Multi-family residential building of the Military Housing Fund, Warsaw, 1931–1933 Architect: Romuald Gutt Photo: 2014

In Focus is Archinect's recurring series dedicated to profiling the photographers who help make the work of architects look that much better. What has attracted them to architecture? How do they work? What type of equipment do they use? What do they think about seeing their work in blogs?

For this installment, Archinect interviews the Polish photographer Błażej Pindor, whose work often focuses on capturing the modernist-era buildings and interiors of Poland.

What is your relationship with architecture? What drew you to architecture, as a photographer?

Due to family interests, both architecture and photography have been present in my life from early on. I studied architecture in Warsaw for some time in the 1990s and started to explore the relationship between architecture and its image (be it 2D or 3D) which I actually found more inspiring than designing real buildings. It was a couple of years later during my photography studies though that I was able to take the matter further and think about how to use ideas of planar representation of spatial structures to my advantage. What drew me to explore it… I can think about my fascination with the translation of mass and volume to plane. Or, for turn, about my fascination with materiality of the 4x5 negatives. However, I just feel it is somehow natural for me to put my hands in it.

Describe how you work. Who are your clients?

My mode of work is always similar regardless if the project is self-commissioned or the commission comes from somewhere else. I always start with studying existing imagery and plans and then possibly discussion with a client about what are important points that have to be captured.

I always start with studying existing imagery and plans and then possibly discussion with a client about what are important points that have to be captured

After a decision is made about ‘engaging’ with the object, I visit the location and make photo-notes (or ‘scouting’). Basically, to experience how the object feels and how it looks — in other words, to understand it. It is on the basis of these notes that I choose (by myself or with the client in case of commissioned work) which frames have to be made. Then goes the planning of the actual shoot.

I often photograph historical architecture and most of my commissions come from cultural institutions in Poland that are in need of original architectural photography. I do a lot of self-commissioned projects (these are funded by public or private grants if received) and that is an essential part of my activity, but I also work with architects and publishers.

Photography of architecture is always the result of cooperation between the media, the architect and the photographer — this is what can be called the triangle of mediatization. Doesn’t matter if the arrangement is only between two out of three, the triangle always matters.

So, regardless what we arrange within this triangle — what we really want to show: architecture’s best or architecture’s worst, it has to be a good image that comes out. It is the ultimate goal: a captivating image. The pictures are what lasts, aren’t they?

Do you mostly work in a specific region? What is the travel schedule like?

So far, I do most of my work in Warsaw but also travel around Poland if necessary.

What are your goals when capturing buildings in photographs?

If I work with the architect, or other client who has clear goals, their suggestions are the starting point in the creative process. On the other hand, there is my own experience of the subject. So, the point is to work with these two to the advantage of the story.

How would you describe your photographic approach?

This work is conveying spatial experiences with language of flat geometry. In short, it is just aesthetically very refined. In a broader view of things, it is very postmodern: creating my own distinct way of seeing, drawing from established modes of architectural representation.

You often photograph historic buildings. Do you approach this subject matter differently than you would a recently completed building?

There are a couple of significant differences in approaching these two. When dealing with historic buildings, most likely one can’t ask questions to the authors. When trying to understand some aspects of building’s function or formal features one is left to his own assumptions. I work a bit like archaeologists in some cases. However, what one does have in this case is existing imagery—already established ways of seeing or photographing the building in question. Those existing ways can be worked with—affirmed or deconstructed. In case of new buildings this is part of the game—to create these ways of seeing ourselves.

For self-commission work, how do you typically find the places you visit?

I sort of have this nose for good architecture, ya know... But seriously, Warsaw isn’t replete with historic urban fabric and it is also changing fast, so it is a good habit to photograph objects that you like since they may be gone soon.

What are your thoughts about including people in your photos? Is it important to photograph a building in use, or by itself?

Such jobs may happen in which the goal is to abstract the building from any life, to see it as a sculpture, but if the decision is mine, I always prefer to show how the buildings are used. After all, even sculptures can be shown as being utilized.

What are your favorite pieces of equipment?

This question, I was sure was coming... Well, in my opinion photography genres are always secondary to equipment that is used. Equipment dictates aesthetics, let’s say it straight. I studied photography in a time when efforts in bringing about digital capture technology were rather laughable (remember waiting a couple of minutes for that scanning back to make one exposure in daylight?) Now, in 2019, this digital technology is still kind of new. We may use to our advantage the fact that taking hundreds of exposures costs us no more than taking one, and compose, say, passers-by or sun rays to our liking. However, the real shift in aesthetics didn’t happen yet. And architectural photography as we know it is supposed to be done with view camera. I do use view camera and know it well. Sure, there are many successful photographers using only SLRs with TS-lenses. I’d just say that some of the photographs I want to make are just not possible to be made this way.

Do you work alone?

I try to use an assistant when possible since it makes me more portable on complicated sets. Since I usually plan frames in advance, I don’t need to have a client around. However, it is good to fix close cooperation of building’s administration for sake of access, light arrangements or even cleaning. In case of large interiors this sort of team can count in dozens.

What is the most memorable site you've photographed and why?

If I may think of a single most intense object—it is still for me the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. It is one of the greatest examples of Socialist-realist architecture in Poland. It is very Soviet in style but paradoxically also very American—it was designed by Lev Rudnev at a time when he was very much looking at New York and Chicago skyscrapers for inspiration. It is not that I love it in particular (come on, it is fake! It is not a REAL palace!) but the fact it was designed very carefully down to smallest detail is already worth respect. Its very existence is still controversial for many in Poland. However, it is enormous and, even if a bit beat up during decades of careless usage, it is still spectacular.

Błażej Pindor (b. 1973) is graphic designer and photographer, who studied architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology (1993-1997) and photography at the Film and TV Dept. of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (BA 2002). In years 2005-2008, Pindor co-created ‘Piktogram’ art magazine. He has designed books and catalogues for art institutions such as Foksal Gallery Foundation, Zachęta –National Gallery of Art, Van Abbemuseum and National Audiovisual Institute. At the same time, Pindor engaged in creating artistic architectural photography. He's published photography in Polish and German journals on art and architecture, exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Poland, and received public grants for realization of photographic projects. In 2018, Pindor published the photo-book “Romuald Gutt’s Warsaw,” which explores the work of modernist architect Romuald Gutt.

 www.blazejpindor.net