FRAMES Photography Podcast with Jacob Buchowski

In today’s episode, W. Scott Olsen talks to Jacob Buchowski, a landscape photographer based in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Jacob Buchowski about himself:

Originally from Poland, I have lived in the United States since 1986, and I currently reside in St. Louis, Missouri. I initially began my photographic journey as a distraction from work in 2004. Soon, however, I became obsessed with photography and have since then spent more and more time taking photographs of landscapes, cityscapes, and people. When I first began, my photographs were largely documentary in nature. Over time, I have come to believe and understand that rather than merely document the things and people around us, photography should augment and enrich our experience of a place and time. A successful photograph should allow personal and emotional interpretation of the subject being photographed and the unique beauty and qualities they possess. My goal is to consistently produce better photographs every time I go out to shoot, and I am finally starting to create images with which I’m happy.

Although I reside in the midwest region of the United States, my favorite places to photograph are the American Southwest. The reason for this is two-fold. The first and perhaps most obvious reason to those who have spent time in the area is the unique beauty of the landscape. Since my first visit to the region, I have found myself drawn to the golden red hues of the canyon walls, the dramatic skies seen from the high plateaus, and the mystery of ancient native sites. The second reason is more personal. The first place I lived when I moved from Poland was Utah. During the year my family and I lived in the area, we were fortunate to travel to most of the National Parks in the region. The first images of Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands are vividly imprinted in my mind. To this date, I can remember the warm golden light reflecting off the labyrinth canyon walls, the gritty texture of sandstone, and the out-of-this-world geologic formations. Experiencing the totally unfamiliar and unique landscape with my family makes these memories all the more special. As a result, any visit to the American Southwest brings back my vivid memories of that time and represents the start of my new life in the U.S.

Through my landscape photographs, I hope to express the awe and reverence inspired by the place: the vast and often secluded wilderness, the magnificent features of the land, be they sandstone formations carved by water and time, deep canyon walls, or tall mesas and plateaus; the unique flora and fauna not found anywhere else; and most importantly, the dazzling stunning displays of natural light ranging from the beautiful skies at the borders of night and day to the penetrating dancing light lending a warm golden glow to walls and crevices. In other words, I want to share the inherent beauty of the landscape and subject being portrayed.