The Dreamlike Portraiture of Patrycja Marciniak + Interview
Patrycja Marciniak is a Polish photographer specialising in dreamlike portraiture.
We've fallen in love with her floral fantasies, otherworldly subjects, and stunning colour palettes. Keep scrolling to read an inspiring interview with Patrycja, as well as to see more of her incredible work.
Q: When did your love of photography first blossom?
A: It's hard to tell the exact moment - it's a hobby that grew and evolved over years. I've had a simple, compact camera since I was a teenager - I mostly used it for snapping photos of my friends on school trips or holidays. Gradually, I shifted my interest in photography to nature and architecture. My family noticed my growing interest and skill in that field and bought me my first SLR on my 18th birthday.
When I went to college to study graphic design, I had really great photography classes that taught me a lot about technical aspects as well as composition, colors and artistic values of photography. I became interested in shooting portraits - and that's what I'm still most passionate about.
Q: What inspires your creativity the most and why?
A: I get inspirations from fairytales, folk tales, books, music... however, the most common source of inspiration for me is the Internet. Browsing sites like tumblr or instagram always leads to adding some inspirational pictures to my folder - sometimes they are portraits taken by other photographers, but at other times it can be a picture of a plant, an insect, an everyday object that moved me in some way.
Q: How would you sum-up your photography style in just 3 words?
A: Dreamlike, fairytale, ethereal.
Q: What advice would you offer to emerging photographers?
A: Get inspired, look closely at photos other people create, learn from them, ask for constructive criticism. When observing the world try to look at it with 'photographer's eyes'. Learn the basics of photography and learn to break the rules. Write your ideas down. Don't give up too easy, but don't be harsh to yourself.
Q: Lastly, what do you hope to achieve with your photography career in the not-too-distant future; do you have any exciting, upcoming plans to share with us?
A: Right now I'm developing my own business - an escape room - which is not very much photography-related, but gives me an opportunity to work on interior design and props that could be used to make some very interesting photoshoots in the aesthetics of vintage magicians, circuses, and dollmakers.
