Interview: Water-Droplet and Abstract Macro Photography with Malgorzata Krawczyk

I used to associate photographs with "real life,"
traditional art with fantasy and imagination.

As I have grown in my understanding and appreciation of art, I now know that such confinements are far too arbitrary. As we saw with Linda Huber's pencil drawings, traditional art can look very real, and as I recently discovered with Malgorzata "Margaret" Krawczyk's photography (as ~Gosia on DeviantArt.com), photos can be quite unreal.

(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

"Chromatic Divide" by Gosia

Take this beautiful photo. While you can tell that it is a water droplet hung between twigs, that is not what strikes you. Instead, it's the bold oranges and deep purples; they draw your eyes to the droplet recycling and tumbling the colors in a beautiful abstract.

This, my friends, is art.

Malgorzata "Margaret" Krawczyk of ~Gosia on DeviantArt.com

Self portrait

Margaret said, "I think the reason I'm drawn to abstract art is because I find it to be more stimulating and thought-provoking. Abstract art allows for multiple interpretations. It's not restrained by rules ...

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It is about exploring different angles, shapes, and perceptions, more so than other styles and genres, I think."

"Lagoon"

Margaret uses a Nikon D70 for all her photos, which "is truly a treasure in my mind," she noted. It has been her only camera for five years.

"I have never been so pleased about a rather expensive purchase," she said.

"Elemental"

One of the main features of Margaret's photographs are water droplets, long a staple of abstract photography on Deviant Art. Inspired especially by deviants =Ninazdesign and =Liek, Margaret said, she decided to give photographing water drops a go "while adding my own individual, creative touch to the concept."

"Shapes and Curves"

So she took a few shots.

"I loved the results I got with my first couple of water droplet photos," she said. "Consequently, I continued to work with that concept while playing around with different materials and setups."

"The more I took photos, the more I became engrossed with photography," she said.

"Feather Touch I"

Before Margaret's photos are finished she tweaks them on Photoshop. Each photo demands a different technique and set of corrections, but Margaret always pays special attention to contrast and vibrancy.

"I usually make separate layers with various adjustments," she said, "and then experiment around with blending of those layers to see what works best for each photo."

"Caged"

Margaret does not limit herself to waterdroplets. Anything with an abstract appeal might be featured in her photographs. For "Caged" Margaret borrowed a dried up little flower from one of her mother's vases, carefully twirling the dried up leaves around the petals.

"Drop From Orbit"

Finding interesting backgrounds for her photos also requires her to use somewhat unusual methods.

For "Drop From Orbit" Margaret used thread wrapped around little colored pins, and the out-of-focus background is actually wrapping paper.

"I use anything at hand that has interesting colors, patterns, and/or textures," she said. "I've used gift wrapping paper, colored tissue paper, fabrics, paintings, the wallpaper in my house, etc."

"Seashore Dreamscape I"

For this snail-shell photo, Margaret scattered sand on a mirror and positioned wrapping paper to reflect off the glass. The shell appears to float, but that's only an effect from the mirror. She then touched up the photo with a magenta filter.

"Even Fish Dream"

Sometimes her inspiration comes from unexpected places. One time Margaret was sitting in the Honolulu airport, awaiting her flight, when she struck up a conversation with a fellow "waiter." As he talked he plucked the leaves from a nearby plant and made her a fish.

At home Margaret placed the fish on a metallic board, and using water droplets created a thought bubble. Originally in sepia, she now prefers the black and white version.

"Sun Kissed"

Margaret grew up in Lodz, Poland. Her family moved to the United States when she was nearly eight years old, and she currently resides in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. She loves the quiet friendliness of her condominium development.

"There are a lot of trees and other greenery," she noted, "which the nature-lover in me really appreciates. Also, we have a lot of space to walk and play with our family dog."

"Cubed Dimensions"

Margaret's love of abstract goes hand-in-hand with her love of science fiction.

"I love science and the possibilities it offers," she explained. "Sci-fi explores those possibilities, no matter how fantastical they may seem, which is a lot fun. Time travel, alternate realities, spaceships, aliens, etc., it's all so utterly fascinating and exciting.

"I was first introduced to sci-fi with Star Wars. I watched it over and over and over again as a kid. Ever since then, my love for sci-fi has grown and persisted."

"Skittles"

Besides photography, Margaret has dabbled in many other forms of art: drawing, tattoo design, photomanipulations, watercolors, multi-medium collages ... you name it, she's probably tried it.

"Sadly, I don't have much time for any kind of art these days," she said, since she is currently very busy pursuing an accelerated B.S. nursing program. "Whatever free time I do find, I devote to photography." Unless, of course, she's catching up with the latest episodes of Bones or Fringe.

"Ladybug"

Margaret has been on Deviant Art for five years now.

"Deviant Art, like anything else, has some good qualities and some not-so-good qualities," she noted. The drama that often arises over favorites, page views and other numbers holds no interest for her.

"Blush"

"For me, DA is more about the people I've come to know and be inspired by," she said. "... Over the years, I've met and gotten to know some truly awesome people, who I still stay in touch with to this day.

"These fellow artists support and encourage me and my art, which I'm tremendously grateful for and don't know what I would do without. I believe that because of my DA friends as well as the other artists that I've come to admire, I've grown as an artist.

"Because of them, I've pushed myself to learn more, to experiment with new ideas and techniques, and to strive for continuous self-improvement and evolution as an artist."

"Koi"

If she had to choose just one favorite artist, Margaret said, "I suppose it would have to be photographer Chema Madoz. His work is so incredibly imaginative and unique and very inspirational."

Though she is currently taking a break from photography to concentrate on her studies, Margaret's love of art will always be with her.

"Art has always been an outlet for me," she said. "It has allowed me to express myself in an almost therapeutic way. It has allowed me to relax and forget about my worries."

You can view Margaret's work on her Neosynthesis site and can purchase her beautiful work from The Untapped Source.


~with many, many thanks to Margaret for sharing her work with us.

P.S. Margaret's Deviant Art username ~Gosia comes from the shortened version of her first name: Malgorzata becomes the more casual Malgosia, which in turn is shortened to Gosia. This is basically the equivalent of our Margaret to Maggie to Marge. Thanks for explaining that to me, Margaret! :)