Two massive red sandstone buttes rise from the desert floor of Monument Valley. A winding dirt track in the foreground leads toward a small group of vehicles.

Photography: Epic and very clever photography from Michał Grochowiak

Words: Liv Siddall
—
Date: 21 August 2013; Work
Photography

We’ve had a lot of smoke on the site this week, but there’s always room for more. Look at how Michał Grochowiak has set up this shot (above) so the coach looks as if it’s about to drive slowly into the dark depths of hell, how cool is that? He’s also got a brilliant series entitled Breath where he’s photographed puffs of smoke in quiet, empty rooms to create a haunting and pretty murdery atmosphere. To see that the subjects of his portraits often look faceless of in pain as well suggests that Michał’s got a bit of a dark-side, but that’s absolutely fine with us – we’ve seen enough happy, summery pool photos recently to last us a bloody lifetime.

A cluttered studio filled with electronic equipment and cables, shrouded in a thick haze of smoke. A desk lamp leans over a workbench in the foreground, while a chair draped in fabric sits in the centre of the room. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A cloud of white smoke floats in the centre of a dimly lit room. It hovers above a wooden sideboard, beside a grey sofa and a radiator. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A cluttered living room filled with patterned armchairs, houseplants and a small television. Hazy light streams through a window at the far end, casting a soft glow over the room. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A long white table stands in a dimly lit room, with wisps of smoke or steam rising from its surface. A desk lamp and various small objects sit on the table, positioned in front of a large window with sheer white curtains. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A small, cluttered kitchen in an attic room with sloped ceilings and wooden floors. Sunlight streams through a skylight, illuminating white cabinets and a small oven. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A single bed with a white mattress and pillow sits in a sparse, dimly lit room. Light streams in from a window on the right, illuminating a haze of dust or smoke in the air. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A long red carpet runs down a hallway with herringbone wooden floors. At the end of the corridor, an open door reveals a bright yellow room with a dark rectangular shape. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Breath

A person with curly blond hair and a short beard looks downwards with a tired expression. They are shirtless against a plain teal wall, with a white decorative carving visible in the upper right. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Untitled (Szwed)

A vast landscape of white sand dunes under a clear blue sky. A plume of white dust or sand swirls in the air on the left. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: One Hat of Sand Above Desert, White Sands, New Mexico

A wide city street is lined with tall, grey stone buildings under a pale sky. In the foreground, a plume of white smoke or steam rises from the asphalt. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Smoke No. 2, 69 Michigan Ave, Detroit, Michigan

A reddish-brown dog stands on a wooden floor against a plain, light-coloured wall. The dog is captured mid-stride, looking towards the right. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Untitled

A figure engulfed in orange and yellow flames leaps through the air over a grassy bank. In the background, a calm river flows past a line of low buildings under a clear blue sky. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: 76% H2O

Two massive red sandstone buttes rise from the desert floor of Monument Valley. A dirt track winds through the rugged, orange terrain in the foreground under a heavy, dark sky. — Above
Michał Grochowiak: Bus at Oljato Monument Valley, Utah

Further Info

www.michalgrochowiak.com

About the Author

Liv Siddall

—

Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

Photography: Epic and very clever photography from Michał Grochowiak

Share Article

Further Info

About the Author

Related content

For Alex Rorison, photographs are physical objects to be played with – not just “pixels on a screen”

“Photography allows me to remain available to life”: Arielle Bobb Willis on the power of image making

100 tracks, 100 science projects: jazz-punk band Robocobra Quartet create a new band identity out of mould

What happens when kids get behind the camera? A bold new book explores

It's Nice That Newsletters