My life in some postcards

Hi! I’m Miśka.

My full name (Michalina) has changed a bit since moving from Poland, where I was born, to the UK. I became Michelle. Oh, you can call me Mimi as well. Let’s say I am just a very diverse persona, same as my photography. I would call it more of a form to save my memories. I am not a professional, but I love capturing moments (I hope I am at least getting slightly better each time I grab my Olympus). Travel, people, and everyday life – these are the main things I enjoy wasting my cloud memory with. I love aesthetic pictures and am still figuring out my style. What I show you will probably look like 10 different people’s work, but this is me, and I slowly learn how to appreciate it about myself.

Mirror selfies are definitely my thing.

As you already know, the camera is my bestie, but it would not be enough for a young girl with so many names to focus on that one specific thing. I used to attend dance classes; now, I only dance in my kitchen or in very dark and crowded clubs. I tried my skills with liquid painting, and it was great but not for a long time. Because I really enjoy being around art, but I am not so sure if I could do any of those as my job. I graduated from the Arts and Festivals Management course. Finishing uni during Covid times was not the best start for an events management career, so I stayed at my part-time job for a bit longer. Got promoted once, then twice. Started being engaged with a bit more of the marketing side of it, then events. When I write this article, I have already left that place with no plan. The only plan is to focus on what I really want, which is content creation.

I have always put a lot of effort and time into my social media. Some people admired my determination; some saw it as a young generation’s addiction to phones and maybe a little bit of showing off. That idea never allowed me to actually try my luck in this marketing world. Maybe this is my moment. I realized it might be something for me after a few situations when I just randomly had my camera with me, and somehow, I managed to get a tiny exposure and create content for the company I worked for, places I have visited, or any services I used. Nowadays, if your brand does not have at least Instagram, it does not exist. Sad but facts.

As I mentioned, I grab my camera wherever I go. Olympus was my first one. It is exactly: the Olympus E-M10 Mark II.

I bought it for my savings after my first year in England. I was a bit tired that my phone always got full with low-quality photos, and my friends couldn’t borrow me their cameras all the time. It was a great beginner set with two lenses, a gorilla tripod, and a bag. Perfect to start with, and to be honest, these are the only things I have used until now. I love it from the inside and outside. The fact it is so small allows me to pack it wherever I go.

It visited Vietnam with me, Iceland, and so many other European countries. The vintage look makes me feel so artsy and inspired to create.

While travelling, I enjoy capturing breathtaking views, but what truly inspires me is photographing the people of the cultures I visit. Seeing them in their everyday situations, without posing, is so touching for me. It is fascinating how different ‘normal’ is wherever you go and how the word differs from place to place in the world.

Vietnam serves as a perfect example. It was the furthest place I have visited, and I fell in love at first sight. The intense colours hit me right away, and even if I would rather choose monochromatic palettes, this was just a brand new aesthetic for me. If I tried to edit or shoot in more subdued colours, it would not reflect the atmosphere of Vietnam.

Bologna also inspired me to photograph streets and life in Italy. I saw it in very warm colours: busy streets, welcoming people, and the smell of coffee. I really liked how the whole city was fashionable; they all somehow matched and created the vibe of perfect nonchalance.

The nature in Iceland changed my perspective on always needing people in the frame. The beauty of those landscapes did not require any faces to add to the pictures. Main colour: blue, open spaces, and subarctic nature were dominant aspects of my shots there. During this journey, me and my compagnions were laughing that wherever you look in Iceland there is something impressive and worth capturing. Photographing there was such a pleasure and an easy job, except for the moment when I dropped my camera while climbing the glacier.

I’m strongly influenced by my initial impressions of a place. It might be a colour, pattern, specific mood, fashion or architecture. I would like to show you some aesthetic patterns I captured in Amsterdam, Ibiza and Copenhagen.

I use such pictures as wallpaper on my devices. One day, I would love to see it on other’s phones, too!

I also have an analog camera which opened my mind on living in a moment, and that quality is not always about the sharpness and proper settings but also about that specific split second when something inspired you to take a picture. You can try to take a picture many times, but that smile, pose, or flying bird will never be the same. Because I am a self-taught amateur, the edit plays quite a big role in my work. As much as I would love pure, beautiful, candid pictures, my lack of knowledge needs to be corrected at some point later on. Some pictures were unfortunately too dark or too bright, but I still really wanted to see potential because of what I saw and imagined how it would t look like. There are some examples of such a strong vintage edits which I used to create my Denmark first impression:

After every journey, I return with a wholly different collection of pictures and memories. I am easily distracted, yet I remain highly receptive to new ideas. My backpack is consistently packed, and almost without fail, my camera batteries are charged. I trust you find enjoyment in the distinctions and the manner in which I attempt to acquaint you with the places I have recently visited. I am endeavouring to share more content on my photography account, and I welcome your feedback on both platforms. I am eager to connect with more creative individuals and, perhaps, collaborate on some magical projects!
Writing such an article was an entirely new experience for me, and a gratifying one at that!

Thank you, Olympus Passion, and every person who has reached the end of this article.
Miśka