Hi, my name is Michael Kowalczyk, and I enjoy making photographs in public to document the spirit of the times.
Born in Poland, I moved to Germany at the age of ten, where my fascination with street, travel, and documentary photography steadily grew into a passion. A pivotal two-year stay in New York City allowed me to deepen my understanding of this art form while studying under accomplished mentors, including Jeff Mermelstein, Gus Powell, and Natan Dvir. Inspired by an adventurous journey through South and North America, I returned to Germany to further develop my photographic skills and vision. From 2022 to 2024, I proudly served as chairman of the Fotoclub Konstanz 1958 e.V., fostering a vibrant community of photography enthusiasts. Over time, my photographs have received recognition in international competitions, been published, and exhibited worldwide. I have also worked on commission with renowned organizations, including the International Center of Photography School and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany.
I specialize in capturing authentic moments and the subtle interplay between people and their environments. My creative process often involves shooting with wide prime lenses and experimenting with vintage cameras, reflecting my appreciation for both analog and digital techniques. Beyond creating images, I am passionate about sharing my expertise on the blog, where I share howtos about Ricoh GR cameras and comparative lists of gear and photo related media. In person, I offer workshops, training, and coaching in candid photography techniques and image editing/organization using Adobe Lightroom and ON1 Photo Raw. I am also available for collaborations and client work in English, German, and Polish.
Let’s create striking visuals and bring your project to life. After all, what you see is not what you get; there is always more to discover beneath the photographic surface.
Contact: hello@michaelkowalczyk.eu
AwaAwards & Nominationsrds
Publications
Clients
BMBF, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Germany (Editorial), examples.
University of Konstanz, Germany (Events and Portraits), examples.
ICP International Center of Photography School, NYC (360* Virtual Tour)
Glitnir Ticketing, US (360* Virtual Tour)
Interviews
2019 – Street Photography Magazine Podcast Interview with Bob Patterson
2018 – Fotopolis.pl Interview with Julia Kaczorowska
2018 – 121 Clicks Interview with Venkat Prakash
2018 – Xataka Interview with Jesus León
2017 – Szeroki Kadr Interview
2016 – Huffington Post Interview with Michael Sweet
Group Exhibitions
2024 – Fotoclub Konstanz Various Locations
2022 – SIENA Awards “Imagine all the People Sharing all the World” Exhibition, Siena, Italy
2022 – Fotoclub Konstanz Various Locations
2020 – SIENA Awards “Imagine all the People Sharing all the World” Exhibition, Siena, Italy
2020 – Cafe Blende8, Leica Gallery & Store, Konstanz, Germany
2019 – Xposure, Expo Center, Sharjah, UAE
2019 – Street Photo Milano, Milano, IT
2018 – History Miami Museum, Miami, US
2018 – Leica Store & Cafe Mayfair, London, UK
2015 – EyeEm Container @ Photoville in Brooklyn, NYC, US
2010 – Video exhibition, Urban Styles 3.0, “Aachen Tilt Shift” in the Raststätte, Aachen, GER (Link)
2009 – Photo exhibition, Urban Styles 2.0, “Klingeln” in the Raststätte, Aachen, GER (Video)
Teaching Photography
2022 – Fotoclub Konstanz 1958 e.V. – Chariman, Konstanz, GER
2017 – Advanced Street Photography: Finding Your Voice – TA with Natan Dvir, ICP, NYC, US
2017 – Style and Evidence TA with Stephen Ferry, ICP, NY, US
Learning Photography
2017 – Portrait Lighting on Location: Natural and Flash with Bobbi Lane, ICP, NYC, US
2017 – Street Photography as Point of View with Jeff Mermelstein, ICP, NYC, US
2017 – The Documentary Project: The Photographer as Storyteller with Natan Dvir, ICP, NYC, US
2016 – In-Public Street Photography Workshop with Gus Powell and Charalampos Kydonakis (aka Dirty Harrry), NYC, US
2014 – What do you mean? with Paolo Woods, International Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Salzburg, Austria
2013 – Documentary Video with Ralf Marschalleck, Video/Film Tage 013, Institut für Medienpädagogik – Rheinland-Pfalz e.V., Koblenz
Social Media and elsewhere
Flickr
Instagram
Grainery
Theta360
Youtube – @mikphoto
Vimeo
35mmc.com
