Auschwitz

On the last day of our trip to Poland, we took a trip to Auschwitz. I shot with digital, film, as well a couple of Instax Mini. Though I obviously liked the way that the digital pictures looked, I much preferred the gloomy, overcast black and white film shots once I'd seen them developed. On a completely different level, however, are the Instax. Detached from the rest of the book due to their medium - and their hazy, glazed tone in comparison to the sharp, accurate photos in the rest of the series - they are timeless and ethereal. Instax, and instant film in general, are influenced directly by the temperature around them, meaning that on a gloomy, stormy day the temperature is low and the sun is hidden, and the Instax are therefore filled with cold blue tones and grey shadows. On a warm day, on the other hand, the photos would be doused in warm reds and glowing floors. On this particular day, the clouds were parted and rain was soaking us all from head to toe - and I really love the way these photos turned out as a result of that. Misty, with puddles reflecting the view back at us, the photos are eerie and seem to stretch onto a foggy infinity. I wanted to centre the main subject of each image, and really focus on similar shapes; and this is evident in pictures 3 and 4, and adds to the idea of the environment in general. 

Being at Auschwitz, at the time, didn't feel real and was hard to comprehend. These pictures are a reflection of that. 

Krakow: The Journey is available to buy and view here.