CRAFT CONCEPTUAL FRAMES
Fine art POTY, Paul Szimák, discusses his painterly imagery with amessage
Pictured
L’agonie de Gaia
In Greek mythology, the goddess Gaia embodies the Earth. She is radiantly beautiful, but humans have exploited her and she is in danger of dying.
4x © Paul Szimák
“Two years ago, I found myself in a desolate desert where a beautiful lake I remembered from my childhood had dried up completely. This moment sparked a vision of a nature goddess bringing life back to the barren land – a symbol of hope and resilience that transformed my artistic direction. Having spent years in classic photography and feeling creatively stuck, this experience opened up a world of surreal image design. I had never considered fine art compositions before, thinking they were unattainable.
For this, I had to start thinking like a painter when composing the image and adjusting the light. Agood picture deserves effort – painters don’t just start painting, they think about the image structure, the colours and the concept. They define a section and framework, while the details that unfold inside become a staged coincidence. When shooting, I aim for natural make-up and unusual or unique clothing and keep the shot as simple as possible, as one precise pose is better than many sloppy ones.