Auschwitz In The Snow

Bazza

Bazza

Messages
561
Name
Brian
Edit My Images
Yes
Spent last weekend in Krakow, Poland. Amazing city!

We took a tour of the concentration camp Auschwitz I & Auschwitz-Birkeneu, words can't really describe the place. The closest I can think of is literally hell on earth.

I tried to document it as best as I could. All shot with 5Diii and my new Sigma 35mm 1.4 (can't get enough of this lens!) I'm sure the processing won't be to everyone's taste but I feel it suits the nature of them.

C&C appreciated (y)

1.

IMG_5271 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

2.

IMG_5282 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

3.

IMG_5288 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

4.

IMG_5295 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

5.

IMG_5298 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

6.

IMG_5309 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

7.

IMG_5312 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr

8. (I'm usually not one for colour selection but this isn''t far away from how it actually looked through the viewfinder with the sole red shoe :(

IMG_5325 by Brian McEwan, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Made me weep with sorrow. Such innocuous pictures unless one knows of their history.

It is difficult to provide objective critique when confronted with these well wrought images.

Thank you, Brian.
 
Good work on those shots.

It is a place that we all should strive to visit to experince the feeling of the place, I will never forget myself.
 
•
Even snow does not ease the horrible memories of despair at each end
of the guns and riffles that played a role in this tragic page of history.
I have learned to know, in the past 25 years, the people descending from
those at both ends of the horror and none —not even after two generations
— is reminded of the events without a noticeable emotional shift.

All thought and hoped "it won't happen again!"… remember Bosnia!

I discovered the Yugoslavs, the Slovaks, the Austrians, the Germans the
French, the Brits, the Polish… and love them all! At the same time, I have
learned to distrust europeans as much as I believe in Europe.

Still today, I believe humanity is a great family as long as flags play no part
in it. Patriotism is cool but not nationalism, in any form! It is abhorrent how
we use symbols as catalysts when we fell threatened… the cross for all, the
flag against all the others… and now the greenback!​

With these frames, Brian, you are spelling photojournalism with the
same passion, story telling and tasteful composition as we did in the
late '60s early '70s:
beautiful horror, timeless suffering and necessary reminder of the pain.​
 
Last edited:
What a cracking set. No1 is the pick of the bunch for me.
 
An amazing set and you have managed to capture much of the horror of the place in those images.
 
A good set portraying the bleakness of the place, apart from the snowy conditions what was the secret to getting it people-free?
 
Very thought provoking Brian. You've respected the subject very well and captured it beautifully.
 
"Excellent" work Brian, nothing more to be said.(y)

George.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone, greatly appreciated!

mark richards said:
a stunning set. makes you feel the place, don't think i could ever go there.
Click to expand...

Have to admit, I've always wanted to visit as I've heard people saying about it being a chilling experience. I've never looked forward to something and dreaded it at the same time.

gramps said:
A good set portraying the bleakness of the place, apart from the snowy conditions what was the secret to getting it people-free?
Click to expand...

Thanks @gramps , a little bit of strategically placing myself and pure luck. I was in a tour group of 15-20 people and there were probably 6 or 7 other groups on the site of the same numbers. When I was with the tour group I tried to get the group behind me when shooting. Some of them I just hung around at the back of the group to try and get the place to myself for 30 seconds. Don't think the tour guide was too impressed.
 
amazing photos, even forgetting what i know about the place they are all interesting images, adding the history on top just makes them all the more impressive
 
Strangely I was just looking at some of my pictures from a few years back, and almost posted a couple yesterday. It is a very moving place. In fact, I will pop up a post shortly too, although taken during summer.
 
Very well documented images. I was there 2 years ago and will never forget the emotive experience. The shoe photo still sends a shiver down my spine when I see it.
 
Very nicely handled set of photos given the subject matter, the processing is spot on, in my opinion.

Out of interest as I would really like (if that's the right word) to visit at some point, does it feel ok taking photos there? Clearly I guess it's technically ok to do so, but did it feel comfortable doing so? I feel uncomfortable at the best of times taking photos in emotive situations/locations, and I guess this place is pretty much the most extreme example.
 
There are some locations you are asked not to take pictures, but I think in general if you are quiet and respectful and don't cause obstructions there isn't any issue
 
ukaskew said:
Very nicely handled set of photos given the subject matter, the processing is spot on, in my opinion.

Out of interest as I would really like (if that's the right word) to visit at some point, does it feel ok taking photos there? Clearly I guess it's technically ok to do so, but did it feel comfortable doing so? I feel uncomfortable at the best of times taking photos in emotive situations/locations, and I guess this place is pretty much the most extreme example.
Click to expand...

You've hit the nail on the head here, it is the most extreme example and the most depressing thing I'll ever photograph without a doubt. There were certain areas that didn't allow photography whatsoever, then there were areas where I just didn't feel it was 'right' to photograph the subject. The 'Wall of Death' was one, where prisoners were lined up to be shot, another was all of the human hair that had been cut off, it left me feeling ill trying to recognise the scale of the whole thing.

Two people of our tour group asked another person to take a photo of them posing in front of the iconic building where the railway leads into... found that a bit strange to be honest.
 
A very nice set of images, really thought provoking - and no matter how much you 'think' you know what it must have been like, I'm sure we are waaaay off the mark...
 
Bazza said:
You've hit the nail on the head here, it is the most extreme example and the most depressing thing I'll ever photograph without a doubt. There were certain areas that didn't allow photography whatsoever, then there were areas where I just didn't feel it was 'right' to photograph the subject. The 'Wall of Death' was one, where prisoners were lined up to be shot, another was all of the human hair that had been cut off, it left me feeling ill trying to recognise the scale of the whole thing.

Two people of our tour group asked another person to take a photo of them posing in front of the iconic building where the railway leads into... found that a bit strange to be honest.
Click to expand...

Thanks, my primary aim wouldn't be photography and I'm not sure if I would be comfortable taking any at all, but I would take the camera to at least have the option to do so depending on how I feel.

Is it full of the usual tourists with iPhones/iPads snapping away? I find it hard to imagine what it must be like.
 
ukaskew said:
Thanks, my primary aim wouldn't be photography and I'm not sure if I would be comfortable taking any at all, but I would take the camera to at least have the option to do so depending on how I feel.

Is it full of the usual tourists with iPhones/iPads snapping away? I find it hard to imagine what it must be like.
Click to expand...

Every time I took a photograph I kind of felt like I shouldn't have been taking them but I wanted to be able to document it in my own way.

There is people taking photos but not as much as at a usual tourist attraction. Most people I seen were more interested in listening to the tour guide, some of the stories he told us were horrendous, it actually got to the point where I tried to zone out a little bit when the stories were being told. On a personal level I've always wanted to visit here since first finding out about it at school, I have no idea why the place attracts me as there is so much devastation with the whole thing.

The place is eerily silent, the dusting of snow and the -14 degrees made the atmosphere that little bit worse, it's difficult trying to imagine what people went through on a warm summer day, it's impossible to imagine what these people went through during winter months. I remember hearing a rumour/story years ago that birds never land in the area of either camp, I've always found it hard to believe but kept my eyes peeled when I visited. Not one, there were birds outside the perimeter and I was there was 7 hours but didn't see one bird land in or fly over the area. I'm sure there is a logical reason for it but I can't think what it is.
 
Auschwitz - Birkenau has been photographed over and again by professional photographers, amateurs and visitors with no particular interest in photography as such. To me, these images are amongst the best I've seen, technically and from the perspective of capturing the 'spirit' and sadness of the place. The snow does add to the bleakness of it.

My brother in law visited a few years ago and decided not to take photographs. He doesn't know why, but it was a personal decision. I have no strong feelings about this at all.

I've also heard the story about the lack of bird life, but it was in the context of Belsen and, I think, Dachau. Other people have said it's nonsense and they did see and hear birds at the sites. Who knows? Perhaps there is something in it, or a simple explanation, or it's just coincidental.

I haven't been there, but I know a few Jewish people who have personal links to the camps. Some have visited them, others haven't, for various reasons. I know a fair amount about the Holocaust and I will go one day, if I have the opportunity to.
 
Some powerful images there and nice processing. Nice to see them.
 
I think everyone has already said it but I will still add that these are a stunning set of images both photographically and in telling a horrific story. I know several people who have gone of different age groups and all have said they were moved but 'enjoyed' the experience. I intend to go and take my 13 year old son who is doing WW2 at school and I think it should be compulsory for everyone to take in the experience, just to remind us of what has happened in the past and could easily happen again (I'd argue it has already happened).
 
What a thought provoking set of images Brian. I have never been there, part of me would like to go but by the same token, it would be a hard place to visit.
The pictures you have posted here still show the full horror of the place even 70 plus years on.
 
An excellent set very well captured, (y)
 
Stunning set Brian, and as others have said..very thought provoking..a good image or art work should have the power to make you think, make you feel..these images certainly do that

Robin
 
Thanks again, I put these onto Facebook and got fairly good feedback on them.

Had a guy comment on the photo of the shoes asking why I was allowed to take photos of them and it was disrespectful to the victims because when he was there he was not allowed to. Kind of disappointing as I was trying my best to display them without any disrespect whatsoever.

Checked the Auschwitz website and it said that it was flash photography and tripods were prohibited in that area so won't lose too much sleep over the comment, frustrating none the less o_O
 
Lovely set of pictures here congrats! Myself and my wife visited in the winter when it was blizzards of snow and it really hit home how incredibly difficult it must have been to even survive in those conditions even more so with the limited attire and food and water. Such a horrific place but captured really well.
 
A superb series. The beautiful, delicate tones and the gentle luminosity serve to throw into even starker relief the stark horror of this all too familiar location. The desaturated colours serve the subject well too. I like the way that you have let some of the foregrounds fall subtly out of focus, it lends an almost contemporary, filmlike quality to the photos. You certainly chose the right lens. Marvellous work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top