My parents are both originally from Poland. Being so, after being born I was whisked away to Poland to meet the family. They are artists and for work they traveled to art shows around the country. We would travel everywhere by car, a white suburban that became a second home. I remember being in a car for 11 hours straight driving from Salt Lake City to Sun Valley Idaho staring at the desert of molten rock and munching down on some jerky from the last gas station. Travel was always in my life from the beginning, whether I liked it or not. And since my father was a fashion photographer in the early ’80s in NYC, cameras have always been around me. My mom gave me the nickname Lala when I was little, being that I was always in Lala land, dreaming of something. When I picked up the camera, it became easier to dream.
So having this in mind, it’s not surprising that later I decided to study Advertising Communications at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I had roommates who were all artists, from design to photography. Art had always been around me so it made sense to do a minor in art history. I can honestly tell you that it wasn’t my smartest decision, however it did push me to learn Italian. During the study, there was a program in Florence, Italy, for the Summer and I took that opportunity in a heartbeat. So much art history there, why not?! When I was there, I took photos of everything and I still have every single photo. I loved capturing where I was.
Soon friends asked ” take a photo of me, your so good at it” and from that trip, I knew this iPhone 6 wasn’t going to cut it. So the following Summer, right before I left for a trip with my friends to Lisbon, Portugal, I went with my dad to a camera shop and bought a Canon Mark III. I was playing with the camera at the airport to get to know how it would work. Two days later my dad asked me: “So how’s the camera?” – I’ll never forget my answer: “It’s like looking through God’s eyes but better.”
At some point I quit my job in NYC and set out for a 2-month adventure through South America, which frankly wasn’t enough because it’s filled with so much beauty and culture! I already got interested in taking portrait photos when I was in Cuba some time before; I saw a story to be told, about the people. I photographed them daily and felt that I found a bit more meaning in these photos compared to photographs of landscapes, personally. Then, once I stepped into Bolivia I became fascinated with the Andean people and their culture. The Bolivians were hard to talk to and photograph. They didn’t want to know much about travelers, neither a huge camera in their face. So I photographed them from afar. Further down the road in Peru though, walking in one of the sacred sights around Cusco, I saw a woman sitting there, peacefully looking at us. Her name is Paulina, 93 years old and coming from a local village.
What I like most about sharing my photos in social media, is that I can create a realistic image of a country. I want to show the culture and the beauty of a place, putting the aside the amazing instagrammable places and landscapes. The portraits are definitely part of this realistic and cultural perspective I can share with others. I love to share my images, but in a way that is honest and pure while also informing on the location or its culture. I think you can see that in my editing style as well; I want to show original beauty. I am still learning about techniques and finding out my style, but what I am sure of is that I want my photography to make the viewer feel like they are there with me, seeing, smelling, and listening to that photograph.
I love photography and the editing process, but when I am traveling, I try to be there, and to capture the beauty as much as I can with my camera. It’s the traveling part that teaches you so much about the world and about yourself. While traveling I have learned how strong I am, especially while I’m traveling alone. The world is becoming a smaller place as we explore and I find that I rather go to the unknown. Personally I don’t want to think about what I am going to share on social media when I am exploring.
Eric is a passionate landscape photographer based in Germany whose love for travel and the outdoors blossomed during the pandemic. A trip to the Dolomites in 2022 turned his hobby into a deeper pursuit, leading him to capture breathtaking landscapes with both his camera and drone. Eric now combines his hobby with professional gigs.
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