Through the Polish streets - interview with Katarzyna Kubiak

Polish photographer Katarzyna Kubiak, 35, started shooting at the age of 30, when many people already consider themselves old enough to learn anything. A civil servant in Warsaw, she started taking pictures with her cell phone on a daily bases and on trips, until she won a contest with one of them. The quality of the file generated by the device, however, prevented her from participating in the exhibition with the winners and led her to buy a better camera.

With the new equipment, she took street photography more seriously. She was part of two collectives (Streetical Collective and un-posed) and entered other contests. She has won or received honorable mentions in four of them: International Photography Awards (2015), Moscow International Photo Awards (2016), Leica Street Photo (2016) and Human DOC Proclub Camera (2016). Her photos have been published in the World Street Photography Book, Debuts (2016), Street Photography Magazine, Street Photography in the World Book vol. 1, in Eye Photo Magazine and PhotoVogue by Vogue Italy. In parallel, she has been gaining visibility on social networks - on Instagram, se has now more than 20 thousand followers.

This year, she went to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival. Despite fears about violence in the city, and warnings given by cariocas on the streets, she photographed the party.

In the following interview, Katarzyna talks about her career, the experience of taking pictures in Brazil, the difference in photography in Poland, the difficulties of balancing personal life and photography, street photography and her plans for the future as a documentary photographer.

When and how did your interest for photography started?

I started to be interested in photography at the end of 2014. I photographed everything that somehow interested me. I was taking pictures with my mobile phone at the time. By chance, I won a photo contest, but because of the very poor quality of the photo from my phone, my photo could't take part in the exhibition. I was disqualified and I was very sorry. Then I decided to buy a camera.

What attract you most in photography?

It's hard to say, but I think beauty in photography. All the time I am surprised by something in different types of photography

Why did you chose street photography?

I can't say I choose street photography because it became quite natural. It's just a form that suits me the most

What are the biggest challenge in street photography? And what do you like more about it?

Challenges in street photography are also what I like the most. I think it's a curiosity about what you can see and how you can show it. The biggest challenge, in my opinion, is to take a photo that will interest others. We are producing so many pictures now that it is very difficult to do so.

Where do you take pictures more frequently? 

I usually take pictures during my travels, mainly because I don't have time to do it every day. Working and raising my daughter takes me most of the day. Recently, mainly on weekends, I go out to take pictures in my hometown more and more often.

How do you choose the themes and places you will photograph? 

As I wrote earlier, I take pictures mainly during my travels, so these are usually the places I want to see in the country I'm visiting.

Could you please describe your routine when you are taking pictures? 

I think I treat it now more as a form of walking and taking pictures. I never have the usual routine. I just walk and take pictures of everything I find interesting.

Many scenes in your pictures are funny. What are your main influences, in photography and other fields that you think have influenced your way of seeing?

Contrary to what you've noticed, I like visually pretty pictures more than funny ones. I think it's because of my love for cinema. I think it's a big part of how I take pictures.

Could you quote other street photographer of you generation that you admire, but are not necessarily references? 

I am constantly discovering new great photographers and there's no way I can name all the people I admire here. I am also not good at remembering names, I am more familiar with other photographers after the pictures they took. 

You integrate two photography collectives. How does it helps you?  

I'm not in any collective right now, but I'm not excluding anything. Some time ago I felt that being there didn't bring anything and I decided to give up. However, I am always open to new ideas and if I decide that it is worth investing time in something and my activities I will definitely do it.  

I saw that you have been to Brazil. I guess it was for Carnival. How was your experience taking pictures here? 

Yeah, I was in Brazil this year. I really wanted to see with my own eyes what the world-famous carnival looks like. I read about the dangerous situation in Rio from the very beginning, but I didn't know what to expect. There are more and less safe countries in Europe, but that is not comparable at all. This is something completely different. In Europe I don't have to worry about the camera, I can walk with it in my hand and nothing will happen. The first time I left the hotel, people on the street came up to me and told me to hide the camera because otherwise someone would steal it. This made it very difficult for me to take pictures, because everyone was paying attention to me, most of the time probably because they were wondering how to be so stupid to walk with the camera on top. Definitely in Brazil you have to have your eyes around your head and be more careful than in Europe. Fortunately, I didn't have any unpleasant situation and I remember the carnival as a great experience. Of course, after a few days I carried my camera in my backpack, which I kept in front of me. I took out the camera, took pictures and hid it back. It was my way of taking pictures in Rio :)

How different was it from taking pictures on the streets of Poland? How people normally react to street photographers in Poland?

As I wrote earlier, it is very dangerous in Rio, but at the same time people were friendly and wonderful, very open. This makes it different from people in Poland who are rather closed and inaccessible. Surely it' s a bit of a result of our culture and history. We are less trusting and suspicious. This also results in taking pictures in Poland. Often people complain or pay attention and ask why I take pictures of them.

Are you working on any specific project right now? If yes, could you tell us about it?

Unfortunately, at the moment I am not working on any project, although I do not lack ideas. For personal reasons I have not had the time to realize it. In the near future I'm going to focus on learning new things in photography

Do you make money with photography? Or it is a hobby? If it is hobby, what is your profession?

Sometimes I make money on photography, but right now it's mostly my hobby. I am currently working as one of the managers in public administration.

What equipment do you use?

Fuji X100F

How do you see your photography today? I mean, how do you feel about your work? What would you like to explore more? What would you like to left behind?

I'm sure my approach to street photography has changed. I don't take it as seriously as I did before. It's great fun for me and I'm still passionate about it, but now I'm going to try to focus on documentary photography and as I wrote I want to learn new things.

In your portfolio, what pictures do you like more?

I think I really like multi-layered photographs, but I also pay a lot of attention to aesthetics. I like it when there is a lot going on and the frame is close. 

What would you suggest for those starting to taking pictures?

In fact, you can say that I, too, am at the beginning of this journey all the time. A few years of photographing doesn't make me an expert in this field :) However, I would like people not to pay too much attention to the opinions of others. And the other way round, let them not be jealous of the successes of others.  

Fred Frith Trio

Show do Fred Frith Trio, do guitarrista de jazz experimental Fred Frith, com a trompetista Suzana Santos Silva e a designer de luz Heike Liss. No SESC Pompeia, em São Paulo.