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I'm a photographer based in Warsaw, Poland. I was always fascinated with the views of the world from above. When I was 16 years old, I started taking photos from the roofs of Warsaw skyscrapers. Later I met my future wife, who was also doing rooftop photography. One day she was invited to fly over Warsaw in a plane with a student pilot, and that's how aerial photography appeared in our lives. I wrote about our first project here. This has let us spread our wings!

Poland From The Sky is a dream come true: the effect of passion that became our lives. I chose some of the photos and described them so you can see some amazing places in Poland and fall in love with them!

We made a list of places to photograph in Poland. This is what the final map looked like

We started with researchPhotos were taken from planes, balloons, drones... but a helicopter gave us the most freedom

We were flying in doorless helicopters

We opened an exhibition of our aerial photographs on the 35th floor of a skyscraper in Warsaw, where the premiere of our photobook "Poland From The Sky" took place. Check out the photographs below!

More info: polandonair.com | Instagram | youtube.com | Facebook

#1

Warsaw In The Clouds

Warsaw In The Clouds

In Autumn we were able to capture the Polish capital in a sea of fog. Looking at the history of Warsaw, this photo is quite symbolic - the city was nearly completely destroyed in World War II, but thanks to the people of Warsaw, it was rebuilt and has risen like the phoenix from the ashes.

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I love aerial photography for a few reasons. From above you can see more. It takes you to another world. You need a lot of concentration and imagination to shoot great photos, but also to analyze and understand them as a viewer. In the air, there are many things you can't predict, so you need to decide very quickly. One photograph taken from above can tell us about many things at once - a history of a place, its people, architecture, location. Also, the world from a bird's eye view seems much smaller.

#2

The Historic Center Of Krakow

The Historic Center Of Krakow

Krakow was once the Polish capital city, and still is one of the most beautiful cities.

In the picture, you can see the Wawel Royal Castle and the historic part of town, surrounded by the Planty gardens, (created in place of the old city walls). The town's square seen in the background is the biggest in Europe - it is 656ft x 656ft big.

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The castle is *amazing* to visit, IMO. I planned to go back in 20202, but yeah, that virus thing... *sigh*

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#3

Gdańsk From Above

Gdańsk From Above

Gdansk was once the biggest city in Poland and had the biggest port of the Baltic Sea.

In the photo, you can see the old fortifications, not visible from the ground level.

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did a tourist boat trip from Gdansk, and you really don't get to see this. The spit of land in the top left is a very long sandbar with a tourist resort called Hel on the end of it. I've been to Hel and back, on the Road to Hel, the Boat to Hel and the Train from Hel (it was several hours late)!

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In the last couple of years, we made aerial projects about Warsaw, the Silesia region, and the biggest Polish cities. But for us, it wasn't enough! 5 years ago we came up with the idea to publish a book about the whole of Poland seen from above. To fly above the places which are unique, important, or just beautiful. We wanted to capture modern Poland, but also show its historic context. We were looking for the places well known, the ones from the UNESCO Heritage list, or the beautiful and hidden places. Cities, national parks, rivers, lakes, castles, palaces, sea, mountains - places describing Poland. 

#4

The Pieniny Archipelago

The Pieniny Archipelago

Flying over the sea of fog and seeing Pieniny mountains rising above the clouds was a unique and mystical experience. It looks like an archipelago, not mountains at all!

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#5

Auschwitz Birkenau

Auschwitz Birkenau

Included on the UNESCO Heritage list as a testimony to one of the biggest crimes against humanity in the history of the world. This concentration camp was the place of mass murder of about 1.5 million people in the years 1940-1945. We wanted to show not only beautiful but important (even tragic) places.

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I like aviation, but still, it is photography that absorbs me the most. We live in times of Instagram, thinking everything has been already photographed and there is nothing we haven't seen. But then when you want to check how some places look like from the air, there aren't any photos of them! I always look for the best shot, interesting flight routes, to take photos not seen before. But it was very difficult to visit all the places, find planes and pilots nearby, coordinate it with weather to have the best light possible. Many times we were driving at night to the other end of Poland, to be there when the sun rises. We caught the light and learned. 

#6

The End Or The Beginning Of Poland

The End Or The Beginning Of Poland

The Hel Peninsula is 35 kilometers long and is one of the greatest unique features of Poland.

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another one you don't get a sense of when you're at ground level. The narrow sandbar is wide enough for a road and a single railway line. I had no idea the end of it was that shape!

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#7

Warsaw By Night

Warsaw By Night

This is the actual night panorama of the Polish capital city - Warsaw. In this photo, you can see at least 30 skyscrapers, and half of them are 492ft or higher.

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Our mission was to show and prove that Poland is a very modern, interesting, and diverse country. That it's our common good, and we have a fascinating heritage. That we, Poles, don't know many things about our country, and it is worth visiting for foreigners. That there is much more in Poland than politics, differences, or divisions. People like our photos because they take them to another world and make them change perspective - not only in looking at photos but looking at reality too. The book we published is the essence of Poland.

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#8

Solina Lake

Solina Lake

Dam in Solina created one of the most picturesque lakes in Poland.

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#9

Star Of Subcarpathia

Star Of Subcarpathia

Łańcut Palace is composed of star-shaped fortifications.

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Judy Reynolds
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the autumn foliage! And the contrast between the green space and old trees of the fortress, and the newer parts of the city.

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Photography from heights is my passion since I was 16 years old. At first I started from gaining access to rooftops of skyscrapers. I think I liked architecture photography because I was a shy teen, so buildings where easier to capture for me than people. Then the aerial photography appeared - including airplanes, helicopters, as well as drones (when photos from them achieved certain quality), sometimes even balloons. In the meantime I tried many different kinds of photography, from which concert photography is the one I liked the most. I finished studies as Director of Photography at Warsaw Film School, so working with image was always a part of my life, this way or another.

As for my wife, who is the second half of POLAND ON AIR team, she has a journalist background, which helps a lot in many ways now - f.e. when you think about the marketing or promotion.

#10

River's End

River's End

A place, where after 650 miles Vistula, the longest Polish river, flows into the Baltic Sea.

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#11

Biebrzanski National Park

Biebrzanski National Park

It's the biggest national park in Poland, located in the northeastern part of the country. The river here creates a muddy terrain. It's hard to reach from the ground, but a perfect place for many bird species.

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Whawhawhatsis
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That looks like a big wetland habitat; I bet there are a LOT of birds and other animals who live there!

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What I like the most when taking aerial photos is getting the idea for a photo. When you're in the air, there are hundreds of things you can capture.

 But when you know what you see in the first place, or the photo was created before in my head, It's far more satisfying. As well as long-term projects, when I need very specific conditions - like waiting for the snow to fall, or the sun to set at certain angle. It's also very exciting to organise a photo flight no one did before - like when we were photographying when flying 3,5 km above Warsaw at night. Crazy idea!

But it's the selection and postproduction of photos which is the most time-consuming, so apparently also the most difficult part of the process for me. That's why I have to do it on a regular basis. You need to keep both feet on the ground, so you can sometimes float in the clouds.

#12

Tatra Mountains

Tatra Mountains

This mountain range is partially Polish, but mostly Slovakian. In the center of the frame, you can see Morskie Oko - the biggest Tatra lake and the tourist shelter. To the right, there is a Rysy peak (8198 ft AMSL), the highest place in Poland.

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#13

Abstract Shapes

Abstract Shapes

These shapes are in fact created by ash wastes of Belchatow Power Plant.

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Remember, that in 'Poland From The Sky' photobook there's only 1 photo from each place, while we shot much more images. I would like to publish a few more photobooks about different parts of Poland - Lower Silesia, Lesser Poland, Pomerania. For over 2 years I'm collecting new aerial photos from planes of Warsaw, Poland, in different seasons. In the same time I'm doing a huge research to find old aerial photos of Warsaw, some of them over 100 years old - to compare them with the present ones, and show the people behind them.

So you could say a lot of projects are going on, but they all need time to mature and get their final shape.

#14

Amazing Rivers

Amazing Rivers

The winding paths of Wieprz River.

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Whawhawhatsis
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a perfect example of the late life of a river, when it meanders all over a basin it created. Beautiful!

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#15

Marina In Gdynia

Marina In Gdynia

Winter creates fantastic landscapes!

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The boat to Hel leaves from Gdynia. Again you don't get this perspective from the ground. Must've been cold for the sea to freeze, as that's the Baltic.

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#16

Pol'and'rock Festival

Pol'and'rock Festival

The camp field from above.

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BakedKahuna
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I attended it, when it was called Przystanek Woodstock. From ground level it was utter chaos, but in a good way. Have never seen so many people offering free hugs in one place.

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#17

The Island Of Kings

The Island Of Kings

Ostrów Lednicki is a mysterious place. Probably here the Baptism of Poland happened, and the first ruler of Polish tribes - Mieszko I - had one of his seats.

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#18

The Winter Is Coming

The Winter Is Coming

During one of the flights in Autumn, we saw an amazing spectacle of nature - storks getting ready for their departure to warm countries.

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#19

The Biggest Desert In Europe

The Biggest Desert In Europe

The Błędowska Desert isn't a work of nature, but of man. A few centuries ago local forests were cut down for the needs of silver and lead smelters.

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, this... this is why we have to *think* .... There's places around the world where human carelessness/greed....

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#20

The Fortress Of Kłodzko

The Fortress Of Kłodzko

From above it looks like a star!

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#21

The Ideal City

The Ideal City

Zamość was founded by the 16th-century magnate Jan Zamoyski, and for this purpose, he hired a designer from the Italian city of Padua - Bernardo Morando. How did they manage to create such a complete form without looking at this Pearl of the Renaissance from the air, just like us?

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Francisco Scaramanga
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's cool and visible in this photo is that the urban layout that referred to the human body. The palace was supposed to be the head, the main street crossing the city was the backbone with the Market Square in the place of the heart.

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#22

Mystery Castle

Mystery Castle

The lower Silesia region is full of all kinds of castles and palaces. The Czocha Castle seen in the photo was a major film set element for over 30 movies.

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#23

Malbork Castle

Malbork Castle

The mighty Malbork Castle is the biggest castle not only in Poland but the whole of Europe! It was one of the capital cities of a Teutonic Order. Now it's on the UNESCO Heritage List.

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#24

The Oldest In Poland

The Oldest In Poland

Lower Silesian Złotoryja is the oldest city in Poland - it was founded in 1211.

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Iwona Duma
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beautiful town. How about Sandomierz? Do you have pictures of it too?

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#25

Flying In A Doorless Plane

Flying In A Doorless Plane

Without doors, it's much easier to frame, but the cold wind may become a huge problem.

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#26

The Land Of Great Masurian Lakes

The Land Of Great Masurian Lakes

In the photo, you can see the biggest lake in Poland - Śniardwy. It's nearly as big as Toruń!

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#27

Katowice By Night

Katowice By Night

This Upper Silesian City is the heart of the agglomeration. It's one of the brightest places on the night map of Poland.

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#28

At Work

At Work

POLAND ON AIR - Aleksandra Łogusz and Maciej Margas - at work!

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Davo gifman
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my opinion Poland is a beautiful,and diverse landscape. Thank you for sharing your country's views from the sky.😎👍

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#29

The Versilles Of Podlasie

The Versilles Of Podlasie

Branicki Palace in Białystok holds its resemblance to the original Versaille in France.

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And another for my "When I go back" list.... And check out that traffic circle lower left. :-)

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#30

An Alien Plant

An Alien Plant

It's a waste container for the side effect of copper production.

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#31

The Farmlands Of Małopolska

The Farmlands Of Małopolska

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GoddessOdd
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks like another quilt... the bright greens and browns are really striking.

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#32

Solar Energy

Solar Energy

Witnica Solar Park is the biggest solar park in Poland. From air, you can see more and more places like this built all around the country.

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