be? Think about they’ve by no means been to Norway, and this might be their first glimpse…
Norway stands as a beacon of pure magnificence in Europe, providing breathtaking landscapes at each nook. From my experiences, it looks like each place of this nation holds one thing spectacular. A major instance is Vestland, famend for its expansive fjords the place mountains majestically rise straight from the waters. This area is a paradise for nature lovers, dotted with numerous waterfalls and beautiful vistas. Like many extra!
Nevertheless, my private favorite is the realm stretching from Lofoten to Tromsø. The attract of Lofoten, with its dramatic mountains, deep fjords, lakes, huge ocean, and untamed wilderness, is unparalleled. The climate right here is as unpredictable as it’s lovely, displaying the uncooked power of nature in its purest kind. It’s a spot the place I discover immense peace, pleasure, and inspiration, not simply in photographing the majestic landscapes but in addition in searching for out the much less trodden paths away from the crowds.
For anybody visiting Norway for the primary time, I might extremely suggest exploring the Lofoten Islands and the islands in the direction of Tromsø. Right here, you’ll expertise the essence of Norway’s pure magnificence. It’s a chance to immerse your self in landscapes which are as enchanting as they’re inspiring, providing infinite potentialities for photographers to seize the magic of the Norwegian wilderness.
10. Let’s play a bit of hypothetical, you’re hoping to seize and doc your very best topic or scene…what’s it, and when would you go?Â
Deciding on a single dream topic or scene is difficult as a result of the checklist of potentialities is infinite. Nevertheless, one dream that stands out vividly in my thoughts is capturing the core of the Milky Means. To do that, I’d select a location the place the skies are famously clear and the sunshine air pollution minimal, equivalent to a desert or maybe on Tenerife in Might. The concept of photographing the Milky Means in such settings has at all times captivated me, particularly after seeing some really awe-inspiring photos and studying in regards to the experiences of others who’ve executed it. It’s a dream I’d love to show into actuality someday.
11. What’s subsequent for you and are you engaged on any initiatives, or portfolio galleries?
The previous two years have been a major problem for me, notably relating to my well being, which sadly restricted my means to interact absolutely in open air pictures. Fortunately, that chapter is closing, and I’m on the mend. With my restoration almost full, I’m impatiently awaiting the second I obtain the all-clear to seize my climbing backpack as soon as extra.
My fast plan is to return to the mountains – a spot I take into account my pleased place. There, I hope to soak myself within the landscapes that encourage me most and seize the great thing about the pure world via my lens. The mountains have at all times been the place I really feel most at peace and creatively alive. Now that I’m nearly able to embark on climbing adventures once more, I’m trying ahead to not solely reconnecting with my ardour for pictures in my favorite settings but in addition to compiling a portfolio of recent work that displays this renewed part of my journey.
Being within the mountains and behind the digicam once more is what I’m most enthusiastic about. It’s not nearly taking pictures; it’s about returning to my place, the place I really feel most related to myself and the world round me. This subsequent chapter is one I sit up for with nice anticipation, able to discover, seize, and share the sweetness I discover with renewed power and perspective.
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Hi there! I’m the founder and photographer behind The Wandering Lens.
With 17+yrs expertise as an expert journey and panorama photographer, all recommendation discovered on this web site is from my private expertise on the highway. I hope it’s helpful on your personal travels and would love to listen to within the feedback about your journeys and experiences world wide.
