JULIA DUNIN-BRZEZIŃSKA, Poland  ❧

"SERIES: HOMAGE TO THE YOUNG, THE NEW & THE EXCEPTIONAL CREATIVE TALENTS AROUND THE WORLD"

READ THIS FIRST: All images here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. You are advised to contact the artist direct for permission to re-produce any of his/her images. Contact details are available at the end of this article, or in absence thereof, please contact the writer.


I've been trying to have an interview with Julia ever since I chanced upon the photographs in her gallery and I was extremely happy to finally be granted one by this incredibly gifted young lady.

Julia's responses to the questions I posed to her proved insightful for a young lady her age, and somewhat wise and down to earth in her ability to not only understand her place in this world and her art form in photography, but also why she knows she is drawn to this particular method of creative self-expression and projection she shares with the world. The "eye candy" she brings us are not only harmoniously sweet, they leave us somewhat eagerly anticipating more of whatever morsel she chooses to offer us.

Her gifted eye captures images that can stand very much alone without much poetic expression and introduction because they are, in themselves, a glorious and expressive tribute to visual messages of loveliness and at times, despair, bringing to us a valued awareness of environments we should see with vision renewed.


Here is Julia Dunin-Brzezinska, an exceptional young talent from Poland we should all watch with total delight.

Do you remember the time you received your first camera, what was it and what pictures do you remember taking?

Julia: I've always loved taking photos of animals and nature, so I can hardly remember when it was. I had a lot of cameras in my life including cheap toys and zenit's. I remember a camera I got for my own when I was about fifteen, but I used it rather to take photos of my family and friends. When I was eighteen, I saved money for a professional, digital camera.

My first photos? My cat and Spring ...

From that time, what was the motivation for you to continue taking photographs?

Julia: My motivation were my photos. I liked them so I was taking more and more of them. It's like an addiction. And when I didn't like them, I took more to finally make a good one.

When did you start to work on your photographs with digital tools? Did you find it difficult to manage and manipulate in the beginning?

Julia: I started to work on them when I bought a digital camera. I didn't find it difficult, I had a lot of fun using digital tools, but now I can tell that some of them were totally out of good taste!

Are you inspired by any artists from the classic art world or famous photographers? Name them and explain what they bring to you.

Julia: Commercial photography inspires me. I love all of those colorful advertisments. Erwin Olaf is my God. What does he bring to me? Color and expression. I try to make my photos scream.

My very first inspiration was Sally Mann. Her photos are the finest I've ever seen. When you look at her works you realize that there is magic inside an image.

Give me four example of your best or most meaningful work and explain to me the concept, the inspiration, and the message behind them.

Julia: The photos I like the most are those ones that came naturally, without a concept. Moments that beg to be captured.

I am very proud of my photo “Under red tree”. Why? Because it was a spontaneus shot. I like to show that the world is more beautiful than we see it every day and I believe that this photo proves it. I also find it very energizing.

"No Place Like Home"

All of my photos from Warsaw are very important to me. And there is a concept, I want to show my city in different ways. An example can be "No place like home” which shows old ruined architecture. The place I took this photo is full of sad beauty of past times.


I like to work with contrasts. “About loneliness” shows a moment of illumination in an old, abandoned factory. The light and lonely chair symbolizes hope and hopelessness. These kind of building always inspire me.

"Pressure"

There was a time when I was working wih autoportraits. Even if it’s nothing very proud in terms of subject matter, I like some of them. “Pressure” is a good one. I think it has a lot of expression. It shows a fear and captivity.

Do you feel your photographs carry originality? How do you feel about people copying your style?

Julia: Somehow yes. Of course it’s hard to make your own style when so many people take and share photos in these times. But I always try to make something original, images that speak for me, so I hope that there is a couple of people that think I’m original. And of course, I’m still working on it.

People copying my style? I have found people that had photos with the same idea, but is this copying? I think I don’t have a monopoly for some concepts, so I can’t tell that someone is copying me.

What do you think is the most difficult to produce when it comes to an exceptional photograph? Give me two of your work as an example.

Julia: The most difficult is to make photos come alive. Even if the photos are technically good, when it doesn't have "soul", who will tell it’s exceptional?

"Since My City Is So Grey"

I tried to bring emotions into my architecture shots. For example, I tried to effect sadness in the photograph “Since my city is so grey”. You won’t see any human there. It’s only a picture of street. I wanted it to speak for itself with a color and a light.


Exceptional photographs catch attention. The color is like a magnet. I tried to make “All autumn, all fall” exceptional by bringing some vivid colors into it.

Do you believe everyone can take good photographs? Or is there a way to realise there's exceptional talent behind a special photograph?

Julia: Honestly, I've thought about it many times, but I still don’t have a clear answer. It seems that not everyone is sensitive enough in the world. To be a good photographer, you have to see beauty in every day life, all around. But sometimes I believe that everyone has a potential.

What "theme" have you worked on, and which of those themes excited you, and why?

Julia: I am very excited by my photos of Warsaw. I still have many things to show and it makes me very impatient for another session. Why? My city has so many unique places and I want to show them to the world.

People tend to connect me with my photos of parks. The theme I worked under then was "Bench". Not a very serious theme, but I enjoyed it.

What project are you working on currently, or what are you planning in terms of future direction?

Julia: I still have so many ideas to fulfill, but there is always not enough time.

In future I would want to work more with people and learn black and white photography. I want to make my photos look more mature and serious. There are always many things to improve!


==> JULIA DUNIN-BRZEZIŃSKA