Hey! I’m Karolina and that’s my story
For over a decade I’ve been organizing my life around travel and photography. It all began when I was 13 and out of thin air came the idea of becoming a photographer. I got my first camera from my parents who have ever since been encouraging my arts interests. I read countless books and attended many lectures to learn how a good photograph is done. Finally, I was very lucky enough, right after finishing high school and having passed all the exams I was enlisted into the most important and respected film school in Poland - Polish National Film School in Łódź. And this is where my actual photographic adventure started.
During my university years, most of my output has been about people and some sort of documentary road projects. So was my life. Split into two - photographing and traveling.
How did I collect money for that?
Along with my studies, I have been doing a lot of commercial work - shooting stills for the movies, sets or some lookbook fashion pictures for small enterprises. Some of my photographs have even won cash prices so I could pay for my next travel costs. I’m used to a tight budget life as a rule, usually do a secondhand shopping and avoid eating out in fancy restaurants. When traveling, I quite often choose a hitch-hike or couch surfing. Once I even hired myself out for a 6-month contract as a ship photographer for Carnival Cruise lines. All of the money I have been making so far, helped me finance my travels and passion for photography in general. This year is the biggest challege I have ever faced, therefore it needs careful preparations. I want everything to be perfectly organized. This is going to be an advanture of a lifetime, so I count on your support !
This year is special for me, because it’s the last semester and I have to prepare my own photographic Master’s Degree creative project. I have always had this dream about „Into the Wild” road project. And this is what my diploma topic is about. I want to go across Canada, towards Alaska and than back to the USA; following masters of American road photography, Alec Soth or Ryan McGinley. I want to construct my own vision of the places I’m about to see and people I will meet. I'm also very inspired by Jack Kerouac stories, all that simplicity and levity of being on the road. I wish I could join him just for a while, Im sure it would be the story of my life. The dreaming is for the dreamers.
I am really thrilled by the prospects of meeting new folks, listening to their stories, exploring new places, and finally, being able to put it all into visual documentary. Beside experiencing the trip as itself, having an exhibition and passing my MD exams.
I’m definitely too curious about the world and its people to sit quietly at home, in Warsaw. Because of my final exams and written Master’s Degree thesis schedule, I decided to do something much bigger than i did before, that’s why I need YOU! I hope I’m gonna make my dream come true with your help!!!!
supporting link
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/encounters-at-the-end-of-the-world-photography-travel/x/16790990#/
my instagram @karolinagrabowska
More info: indiegogo.com
