Janusz Jurek Embraces the Weirdness of Everyday Life in Captivating Street Photographs

Humor and happenstance take the front seat in Polish photographer Janusz Jurek’s wry images. Working as a graphic designer and commercial photographer by day, he finds the greatest creative freedom in the candid and incidental—the things he notices as he moves about town, travels, and attends festivals and other events. These are the places where he observes some of the most unique individuals and the quirkiest coincidences. “The less commercial and more bizarre, the better—people are more authentic then, less in control of what they’re doing,” he tells Colossal.

Jurek is drawn to situations that happen outside of the mainstream, often turning his back on whatever the present attraction is in order to observe what’s happening all around him. He focuses on “the people, their reactions, small gestures, and strange coincidences. This is where moments that are truly surprising often appear,” he says.

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of textiles hanging on a drying line and someone's legs sticking out from behind one of the pieces

As Jurek has learned over time, some of the best images happen right at home. The crux of the process is all about noticing what’s going on, not where it happens. And beauty is never the objective. “I don’t care about the photos being pretty,” he says. “Quite the opposite—for me, street photography is the antithesis of all the technical perfection and imperfection that’s everywhere on the internet these days.” Instead, he’s fascinated by the ability to raise questions and provoke reactions in the viewer, from curiosity to amusement to slight discomfort.

Jurek is working toward the release of a collection of photos titled Look, Before It’s Gone, chronicling his street photography over a period of five years. See more on Behance, and follow updates on Instagram. You might also enjoy the work of Eric Kogan and perusing top images in the Pure Street Photography Awards.

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of two elderly women walking by costumed and masked figures during a folk festival

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of a man stopped on a bicycle near a large fire in a field, and the smoke looks as though it's coming out of his head

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of a man seated in his market stall, with melons next to his head

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of people exercising in a park and one young man is just lying on the ground

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of people sitting on a wall in a city, view through a portal

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of two young men walking across a festival grounds with green watering cans on their heads

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of a man standing in front of a blue tractor with smoke covering his face

A candid street photograph by Janusz Jurek of an older couple standing in front of an apartment building, with other people observing from their windows

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