What is photography?

Six years ago I asked myself that question.

I was born in 1983 in Rzeszow Poland. Most of my childhood I spent without knowing what I want to do with my life. Then in 2004 I came to Chicago, with the hope of finding an answer. But I didn’t, I just had more questions. One of the questions was “What is Photography?”

After I got my first digital camera I didn’t know yet what I should expect from it. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it and most important I did not know yet that I love photography.

In 2005 I got my first digital camera it was a Canon point and shoot. I didn’t know anything about photography I just wanted to take pictures and to be like Jan Matejko or Claude Monte.

First pictures I took where taken at home in front of a Christmas tree with my dog and my girlfriend. Then my family,  cars and other subjects.

One day I took my dog for a walk to the park. I was walking around and I looked at the trees, they where colorful, yellow, green, orange and brown. I looked at them and I was amazed. So I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures, It was awesome! I looked at the camera and started adjusting its function, I didn’t know what I was doing I didn’t use this before. But I was doing something and I knottiest its changing the picture. Something about ISO and f. what is that? I asked myself. Where did that come from? Who knows, and I kept adjusting it  and it started to give me better pictures. I was happy with it. I sat down in the grass, my dog was running around and I kept playing with the camera. I spent four hours on taking pictures that day. My dog was happy and tired just like me. We went home.

After I got home I opened my computer and downloaded all the pictures I took that day.

I looked  at them and I knew from that moment I knew I always want to have a camera in my hands, I wanted to become a photographer. And so I did!

Hi my name is Bartlomiej Kregiel all my friends call me Bartek and I love good food and good coffee.

And I’m a photographer.