Alicja
Zmysłowska

Hello! Something about me 🙂

Hello! I am Alicja, an professional artistic dog photographer from Poland. I am personally owner of two beautiful and amazing dogs – Kiara – golden retriever & Ciri – border collie. I have 14 years of experience in dog photography which is my perfect combination of everything I love in my life. The most important thing, at what I am doing, is the opportunity to link two of my beloved passions – dogs and photography. Apart from communing with the wonderful creatures, which dogs are, and spending my leisure in this way, I love the fact – that I can put them in my own, self-created world. The crucial thing is, that I do not want to depict the reality – but I mean to disconnect from it. I want to show something, which nobody else can normally see.

Mainly, I am inspired by the dogs being photographed

Each dog is a unique one, unrepeatable, and this is what I try to catch. The venues, where the sessions take place, are also important. I always endeavour to select something extraordinary, astonishing – needless to say a magical atmosphere. When the conditions are appropriate, the ideas for shots come themselves.

One of the most vital concerns, both for the animal and for me, is a good liaison with a “furry model”, its freedom during the session, the joy of its behaviour. There is no place for coercion or nerviness. The good relationship with a dog, while at shots, transfers into how the dog presents itself, which afterwards is crucial for producing a desirable effect. I have never felt to be fully satisfied from what I am creating. It can always be done in a better way. The constant eagerness for self-improvement, the ability of self-criticism, and the determination to aim at the set target, are very important to me.

Mainly, I am inspired by the dogs being photographed

Each dog is a unique one, unrepeatable, and this is what I try to catch. The venues, where the sessions take place, are also important. I always endeavour to select something extraordinary, astonishing – needless to say a magical atmosphere. When the conditions are appropriate, the ideas for shots come themselves.

One of the most vital concerns, both for the animal and for me, is a good liaison with a “furry model”, its freedom during the session, the joy of its behaviour. There is no place for coercion or nerviness. The good relationship with a dog, while at shots, transfers into how the dog presents itself, which afterwards is crucial for producing a desirable effect. I have never felt to be fully satisfied from what I am creating. It can always be done in a better way. The constant eagerness for self-improvement, the ability of self-criticism, and the determination to aim at the set target, are very important to me.

Kiara

I have always had contact with photography, but the moment I could systematically put it into practice was the appearance of my dream golden retriever in my life – Kiara, in 2006. Initially, it was mainly about immortalizing moments from our shared life. With time, however, I began to be interested in photography itself; what to do to capture Kiara as best and in an interesting way. So I can say that the second one has developed from one passion, and they are closely related!

Ciri

In 2016 I got my second dog straight from my dreams. Border collie in rare bright slate merle color, Ciri.  I knew I want her to become adventure dog and take her to amazing places in future. We tried many ways to travel. I taught her tricks useful for future trips and photo shootings and she truly became an professional dog model. Now she is rushing to jump into any train or car if I let her. But also she is proposing spots for photos! She find interesting spots on her own and pose in then waiting for me to get the picture. She is very special.

Kiara

I have always had contact with photography, but the moment I could systematically put it into practice was the appearance of my dream golden retriever in my life – Kiara, in 2006. Initially, it was mainly about immortalizing moments from our shared life. With time, however, I began to be interested in photography itself; what to do to capture Kiara as best and in an interesting way. So I can say that the second one has developed from one passion, and they are closely related!”

Ciri

In 2016 I got my second dog straight from my dreams. Border collie in rare bright slate merle color, Ciri.  I knew I want her to become adventure dog and take her to amazing places in future. We tried many ways to travel. I taught her tricks useful for future trips and photo shootings and she truly became an professional dog model. Now she is rushing to jump into any train or car if I let her. But also she is proposing spots for photos! She find interesting spots on her own and pose in then waiting for me to get the picture. She is very special.

Publications

My artwork was published in many polish and foreign magazines about photography and many websites about art and photography such as:

Digital Camera Poland, National Geographic Poland, Digital Camera UK, FV Foto Video, Pokochaj Fotografię, fotoblogia.pl, Szeroki Kadr, My Modern Metropolis, Peta Pixel.

 

Selected awards

 

My photograph “Trapped” got Honorable Mention Awards in Landscape category in  14th edition of Big Photography Contest of National Geographic Poland. It also got an Honorable Mention in Monochrome Awards 2018 international contest in category Landscapes.

 

Exhibition

I had an individual exhibition of my black and white dog photography in Palace of Fine Arts in Cracow since march till may 2016.

 

Publications

My artwork was published in many polish and foreign magazines about photography and many websites about art and photography such as:

Digital Camera Poland, National Geographic Poland, Digital Camera UK, FV Foto Video, Pokochaj Fotografię, fotoblogia.pl, Szeroki Kadr, My Modern Metropolis, Peta Pixel.

Selected awards

 

My photograph “Trapped” got Honorable Mention Awards in Landscape category in  14th edition of Big Photography Contest of National Geographic Poland. It also got an Honorable Mention in Monochrome Awards 2018 international contest in category Landscapes.

 

Exhibition

I had an individual exhibition of my black and white dog photography in Palace of Fine Arts in Cracow since march till may 2016.