~ An interview of a talented artist in our General Photography Community

Tell us a bit about yourself, =WojciechDziadosz! How did you get into photography and why?

With photography I had to do when I was a little boy.
My father let me take pictures on our trips. Then it was gone, but over five years ago, it came back and continues to this day. It taught me to express in some way, and above all, it gives me satisfaction.

Why are you on deviantART? What do you most like and dislike about it?

I signed up to dA almost five years ago. I never thought that when I got to that level at which I am now that my work would be on the main page in the "popular 24" section. It made an enormous impression on me and gave me inspiration.

I like the availability of my work so that thousands of people can see them.

Today I do not like how the dA level prevails here. Everywhere, cats, ponies, and other such work. I understand that this website is created by people, but I do not like the current level of the presented work. Many good photographers escape from dA through it.

What would you like to see more of on deviantART? With the current level of presented work?

I would like to see more pictures that evoke inspiration in me.

You seem to photograph a variety of things! What type of photography do you most like to do and why?

I like to shoot long exposures. It allows me to show the world in a strange way. The way the human eye does not register. It allows me to show in some way the passage of time. I love to photograph the landscape, what surrounds me.

I also like the photo reportage. I like to be in the centre of certain events, to show others what is going on.

What type of photography do you least like, and why?

I think there is no such field of photography. I think that any type of photography can be good, provided that the image has the right idea, execution, and the end result is shown in such a way that evokes emotion in me.

Even a photograph of simple things can be good if it has an interesting idea.

What inspires and motivates you to photograph?

Pictures that inspire me that are better than mine, there are a huge amount.

What motivates me to shoot? I do not know, I have such a need. It's like the need to eat breakfast.

Do you use a specific technique when shooting? What setting on your camera do you most like to use?

There is no such thing as a favorite camera setting. Each situation requires a different approach, different settings. It is very important to understand this. It all depends on what you want. What idea I have in my head.

At a certain stage of photographing, settings on the camera are made subconsciously. It's like driving a car, after a while you do something automatically, without thinking about it. Then it's all about light and the moment, which is very short.

How long does a photography outing take, usually? How often do you photograph?

A few days, weeks, hehe it's true, sometimes I prepare my photos for a week. I'm not talking about that much in terms of shooting. First, I try to see the place that I want to shoot, if it is close, I'm going there to see with the car (if it is far away, I use google earth). The next time I go back there at sunrise. If sunrise is what I have in mind - super, it worked. Sometimes the weather is bad - then you have to return the next day again and again. Photography requires patience.

What is one of your best and worst experiences in photography?

Best experience - the perfect light at sunrise - every time excites me and inspires joy.

Worst experience - hmm hard to say. Escape from a wild boar? This often happens to me.

Could you tell us a bit more about your worst experiences with the wild boar?

About a year  ago, I tried my hand at wildlife photography. I even built a shed for  photography on the edge of the forest. Nothing came of it, as you can  see from my gallery. One morning, an hour before sunrise, I walked along  the edge of the forest. It was total silence when suddenly, about ten  feet from me I heard a loud "hhhrrrrr" - I did not know that I could run  so fast. Then I walked all the way around this place.

What is your equipment list and what made you choose your equipment there?

Much of this is. For all these years, I've collected an arsenal.
I chose the Nikon system, because the lenses are more suited to my way of working. Chose this system for lenses in the future I would like to have.

At the beginning I had a simple compact Fuji S5500.
Then I bought a Nikon D200.
Now I'm working on the Nikon D700 and the whole bag of lenses, filters, tripods, etc.

Are you doing any projects at the moment?

One day, inspired by some photos, I came up with the idea in my head for  a report about the "housing projects". A sample of the reality in major  Polish cities, and above all, Wroclaw, it's not as beautiful as the  postcards. For all these views lies a gray reality, often overwhelming.  The biggest challenge for me is the people - I photograph strangers,  make their portraits - because they make up the "blocks". This is a long  term project.

Crossing my city, Wroclaw, I did not realize it could be so destroyed and left to fend for itself. Of course I knew of the existence of the so-called "triangle", "Kurkowa", "gaj" and "Książa" - but never ventured into these areas, especially with the camera. Perhaps one must see to such matters, to develop a sensitivity to the order to show some things that are not celebrated or are not seen.

This is my long-term project, I have no idea when I'll be done or when I decide that I fully realized it. This may be for 2 months, it may be for two years .... Can expand on it for Katowice, Lodz, Poznan, Krakow. Everything remains to be seen.

You can see it on [link]

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?

Take pictures. Still, everywhere. Search themes, themes. Read books, those with technology but also about the experiences of photographers. the sensitivity. I recommend the book by David Noton and David duChemin

Thank you =WojciechDziadosz!

^3wyl, posting on behalf of #communityrelations