Moody black-and-white portrait of a person in soft directional light against a dark backdrop, fine grain, contemplative atmosphere

Fine Art & Commercial Photography

Award-winning work spanning business portraits, fashion, events, and conceptual series — captured on film and medium format in Wrocław, Poland.

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Photographer Fine Art & Commercial
Dark, grainy black-and-white photograph of a figure in soft shadow, fine-art portrait mood with deep contrast
"Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed."
— Rafal Michalak

News

Shooting in low light for sharp, moody images

Low light can give a photograph its emotional weight. A dim room, a street after rain, or a single window illuminating a face can create tension and atmosphere…

The business of photography: marketing your brand

A photography business is built on more than a strong portfolio. Clients need to understand what you offer, why your approach is distinctive, and how your…

What Gives a Portrait Lasting Visual Power

A timeless portrait does more than record a face at a particular age or place. It preserves a mood, a relationship and a sense of character that can still feel…

Creating a Series from First Frame to Final Print

A photographic series rarely begins with a complete explanation. It starts with an image, a texture, a gesture or a persistent question that refuses to…

Celebrating imperfection through the grain and texture of film

Film photography carries evidence of its own making. A fine grain across a shadow, a slight shift in exposure, or the soft edge of a highlight reminds us that…

The technical side of shooting with vintage lenses

Vintage lenses bring a distinctive visual language to photography. Their rendering can be softer at wide apertures, lower in contrast, warmer in colour, or…

How to price your photography services as a freelancer

Setting a photography fee is a creative and commercial decision. Your clients are paying for more than the hour spent holding a camera: they are buying…

Photography as a tool for emotional expression

A photograph can preserve far more than a face, a place or a carefully arranged scene. It can hold hesitation, confidence, grief, tenderness, tension and…

How a photograph moves from contact sheet to final edit

A workflow is rarely a straight line. It bends, loops, and occasionally doubles back when a frame refuses to behave. For me, the path from a freshly exposed…

The Best Locations in Wrocław for Outdoor Portraits

Wrocław offers an unusually rich setting for portrait photography. Medieval façades, reflective waterways, modernist architecture, leafy gardens and…

Selected Series

A cross-section of commissioned and personal projects spanning fine art, commercial, and conceptual work.

Motion-blurred black-and-white view down a curved tunnel with track lines and lights, dynamic and disorienting mood

The Wall

2015

Winner of the 1st prize & Golden Glass Award at the 11th Photographic Open Championship Olsztyn, and 1st place with the Special Prize of FORMAT magazine at the 3rd Biennial of Art in Piotrków Trybunalski.

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Black-and-white view through a car windshield of two vehicles driving on a snowy mountain road, overcast mood

An Engagement Ring

2011

A narrative series set in Wrocław in August 2011. Awarded 2nd prize & Silver Glass at the 10th Photographic Open Championship Olsztyn in 2014.

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Grainy black-and-white photograph with strong contrast, fine-art editorial style, moody and atmospheric

Heat Wave

2014

A documentary series recording spontaneous events across August and September 2014, capturing the raw energy of a city under the grip of summer.

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