n at u r e
In a river… Text and photos paweł vogelsinger
T
Co-operation beata konowrocka
he world of water has attracted me since my
to which I could have them within easy reach. But
childhood. Sitting by the river was a favourite
it did not give me full satisfaction.
way of spending free time. I caught various water creatures into the jar, and then I spent a long time
Then came the idea of a literal immersion into the
observing them. However, the fish were always in
world that fascinated me. I discovered scuba diving.
the centre of attention – too agile and clever to be
At the same time, I developed my passion for film-
easily captured. Then came the time for fishing and
ing, for recording through the lens those ephemer-
joy with each successful catch. As a rule, I did not
al moments, exceptional experiences which came
take the fish with me, most of them made it back
my way. To see marine life up close, and above all,
into the water. The idea was to watch them and
participate in it, it was finally a dream come true.
enjoy myself with their closeness.
The long-awaited time has come when the rivers began to reveal their secrets to me…
Over time, I became convinced that fishing does
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not give me satisfaction. Fish only as a trophy on
People often react with astonishment, when they
the hook? For me it was too trivial. To experience
hear that I dive in rivers and actually… in the shal-
direct contact with live fish, to touch, to caress, to
lows. They are inhabited mainly by small species.
know the world in which they live – it was all my
What can be exciting about it? It could seem that
desire. I became fascinated by aquariums, thanks
great things are more interesting than small things.