Winter from Above

• Prize
• Photographer
  Filip Wolak, United States
• Socials
• Website
  https://www.filipwolak.com

The Winter from Above series is a result of passion,
commitment, love of flying, and photography. For an
experienced pilot and an accomplished photographer, this
marriage is a natural way to express the beauty of the world as
seen from above. It is also the appreciation of the simplicity and
the elegance of nature. It offers a unique way to look at
common things from a different perspective.

All photographs in this series have been taken from a Cessna
172, a personal airplane and flight trainer. Filip is piloting the
plane and photographing at the same time - which allows him
full control over airplane position and attitude.

Each flight is a mission that required careful planning ⎯ the
weather, the visibility, the winds, the angle of the sun⎯all must
come together at the right time, with a little bit of luck and
chance.

Each image is a exhibition-ready large format print.

• Biography
  Photographer, commercial pilot, and flight instructor. Also, dreamer, hopeless romantic and stubborn perfectionist at times. Obsessed with flying since the early days, my true adventure with flying began in the early 2000s, after moving to the US from Poland. I currently work as a professional photographer in New York City, and fly actively for work, leisure or pure discovery. And photography! There is nothing better than the ability to combine things you truly love and see the fruits of your obsessions come alive.
• Awards
  2016 Sony World Photography Awards Winner (Open, Architecture) 2017 Px3 Prix de la Photographie Paris Silver Award (Professional, Nature+Earth) 2017 Chromatic Photo Awards 1st Place (Professional, Cityscapes) 2018 Tokyo International Foto Awards 2nd Place (Nature), Gold (Nature+Aerial) 2020 WPE Annual Final First Place (Aerial/Drone)