An Exclusive Interview
with Ryszard Wierzbicki

Born in 1963, Ryszard Wierzbicki is a graduate of University of Gdańsk in Poland, and completed his master degree of Social Sciences in Children Care Education in 1992. He worked in an orphanage and four other companies, where he served the positions of Educator, Marketing Specialist, and Sales & Marketing Manager in various branches including child care, dentistry, orthodontics, and IT. Apart from his regular jobs he continued developing his Scuba Diving qualification resulted as an instructor level in PADI. After emigrating to UK in 2006, he began his real travel and photography experience. He loves to explore South-East Asia, where he volunteers occasionally with Stu and the Kids charity organization of Thai and Burmese Orphans (stuandthekids.org). He established two forums for active travelers and photographers named Instant Travelling (instanttravelling.ning.com) and World Around (worldaround.co.uk) in 2010. Changed to an ironed suit and laptop for cargo trousers, hoodie jacket, and knapsack, Ryszard have been managing freely the passion of photography, traveling, and scuba diving. He is now self-employed as marketing advisor and tour organizer, happily divorced, and has no kids.

Winner

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

October 2020

Winning Position:
1st Place

In this “Exclusive Interview” section, today we have the opportunity to talk with Ryszard Wierzbicki, as one of his  photographs won the Photo of the Month – October 2020, 1st Place.

Let’s discover more about Ryszard Wierzbicki, and his forays into photography in the following interview :

Light & Composition
How do you choose the locations for your photoshoots?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

I didn’t specifically choose the location to take this photo. It was a spontaneous decision to go on a trip around Inle Lake during my stay in Burma together with my Polish friends Kasia and Krzysiek. We simply rented a boat that took us to the other side of the lake and started trekking around the lake. And one of the first places we saw was the local market. It was there that I noticed a man watching me closely. I quickly pressed the shutter button… and this is the result.

Light & Composition
Can you share a story about a difficult shoot that ended up being successful?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

Yes! My strategy for taking a successful photo (in this case a portrait) is simple. The basic thing is to establish personal contact with the person being photographed. In this case, having noticed a man, having picked him out from the crowd of people at the market, I made eye contact with him and gestured to show him my camera and simulated pressing the shutter button… In response, I saw him nod his head as a sign of permission to take a photo. You can see the effect in the photo. It was that one unique moment to get a good shot.

Light & Composition
What camera and lenses do you currently use and why?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

Currently I use a Nikon D7200 camera with a Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD lens as the main camera. The long focal length lens allows me to take shots from a distance, which makes it much easier for me to work with the camera while traveling. I also use an Olympus PEN E-PL10 mirrorless camera for shooting in all situations, which I take with me wherever I go. Of course, I also use my mobile phone more and more often to shoot genre scenes and short clips, and the pocket gimbal Hohem iSteady Q Multi-purpose Gimbal Stabilizer as a Selfie Stick and Tripod.

Light & Composition
How do you prepare for a photography trip or assignment?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

When preparing for a trip focused mainly on photography, I focus on collecting the equipment and all the necessary accessories. The most important thing, of course, is to minimize the size of all luggage in terms of quantity and weight of equipment. You should also bear in mind that all photographic equipment and accessories are not accepted in checked baggage. Hence, this is a somewhat risky task, because all this equipment often weighs more than the main luggage and often exceeds 7 kg. And you need to have all this with you. Another aspect of preparation is compiling and packing cameras in such a way that they can be used as quickly as possible, without wasting time on preparations for the shot, i.e. quick removal and activation of the camera, quick packing back into the bag, etc. All these preparations result in greater agency in obtaining “good shots” while working with the equipment.

Light & Composition
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer for you?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

The most rewarding and inspiring aspect of being a photographer is getting that one, inimitable and unique shot. This happens very rarely and is the result of a combination of many circumstances, such as: patience, skills, understanding the situation, the ability to find one’s surroundings and establish contacts, be discreet and sensitive to the surrounding reality and, above all, luck.

Light & Composition
How do you stay motivated and inspired in your work?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

You need to be sensitive to the surrounding reality, hard-working, patient and persistent in pursuing your goal.

Light & Composition
Can you describe your favorite photograph and why it means so much to you?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

The best photography is the one in which you capture one and unique moment that expresses the essence of the situation, phenomenon or the meaning of the photographed image better than words.

Light & Composition
How do you balance technical skills with artistic vision in your work?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

I’m not too worried about it. I’m just taking photos. It goes without saying that not all shots will be successful. It is normal. Sometimes a potentially blurred shot (moved, overexposed or out of focus) can express the entire essence of the photographed object. For me, photography is supposed to reflect reality in all its aspects, not to modify it. I can’t stand edited, retouched or posed photos… This is not my vision of photography. Only an unmodified image express the truth about reality. A photographer’s mission should be to record reality, in my opinion, not to change it.

Light & Composition
What advice would you give to new photographers just starting out?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

Take photos! As much as you can! Try to find that one shot that is yours and no one else’s. Don’t listen to others! Don’t be discouraged! Don’t save on top equipment! It’s not the equipment that takes photos, it’s you! Take photos and develop your own style!

Light & Composition
How did you feel about the opportunity to share your story through this interview for winning the award?

Ryszard Wierzbicki

It will be a great satisfaction for me if I can convince anyone to raise their photography skills to a higher level or in any way inspire them to take up the challenge in their photography adventure. Greetings to all photography adepts! Peace & Love!

Light & Composition
Thank you Ryszard, for sharing your feelings and experiences with us.

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