Featured Artist Peter Szarmach

Photographer Peter Szarmach finds inspiration in the vast landscapes captured through the lens of his camera. See more of his portfolio on his website.

 

 

I guess you could say my relationship with photography began when I won a raffle prize of a Kodak Instamatic camera at a plumbing show. (I was there because my dad and uncle owned the local hardware store).

 

 

I remember taking that Instamatic to Mexico City and Acapulco on a high school Spanish club trip and shooting all the sights.

 

 

While I was pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago, I was able to take photography classes with great professors such as Esther Parada.

 

 

My love of photography blossomed there. I learned about the critical elements that make up a striking image, and it has stayed with me over time.

 

 

For a class portrait project, I visited O’Hare airport and photographed passengers as they waited for their flights. One small Asian boy was pushing a suitcase around the airport, and became the subject of a series of images that resonated with many viewers.

 

 

One of my early “self-assignments” was to photograph the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada. I ended up carrying so much equipment that I made it to the press room without a press pass! I was fortunate to have some of those images shown in a neighborhood Chicago gallery.

 

 

More recently, I have found a passion for capturing the vastness and the details in nature. Most of my travels take me to locations where hiking is one of the main features. Composing landscapes and natural abstracts excite me.

 

 

Early in 2021, I had the pleasure of capturing some wildlife images, mostly coastal birds, on the Texas coast. These creatures are wondrous in flight and curious on the ground.

 

 

My images have been in juried shows across the United States. I have self-published two books, titled Sacred Places and Natural Abstracts that feature the vastness and details of nature that I so enjoy.

 

Artist Peter Szarmach invites you to follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Click below to sign up for our twice-monthly email. You’ll get all this plus opportunities and special offers that you can’t get anywhere else!