Interior photography is a form of storytelling about the relationship between man and the surrounding space. This is how Paweł Biedrzycki, the owner of the Kąty Proste interior photography studio, perceives his profession. A graduate of the National Film School in Łodź, he has been working under his own label for eight years, constantly expanding his portfolio with new collaborations with architects from all over Poland.
The journey in finding your passion – first steps in photography. How did your foray into photography begin?
Photography has been present in my life since childhood. I remember even in primary school I would run around school with my camera. At the time, however, I did not think that this could one day become my professional career. For a few weeks, I attended photography classes at the municipal cultural centre in Radom, where we experimented mainly with analogue photography and looked at the work of famous photographers. I remember being very fascinated by it. Sadly, the following year these classes were no longer run, and in my home town at the time, I had no opportunity to develop a passion for photography. The exception was the Secondary School of Fine Arts, but I had never manifested an aptitude for drawing or painting, so I did not consider this school. In the following years, by and large, the camera kept me company during my travels. After graduating from secondary school, I opted to study something I wasn’t particularly passionate about. I completed my bachelor’s degree and thought this is totally not what I want to do in life. And then I decided to revisit photography. For a year, I studied at the Academy of Photography in Warsaw, where I had the opportunity to meet outstanding photographers from many fields. I worked really hard and wanted to pursue this further, which led me to study at the National Film School in Łódź and, over time, I grew confident that I wanted to pursue photography exclusively.
I was particularly interested in the documentary photography. To date, one of my favourite photographers is Martin Kollar, who invariably inspires me. He is an artist who is uniquely able to portray detail in paintings that on the surface appear ordinary and uninteresting. My interest in documentary photography led me to the Sputnik Photos group where I had the pleasure of participating in a year-long mentorship programme tutored by Agnieszka Rayss. It was an extremely inspiring year for me, where I developed not only my own series of photographs intensively, but also had the opportunity to observe the work of other colleagues. Exchanging experiences and watching how each of us creates a completely different narrative is something that inspired me immensely. This was also when I realised what I was and wasn’t good at. As much as I was keen to see projects that were based on social themes and working with people, I felt more comfortable photographing the surrounding space, nature and architecture. By doing so, I was also creating a story about people, even if they were not present in the photographs. My photography projects had the dimension of a poetic narrative with a twist of creation rather than pure documentation.
The ‘Vestige’ project I did on the mentorship programme was an attempt to tell a story about the bond between man and nature, and the shared relationship between the two. Subsequent projects (‘A New, Wonderful World’) told the story of the presence of humankind in terms of the surrounding space, and the strong impact we have on it. Artistic interests have also largely carried over with me into commercial photography and are present in interior photography.
So where did the idea for interior photography come from?
Interior photography first emerged after finishing my 3rd year of university. I was already aware that it was difficult to make a living from only being an artist. I knew I had to find an area of photography that would continually inspire and stimulate me, while still allowing me to make a living.
At the time, I was offered the opportunity to do a shoot for a friend of mine, who worked as an interior designer. The photos of the flat we took were published in an interior design magazine, and later there were also online postings. Over time, more projects for architects followed, and I found that these sessions gave me great pleasure and satisfaction. I became increasingly interested in architecture and design. But I also knew that I needed to improve my skill set and work on my style. With that came Kąty Proste – it took me a few years to get to where I am now.
What is your process of preparing for an interior photo shoot? Are there any key steps that you always take?
At the outset, I always ask for preview photos of the property to be sent to me. The visuals are also welcome – especially if the designer is keen to reproduce the views from the visuals in photographs. It enables me to already build up some idea of the space and plan the types of shots I want to take. We also agree on the concept of the entire session together and set the goals we want to achieve.
At this stage, we also talk about styling for the shoot – an absolute must. Without it, we significantly reduce the chances of publishing material in the interior design press and on trade websites. Even the most phenomenal interiors, without the right styling, stand to lose a lot in the subsequent presentation. I always recommend consulting a professional interior stylist. Someone like that can always look at interiors without the high emotions that a designer usually has, and this allows you to get a new perspective. It also saves time and presents fully arranged interiors. By working together on an architect–photographer–stylist session, we can achieve the best results.
The next step is to agree a mutually convenient date and sign the contract. A full day should be planned for the session, especially if styling is done beforehand. I suggest that the designer is always present at the session. We work together on the images using a tablet, where we have a wider view range.
The final stage is the selection of images and subsequent processing. I send a larger pool of raw images from which the client selects shots for final post-production.
This is not where the cooperation ends. I offer the finished material to editors of interior design magazines and web portals and, in the event of interest, I deal with the distribution of materials and formalities.
What is the importance of natural light in interior photography for you? How do you deal with situations where there is insufficient light?
Natural light is key – without it, there is no photography. I don’t use artificial light. I like natural daylight and this is the aesthetic in the photos that suits me best. Of course, there are times when we turn on the lamps for certain shots because lighting is an important part of the project for the designer and they want to emphasise it.
Commercial interiors are also an exception, because they often rely only on artificial lighting. It is usually so well designed that it looks very good in photographs. And it is also the photographer’s responsibility to expertly manage the light so that the final result looks good in the photos.
Do you prefer to photograph interiors with a particular décor or style, or do you adapt to different aesthetics?
I have a lot of curiosity about many styles in interiors. I don’t shut myself off to one aesthetic, although, of course, I have my favourites.
How do you work with interior designers or property owners to capture their vision in photographs?
As I’ve said before, I emphasise close collaboration at all stages – from conception, to my presence at the shoot, to the selection of the final shots and my involvement in the subsequent distribution of the shoot to the media.
What advice would you have for architects or interior designers who are planning to start working with an interior photographer?
First of all, arrange the interiors and attractive styling for the shoot. If you don’t feel up to preparing it yourself, get a stylist involved. This will save you a great deal of time and work and will certainly increase the chance of media interest in the final photo material. So many great interiors lose their potential for publication in print due to incompetent styling – unfortunately most often done by the architects themselves.
It is also worth considering what goals we want to achieve. I assume that we should present the results of our work to a wider audience. It makes no sense to take photographs and only keep them to ourselves. The production of a photo shoot is an expense for the designer. Professional photography and interior styling is a demanding process preceded by meticulous preparation. We should think of it as an investment in our brand and image building. I have a high regard for the work of designers and feel a sense of responsibility when they engage me to document their projects. That’s why I don’t end up working on sending the photos, but rather assist with their subsequent distribution to the media. In my view, it is best to offer photo material to the editors of print magazines in the first place. However, we have to bear in mind that if they are interested, such a session will not be made available overnight. Sometimes it takes a few months to be published in the press. Editors plan issues well in advance and if they like our photo session, it goes into the ‘queue’. It is important to understand that we should not publish the shots on any online portals prior to publication in the press. This should be postponed at least until the release in the printed magazine.
It is also worth ensuring that the footage from the shoot is varied: vertical and horizontal images, not only wide plans but also details. This is important for the editorial team in the subsequent layout of the material. After the session, at the stage of sending the raw files to the client, I always suggest selecting specific images that have the greatest potential for publication. Obviously, these are just my suggestions. I don’t want to impose anything on the client, but I already have a feel for it as well as experience in this area, and I am usually right.
