Adrienne Bednarz
Name: Adrienne Bednarz
Camera: Fujifilm X100VI and Sony A7IV
Favourite type of photography: Portraiture and travel photography
Location: New York City, USA
Website: www.adabednarz.com
Instagram: @adabednarzphoto
How did you get into photography?
During a trip to the Vatican when I was 8, my mom let me peer through the viewfinder of her Canon AE-1, and I found peace, stillness and wonder in seeing the world through frames.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
International Photography Awards Honourable Mentions in 2021.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
I fell in love with photography when I saw Steve McCurry's Afghan Girl on the cover of National Geographic.
What do you love about photography?
That it is a very visual form of communication, and the different techniques that you can learn about can be used to communicate cross-culturally with many. It's a form of storytelling without using words and removing the barrier of language.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
How to take meaningful photos by waiting for the moment, or creating the moment, rather than taking a bunch of useless shots that I don't know what they are after the fact.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
The City that I am in, and occasionally the studio during the colder months.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
Nope. I enjoy trying it all - I always try everything once.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
Very minor editing, usually colour correction, light smoothing of the edges, and contrast adjustment.
What's your favourite lens?
My Tamron 28-75mm.
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Do you have a favourite accessory?
Not really.
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Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
Yes, my Lowepro backpack, I forget the model name though.
Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 25L Review
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
Steven McCurry and Stephanie Sinclair for their work with portraiture, and especially storytelling in various contexts of what is going on out there. Lindsey Addario for having balls of steel for everything that she did in her career as a war photographer. Annie Leibovitz for her portraiture work, especially the staging and the lighting is so surreally beautiful.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram
Stephanie Sinclair @stephsinclairpix, Lindsey Addario @lynseyaddario and Annie Leibovitz @annieleibovitz
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
Nope, I'm happy as a clam with my gear thus far.
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
No, I think I've tried the genres of photography that I love.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Getting the Honourable Mentions at IPA in 2021.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Being able to network and not be a recluse. Once I'm behind the camera, I'm not coming out again.
Your favourite baked goods are?
Cheesecakes.
Tell us a little about yourself.
When I'm not working in the Corporate world, I am an avid reader of books that take me into different places, but when I can get away (and I always make an effort), I'd much rather be on the road exploring new locations, meeting new faces, and learning new languages. I'm often documenting my life, the moments and the places I visit because I believe that we are too swept up in constant change that taking a moment to look behind the viewfinder of a camera and composing a shot, and then writing about it afterwards is a great way to unwind and slow down.
