Luke Pyrzynski, Photographer and Filmmaker, The 13 Studio
Luke "eastbanger" Pyrzynski is a Product Designer, Photographer, and Filmmaker from Poland. For the purpose of this interview, let's focus on the field of photography. Luke has a passion for sharing his street photography conquests.
He has been on an adventure in street photography since 2020 when he took his first street photographs on a cold March night in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Luke specializes in night photography. He loves to use DOF (depth of field), symmetry, show the beauty of bokeh, or take long exposures.
His night photos have characteristic cold tones, but it is not uncommon to see photos with warmer tones as well. The mission and initial goal were and still are to inspire all those who are afraid to go out and take pictures as well as all those who want to take their first steps in photography, whatever their preferences.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
My favourite platform for sharing my work is Instagram. This is where I started to publish my first photos and where I upload them to this day. Instagram is also a very special place for me because it was on this platform, through photography, that I met my girlfriend, currently fiancée.
So anything is possible! About the platform itself, the way it works and its rules appealed to me from the very beginning. For example, I like how quickly and easily you can show your photos to the whole world. The only thing that may irritate us is the constantly changing algorithm, but I think that with time, we can get used to everything, even if at the beginning we were unhappy.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I have always been inspired by photography. My father was a photographer, and somehow it worked out that most of the people in my family were involved with photography. But to be honest, I'm not part of the group of people who were passionate about analogues.
I decided to join the world of photography when the first DSLRs came out. But then, it all evolved very quickly to mirrorless, and I think that's the best thing that could have happened in the world of photography for a while.
What interests me most at the moment is street and automotive photography. I treat street photography as a constantly evolving hobby. In contrast, automotive photography is a form of extra income. I like to call myself a street photographer, but like most of us, I deal with almost every kind of photography.
For example, my fiancée and I will soon be taking photos at a wedding - and the couple that will be getting married contacted me because they liked my street photography (what an imagination)!
Luke Pyrzynski
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
When I think back and look at where I was three or four years ago and where I am now, I know and can confirm that it will eventually happen if you want to achieve something and you're working hard to achieve it.
I like street photography because you can see a place inside out. You know every nook and cranny, every corner, but all you have to do is go there at a different time, in different weather, and you can take a completely different picture.
These are the little details that make you smile and even if you don't travel, the place you are in can be really interesting; you just have to give it a chance.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never let someone tell you what you can and cannot accomplish. You can achieve anything. Above all, you have to want to achieve it, and things will work out so that you will eventually achieve it. You will not always achieve the things you dream of right away.
It won't always be an easy road, but if you are motivated and focused enough, you will finally achieve it. If you don't get it right the first time, try to get it right the second time. If it doesn't work the second time, keep going until it does.
And all the experience you gain along the way will certainly not be wasted and will make it easier for you in the next steps of your personal development.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
It's no secret that I'm inspired by other photographers and look through photos daily for new ideas to realize. My ability to follow through with different ideas is what keeps me moving forward.
All I have to do is walk down the street, and I know that if I have another lens with me, for example, I'll be able to take a specific photo that I can't take at the moment.
And if I go back to that place with a different lens, I will take ten more from the surrounding places, etc. So, this is my personal motivation.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
I'm proud to have such a loving fiancée and slowly start a family. I'm proud of what I have accomplished so far over the last few years. I love doing what I do, and that is probably the best thing that can happen to you in life.
Luke Pyrzynski
Luke Pyrzynski
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
It seems to me that using one platform is sufficient if you are really looking for people to share your passion with. So, for me, Instagram is enough. I'm also fairly active on YouTube, but that's probably not the ideal place to make direct connections.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I might have had it a little easier because of my artistic background because I work as a product designer, went to college, and my direction was computer graphics. So, maybe that positively impacted my creativity and perception of the world and the way I edit my photos.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I would definitely want to know my equipment better then and what it is capable of. As I remember, how many photos could have come out better if I had paid careful attention to all the settings.
Regarding the non-technical aspects, I definitely wish I had been braver in my early days and not thought about who might have thought what as I ran down the street with my camera.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I'm not going to write out individual names because I think everyone contributes to such a creative circle in some way, whether globally or locally. So, it doesn't really matter.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
As I mentioned, I work as a Product Designer on a daily basis. Additionally, I work as a photographer and filmmaker in my second company. However, photography is also my hobby. And in addition to that, I'm interested in technical innovations, automotive, and gym workouts.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
Due to the fact that I work as a full-time freelancer, the pandemic in no way disturbed me at work, in hobbies, or other aspects of my life.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I was, and I am, a self-taught person. I have never had a mentor. However, like on Instagram or YouTube, I get a lot of questions about how to edit photos or various others, and I try to give all kinds of advice as far as I'm convinced this is the right way.
Luke Pyrzynski
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Street photography is not difficult. If you are afraid to go out on the streets, do it gradually. Start by photographing architecture or other objects, and in time you will start photographing people. Remember, patience is essential.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
There can be many factors. People quit because they have no creative ideas. People quit because they don't have enough motivation. Or they quit because they are doing this alone. We don't have to look far. I got so lost in commercial work for a while that I didn't feel like sharing my photos with the public.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Remember to look up!" - It is a reference to how people are sometimes limited by what is in front of them. People don't look up, especially in big cities. And looking up means completely different frames.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
The companies related to the industry are definitely Sony, DJI, and Sigma. Outside of the industry, Apple.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success is a relative term. Most of us associate success only with money. I believe that success is something you enjoy, and at the same time, you get paid for it, and you do not have to do anything else, so you are pretty much happy all the time and have time for more things.
Life lesson? Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is an experience. And experience is knowledge. And knowledge is the power you need to be successful.
Luke Pyrzynski
Luke Pyrzynski
Luke Pyrzynski