Exclusive Licensing Contributor Agnieszka Pasko is a fine art photographer based in Gdansk, Poland. Her work caters to minimalist tastes, utilizing visual simplicity while highlighting complex concepts in her series such as identity, femininity, and form. Browse her Licensing collection here.
Q: Tell us a bit about who you are as a photographer.
A: I think that my photography is…weird. I really like when my photographs are a little bit disturbing. I love minimalism and white spaces; they help me to tell a story. I don’t appreciate too many colors, shapes, and distractions, as in my case, they halt creativity. Most of my photographs are self-portraits, but not all of them. My ideas often come quite suddenly, so I won’t have time to look for a model—I just want to shoot in the moment.
Q: How would you describe you as a photographer now, compared to five years ago?
A: I think I know more now about what kind of photographer I want to be. Five years ago, I shot a lot of fashion, portraits, landscapes, and tried different things—lenses, some DIY bokeh filters, strange angles, and others. Now, I know that the most important things for me are ideas and emotions, and answering one simple question: what story do I want to tell?
Q: What tools have you used to develop your skills?
A: Photoshop—sometimes it’s necessary for conceptual photography. I learned everything from YouTube tutorials and my own experience, experimenting with different tools, filters, and presets. Sometimes the results were awful! But then I knew exactly what I should do differently next time.
Q: You have a great personal brand. Did this come naturally to you, or did you spend time consciously developing it?
A: I think that my style is still evolving. Two years ago I really wanted to have my own “unique style” just to be recognizable on social media. I wanted to create fairytale scenes with a lot of colors and props, like great artist Brooke Shaden, but soon after, I discovered that it’s not for me. Now I’m just creating and focusing on my emotions—my personal brand comes naturally, but sometimes it’s a complicated process.
Q: Any advice for younger photographers looking to build their own personal brand?
A: Just shoot what you love to shoot. If you love landscapes, shoot landscapes. Be inspired by everything. After some time, you will realize what your main theme is. What is a consistent part of your photos? Maybe a certain color, angle, or subject? Start there to craft and build your own style.
Q: How has 500px helped you in your work as a photographer?
A: One of my photos was selected for Editors’ Choice, and after that, a lot of people saw my photographs and started following my art. 500px also published one of my photos on its Instagram page—it was so surprising to see my photo among other great artwork!
Q: How do you use 500px to market yourself?
A: 500px is a great community to show off my portfolio. It was my first web gallery presence that helped me to organize my work. I also love submitting my photos to Quests and Licensing—there are a lot of opportunities.
Q: What’s your experience been like with Licensing on 500px?
A: Licensing is really easy and accessible. I haven’t sold any images yet, but hey, I’m just getting started with it!
Follow Agnieszka Pasko
500px: 500px.com/agnieszkapasko
Licensing collection: 500px.com/agnieszkapasko/marketplace
Instagram: @mini_mal_aga
Facebook: facebook.com/AgnieszkaPaskoFotografia
