PRODUCT CATEGORY WINNER

MARCIN GIŻYCKI

Polish photographer, graphic designer, and art director Marcin Giżycki loves to play with geometrical shapes and the illusion of perspective in his work.

How did you get to where you are today in your photographic career?

In principle, it consists of two elements. The first was experiencing a careless childhood that let me discover the world in peace. I started my journey with photography pretty early. From a young age, I also showed interest in other forms of creative expression. I drew a lot, painted, and now I design advertising, branding and visual communication. In high school, I photographed a lot of punk concerts; I was really connected to this scene. During my studies, I started doing a bit of commercial work (rather small, but it helped me practice my skills). Later in my more adult years, I have worked as a junior graphic designer for VICE Magazine, followed by a role as a production assistant and still photographer for film production advertisements, as well as a photographer and art director at East News Photo Agency for a few years. I have developed a lot of interesting friendships and had a chance to meet a couple of important personalities in the photography world. It was another step in learning and developing. Ultimately, I landed in an advertising agency as an art director while being part of photography projects simultaneously.

What inspires you/your work?

My inspiration varies between photographers and artists like Elliot Erwitt, Arākī, and Edward Hopper to many contemporary artists and classics of photography. I appreciate taking on new methods and trying to adapt them to my own style.

What do you try to achieve through your photographic work?

That is a hard question. I perceive photography as a tool for self-development, and as I face new challenges every day, I attempt to look at them with fresh perspectives. I meet fascinating people, listen to their stories, and strive to present my images in a believable and interesting way to the viewers. What I want to achieve with photography is to show depth and a message that would impact the viewer. And I don’t mean just the visual experience or communication of information, but real emotion that will impact the viewer. Without a doubt, I gain a lot of satisfaction seeing the happiness on the faces of people when they see my photographs. I also think that my profession gives me the opportunity to transport people into the places I have seen myself, making the world more accessible and not so distant. It’s like taking everyone on a trip with me.

What is your Masters series about?

This project is an unusual journey to another dimension in which everyday objects are set up as monuments dedicated to long-forgotten gods. We begin with a calm flight over the surface of this alien planet – we can see the outlines of long forgotten structures, embedded somewhere between the meanders of colorful rivers. After some time, we go deeper, and we are able to admire these monuments from a close distance. Surrounded by secrecy and difficult to interpret, these objects make a mysterious impression. Putting them in these odd environments created a peculiar impression emphasizing their cosmic, noble character.

Where did you get the idea for your project?

Ever since childhood, I’ve been intrigued by sci-fi cinema. Besides a fascination for futuristic concepts, I was curious about the technical aspects of filming. Obtaining a "cosmic" impression without the use of CGI has always amazed me. “How did they do it? How did they achieve those results?” I would ask. I have wanted to take on such a project, inspired by working with analog visual effects. When we look at the classics of the genre and think about it for a bit longer, we can see that some techniques are innovation in its purest form!

How was your experience using a Hasselblad medium format camera for carrying out your project?

Thanks to Hasselblad medium format and its advantages, I have achieved great results. The H6D-100c performed excellently in the studio plus a very wide dynamic range and unprecedented detail in individual macro-type shots; these are only a few elements that describe the final result. I can't wait to see the images on really large prints!