NOICE Magazine's Colin Czerwinski - ISSUE 36
Colin chats NOICE, mushrooms & how photographs should speak for themselves...
Housekeeping
Issue 36 is a creative interview and I know you are gonna love this one. If you are interested in grabbing a copy of NOICE N001 after reading this then you are in luck! Colin has kindly given all Love Lucy readers a discount, thanks Colin! All the details for that are at the end of the interview.
Before we jump in though, Unstable Lights is back for one day only so be sure to follow them on IG for updates. The online shop is still up and running and is a great way to see all the work that was featured over the three day event.
Lucy’s Sessions
I’ve had some really interesting enquires about 1:1 sessions the last few weeks and I felt so inspired after speaking with a client in the US about his personal work. Brian had this to say about our session. It was such a pleasure working with him!
“I recently had a one hour one-on-one session with Lucy Lumen and got off the call so energized and inspired!! She was extremely easy to talk to and her love and passion for photography poured through on the zoom call! It was a great balance of talking more conceptually, as well as her providing specific feedback and even "assignment" ideas to develop certain aspects of my photography that I want to work on. It was the opposite of a "cookie cutter" lesson... after a few emails back and forth before the session, she came prepared with notes and specific ideas she came up with for me, my photography and my goals. I cannot say enough great things about Lucy as a coach/mentor, as well as an inspiration! I would highly recommend a session with her... you will surely get a handful of nuggets, if not more, that will help inspire and improve your work!”
If you would like to book in for a 1:1 with me to get clear on an idea/project or need some direction and motivation to move forward then get in touch below!
Okay now let’s hear from Colin on all things NOICE mag. Enjoy!
Hi Colin! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and NOICE Magazine?
Hey Lucy, thanks again for taking the time to speak with me! My name is Colin Czerwinski and I’m a photographer here in the states. I’ve been capturing moments for 15+ years now. I can’t say where my style came from exactly. As a person, I’m very much an individual of few words and enjoy my solitude, when I can get it, so I’m not sure if that reflects into my work. When starting out in photography, the one that inspired me the most was Ansel Adams. Him and maybe Vivian Mayer were the only photographers that I knew about. It wasn’t until later that I found William Eggleston, Joel Meyerowitz and Garry Winogrand. It was when I found their work that I felt a little more confident, and felt more inspired, about the work that I was creating for myself. I enjoyed the photographs I made, and enjoyed the process of getting better.
NOICE came from the continual disappointment - and lack of enjoyment - of sending in my photography work to publications in hopes of getting exposure. I had enough of it and decided to start my own based on my own style of photography. I never really planned on where I wanted it to go, and I think I still don’t. I feel compelled to keep doing it though, I’m not sure why. I do enjoy the comments from people about how they see NOICE as a great source of inspiration for their own work. It’s also cool to see that it has reached some university art departments. Those are the kinds of things that keep me going. Ultimately, I think I want NOICE to be an outlet, or depository, for photographers to share this kind of work and hopefully inspire others to create more works. I honestly can’t say that I have come across anything that is more aligned with what I value. So, I have to try and create it. Stumbling, as I go...
What is it about photography as a medium that you enjoy so much and how did that lead you to starting NOICE?
I'm not exactly sure, but I genuinely enjoy capturing these moments. I tend to have a simple approach to many aspects of life, and I don't see the need to overcomplicate things or pretend to understand what's complex. Perhaps this simplicity is reflected in my photography and NOICE as well. There's minimal text or reading involved here—just photographs. A good photograph doesn't require an explanation, especially when a collection of images falls under a specific genre or style, which I've dubbed "Minimal Comic-Play." NOICE, in essence, becomes a game.
I do believe that what sets NOICE apart from other publications is my singular role in the curation process. When multiple people are involved, the outcome can become muddled. This is, of course, is just my personal opinion.
Tell me about the incredible photo book you just released? I have a copy myself and everything from the linen cover to the layout and of course the actual work shown on the pages is just amazing! It seems there was a lot of thought put into this book and I would love to know more about the process behind it?
Thank you for the kind words; they truly mean a lot. It took a lot of effort to put everything together—it was about a two-year process that took a lot of perseverance. I have some experience in graphic design, so I began by laying out and designing the book. I started with sketches for the new logo, which was actually inspired by a mushroom trip. My friend Elliott Elder, a wizard in graphic design, created the final branding and logo. Interestingly, his idea closely resembled my sketches from the mushroom trip, which I think is really cool. So, thank you, mushrooms...
I curated and sequenced the photographs myself, which is always a fun process. It feels very natural for me to arrange photographs in this way. I'm particularly proud of the simple yet effective design of the three colored blocks on the opposing pages of each photo. They represent the three main colors from each respective photo. I wanted something to fill the opposing page, as most traditional photography books leave it blank or include a name or description. My goal was to create something fun, design-oriented, and simple. On the topic of simplicity, my friend Dane Erbach wrote the book's introduction, titled "Clarity Over Complexity." He did a fantastic job with it—so much so that it brought me to tears when I first read it. It sets the tone for NOICE, conveying the message I'd like people to understand.
*To the reader: pick up a copy and read/see it for yourself.
How do you feel about the world of social media and its effect on printed work like books etc. As someone who has a popular IG profile but also a book you seem to be embracing both in a balanced way?
I must admit, I'm not a fan of social media. If I had my way, I would toss my phone into the ocean and forget about it. But we live in a world where information and communication are crucial, so I'm only being facetious. Social media can be draining for some, as we've become conditioned to seek instant gratification. We're constantly checking our posts for likes and views, and if the results are disappointing, we might think, "I guess what I'm doing or creating is terrible." This feeling might even arise after spending years working on something and seeing subpar results. I find myself in this position occasionally, but then I remind myself that what I'm trying to do is challenging, so it requires time and perseverance. Despite the challenges, I enjoy it, which is crucial for anything difficult. As for the book, I haven't seen many positive results. I haven't sold many copies online, and sometimes I feel like people just don't care or only want to buy photo books under $30. I understand their perspective, I suppose. Producing the book was quite costly. However, I've attended a few art book fairs in Boston and Jersey City, and they've gone exceptionally well. The book garners much more appreciation in person, which is what I truly desire. With NOICE, I'm aiming to be more "real world" by participating in more book fairs—that's the goal, at least.
How do you find new photographers to showcase or are they mostly coming to you via the submissions page?
Photographers come to NOICE for submissions. Rarely do I reach out to other photographers. I want this to be an open space for everybody and I want to share that good work from the unsuspected.
A lot of Love Lucy readers are film shooters so I feel obligated to ask you about your opinion on film vs digital? As someone who is exposed to a lot of photography and curates it often, do you ever notice a leaning towards one or the other, or does it not play a part for you when viewing an image?
I have a deep love for film photography. Throughout all four years of high school, I took photography classes where we developed and printed our own film work. It was a cool experience, and I continue to shoot film today. Admittedly, I don't do it as much due to increasing costs, but I still scan and process my own film. Through this, I've learned many intricate nuances that have enabled me to emulate film effects in my digital work. This not only saves time but is also gentler on my wallet.
My personal collection of film cameras includes a Pentax 6x7 (with wooden grip), Contax T3, Olympus Stylus Epic (in champagne and black models), Canon AE-1 and F-1, and a custom-painted Canon-P. I love and use all of them.
Lastly, where can people grab a copy of the book NOICE N001 and are there any plans for a N002 at this point?
Readers can pick up a discounted copy from the website HERE
Use code “LUCYN001” to access the page. All caps.
You can follow NOICE on Instagram / Twitter @noicemag, also have a Spotify Playlist under NOICE Magazine :)
