French director and screenwriter, Robert Bresson, said: "Try to show what no one would see without you." Members of the Photography Club certainly adhere to this principle, especially when creating photographic reports from the life of the university. A student from the Faculty of Organization and Management, and at the same time the president of TUL Photography Club - Marcin Sokołowski, talks about unusual passions at a technical university.
The Photography Club at Lodz University of Technology is a great initiative. Where did the idea come from?
The Photography Club brings together amateurs, photography and film enthusiasts. People like us do not have the opportunity to photograph events on a daily basis, let alone have access to a fully equipped studio. TUL Photography Club is not only a value for us, but also for other students. Thanks to us, the Student Government, student organizations or student research groups can count on reports from organized events, or on portrait sessions for members of the organizations I mentioned. It seems to me that such a goal was pursued by the founders of our organization in 2009.
How did you join the club?
I became interested in photography roughly in the middle of high school, so after admission to Lodz University of Technology, out of curiosity I started looking for something like a photography club - this is how I came across the fan page not of the club, but of the club and immediately signed up for it. About half a year after I joined, I was included in the management as a secretary. I have been the president of TUL Photography Club for two years now.
What actions are you really proud of?
Working in TUL Photography Club , we have the opportunity to photograph during Juwenalia. We are very proud of the shots that we manage to capture every year. All thanks to the fact that we are allowed under the stage and behind the scenes. That's why we really hope that Juwenalia will take place this year. In my opinion, the most fruitful were the training sessions with Jakub Kaźmierczyk, which were very well received by our group and taught us a lot. We invited him to Lodz three times, but we are already thinking about another training in the spring.
How often do you meet and how can you join the club?
In TUL Photography Club we do not hold regular meetings, we convene them only when there is a need to discuss a larger topic together. Once a year we conduct recruitment, however, if someone is interested in joining us after this deadline, there is no problem with that - just write to us on Facebook or by email. At the moment, our organization has 15 members and 27 sympathizers.
What was your activity during the pandemic?
It was and still is severely limited due to the fact that we primarily report on various events at PŁ, which are not organized during the pandemic. Now we mainly deal with photo sessions for members of organizations and student research groups in our studio. You can observe the effects of our work on social media. We are also constantly thinking about the exhibition.
What are your plans for the near future?
In the near future, we would like to organize training courses primarily for our new sympathizers, who joined during the November recruitment. However, I admit that currently planning an event in which a larger number of people can participate is quite risky. That's why for now we are working for ourselves and we hope that soon the events at PŁ will start, as it was before the pandemic.
What fascinates you more - studies or activities in the club?
I am in the last year of Management and Production Engineering at the Faculty of Organization and Management. I have been on internships for over half a year. I think I chose well and I like the perspectives that Organization and Management opens up for me. However, photography has become an integral part of my life and I do not rule it out as a professional alternative in the future.
What is the Photography Club for you?
TUL Photography Club is primarily people. If it weren't for our organization, I wouldn't have met so many people who are also interested in photography. Working in the club allowed me to develop a lot and taught me a lot. TUL Photography Club offers a lot of opportunities, it's just a matter of willingness. Active people - participating in sessions and events - quickly learn to work in different conditions and with different types of equipment, and they also get to know people from all over the university – student research groups, student government, from all directions and faculties. I also consider this an amazing plus of working in the club.
Our members specialize in various fields of photography and film - I think there is no question in this area that we would not know the answer to. I know that some of our graduates are professionally involved in photography or film and are doing very well. They find themselves in making reports from various types of events, automotive photography, product photography or in more artistic portrait photos. Additionally, in the context of the labor market - employers always take into account activity in student organizations, even those not directly related to the field of study. Developing your passions is very important and speaks well of the candidate during recruitment.
Rozmawiała: Paulina Krygier
Zdjęcia: archiwum Klubu Fotograficznego PŁ