Shoot the Breeze: Kuba Ryniewicz

I immediately recognized Kuba’s pix when I found them in my inbox last week. Even the ones I’d never seen before felt recognizable, like photographs from an old National Geographic. There is something iconic about his work, shot all over the world – from Iceland to South Africa. His latest photos were shot while learning about Buddhism and Vipassana meditation in Burma. They are currently on exhibition at the largest photo festival in the U.K. It’s safe to say Kuba Ryniewicz brings something new and bizarre to our notion of travel photography. – CM

88954547022

58426997365

54914878702

1. Why do you take photos?
I feel that pictorial language is the natural language I need to respond to

2 .Do you carry your camera with you everywhere you go?
Always in my bag, but not shooting everyday

3. What celebrity would you like to shoot most?
David Attenborough in action.

88953027722

37323105551

52423038069

4. What animal would you like to be, if not a human?
Bird of Paradise

5. What is your favourite smell?
So many! Market in Old Delhi- mixture of spices, burning incense and sweat, Baltic sea after the storm…

64430802645

65516606698

68801326222

6. Would you like to live forever?
No, because nothing lasts forever and its better to be aware of your own end. Although I like to live my current life fully

7. What do you think is the best photo you have ever taken to date?
Cannot think of a single photo but I totally loved a photo session with the Welsh harpist Rhodri Davies on the ‘chemical beach’  in North East of England

88952440562

93198751842

69871895826

8. What’s your favorite pastime?
Horticulture

9. Do you like having your photo taken?
I love it, especially by strangers

10. Who are your favorite photographers, currently?
Peter Sutherland, Gregory Halpern, Tillmans and always coming back to look at early work by Hiroshi Hamaya