Judge 2010
Kuba Atys
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER, GAZETA WYBORCZA (POLAND)
The notion of a free press is a concept still much treasured by Kuba Atys. "When I graduated, I wondered what to do in my life. I had a good camera and I wanted to publish my photos but of course not in the communist press."
After communism collapsed in the Eastern Bloc in 1989, the daily newspaper Gazetta Wybocza was the first independent Polish newspaper to establish itself which gave Kuba his opportunity. "I have been a staff photographer there since 1991. For all these years I have been doing all kind of photos for Gazeta, its magazines and supplements. I quickly found what is most interesting for me - making sport photos."
Kuba's first big shoot was covering the boxing fight between the Polish heavyweight Andrzej Golota and Riddick Bowe in 1996. "It was my first business trip to USA and hard work. I had problems developing films after midnight and sending them back by the hotel telephone as there was no internet then."
Another huge highlight for him was covering his first Olympic Games at Sydney in 2000. However, he emphasizes how much graft and dedication is required in the profession, especially if you are working alone. "I had a digital camera by then but the quality of pictures was not very good. Most of my work was shot on film instead. Every day I had nearly twenty films! Every night I selected the good shots, scanned them and sent them back to Poland. This used to take all night and then I had to work again the next morning."
Considering that it is much easier to work with digital as a press photographer, one would think that Kuba does not miss shooting with film. However, digital photography has, in his view, brought new problems. "Photography isn't an exclusive skill anymore. Anyone can take photos - you don't need to be really good at it. Now the most important criteria is the price of a picture, which has caused a flood of bad photos. There is also the serious ethical problem in how easy it is to change photos using Photoshop."
Kuba also believes that young photographers have to earn the right to call themselves a professional photographer. "Many young photographers usually overestimate the value of their work. They think that if they are selling photos, everything is OK, but it doesn't mean their photos are any good."
What makes a great photo? "Photography has the possibility to show the world in a way we are usually not able to see it. A photo interacts with viewers as information and also aesthetically - mood, motive and so on. What I love about photography is those possibilities it gives me as an author. If I can observe these two aspects when watching pictures made by others, I know I have a really good photo in front of me."
Kuba's interest in Red Bull Illume comes from his interest in shooting nature-shots as well as skiing, sailing and windsurfing. For him, the contest "educates young people about how to make good pictures of extreme sports and whatever other activities are happening today."
