Andy Bar Photo

Category: Observations

  • Hasselblad Masters 2026: Observations on the Shortlist & Moving Forward

    Hasselblad Masters 2026: Observations on the Shortlist & Moving Forward

    The Hasselblad Masters 2026: Curatorial Friction

    At the end of April, Hasselblad announced the shortlisted images for the public voting phase of the Masters 2026 competition. I will state upfront: my frames remain in the drawer. Interestingly enough, however, I noticed a few conceptual echoes of my own approach among the selected works.

    You can review the finalists’ gallery here.

    Observing the Selection

    When I first opened the gallery for the Architecture category – the one that naturally holds my utmost attention – I experienced a moment of genuine surprise. Out of the ten shortlisted entries, four caught my eye as interesting. In my subjective view, only one of them is truly exceptional (and undeniably stronger than the work I submitted). I will be watching closely to see if it takes the title.

    As for the remaining selections, they left me somewhat puzzled. Browsing through various visual spaces and social media commentary, it seems I am not entirely alone in this reflection.

    The Purpose of Friction

    After giving it some thought, I must admit that the inclusion of such polarizing work might actually be necessary. Photography, at its core, should provoke dialogue and evoke a response. I may struggle to find architectural intent in an edit that turns a naturally brown structure into a synthetic pink, or in a completely decontextualized frame of a random window. To my eye, this borders on something other than the craft of capturing structure. Yet, subjectivity is the undisputed nature of this medium.

    It does, however, leave one curious about the underlying mechanics and the specific criteria driving the jury’s final decisions.

    This Wroclaw block was not a part of my Hasseldblad Masters 2026 entry, but belongs to series.

    The Path Forward

    Regardless of the shortlist, my objective remains unchanged. I will continue this deliberate return to photography, training my eye, and conceptualizing new visual narratives. I am genuinely glad I participated in this cycle, even without a mention. As I noted in my previous Studio Note, the mere act of submitting was the perfect catalyst. It provided the necessary deadline to push past the friction of choice.

    The process has served its purpose. And perhaps, when the next cycle arrives in a few years, I will submit my frames once more. We will see what the light reveals by then.

    Andy.

  • Hasselblad Masters 2026: A Return to Form

    Hasselblad Masters 2026: A Return to Form

    A hiatus in visual silence

    A few years ago, I almost stopped taking photos. Not entirely, but the output was minimal. Since 2019, my Lightroom catalog held barely a hundred frames per year—a stark contrast to the thousands I used to produce. There were several reasons for this “visual silence,” and I am still figuring out how to articulate them. If you are curious about that journey, consider joining the Collector’s Circle. I don’t send updates often, but when that particular story is ready in Journal, I’ll share it as a dedicated Studio Note.

    Over the last two years, the urge to return to the craft grew louder. In 2025, I bought a Leica Q2 as a trial companion for a holiday—a way to ensure I couldn’t make excuses to leave the camera behind. Still, those images remained “for the drawer.” It wasn’t until early 2026 that I found the motivation to push forward, relaunch my Instagram, and build this site. The catalyst was the Hasselblad Masters 2026 competition. I needed that deadline—a reason to finally hit “enter” and take that first, definitive step back into the light.

    Architecture for People:
    Warsaw Powiśle

    When selecting my entry for Hasselblad Masters 2026, I knew the narrative was as vital as the frame itself. I wanted to highlight an era when we built for people, not for developers’ spreadsheets. It was a time when, despite budget constraints, the creativity and ambition of architects resulted in residential buildings that were both livable and visually appetizing.

    This modernist structure in Warsaw’s Powiśle district has always captivated me. It recently underwent an aesthetic renovation—a rarity in Eastern Europe where such forms are often compromised. Thankfully, its rhythmic, pleasant silhouette remained intact. On the day I shot this, the temperature hit -25°C. It was grueling, but the biting winter sun perfectly defined the 3D structure of the balconies against a cloudless sky. My Leica Q2 Reporter handled the extreme cold with clinical precision.

    Wroclaw Manhattan architecture photography, brutalist residential complex designed by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, shot on Canon 5Dmk2.

    Rhythmic Geometry:
    The Wrocław Manhattan

    My second submission was the iconic “Manhattan” complex in Wrocław. Designed by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, this estate possesses a magnetic quality. The oval, prefabricated elements, the rhythmic repetition, and the intricate labyrinth of the pedestrian walkways at the shopping level are pure sculptural brutalism. It is architecture that speaks a universal language—so much so that it is often compared to the boldest modernist visions in Paris or Chicago.

    I captured this frame with my veteran Canon 5Dmk2. Despite its age, the sensor still renders the soft morning light beautifully. This complex is a subject I’ve returned to many times on “photo safaris,” and it certainly deserves a full dedicated editorial in the future.

    Organic Giants:
    The Katowice “Corncobs”

    The final piece of my submission was this “upshot” of the famous “Kukurydze” (Corncobs) in Katowice. Located in the Millennium Estate (Osiedle Tysiąclecia), these towers by Henryk Buszko and Aleksander Franta are legendary. Their organic, cylindrical forms are a testament to the ambition of Silesian modernism.

    Their status is best summarised by a local resident I encountered while shooting. As she left the building, she noticed my camera and shouted with a smile, “Cool Corncobs we have here, right?” It’s hard to find a better review than that. Katowice remains a deeply rewarding subject for my love of modernism, and I look forward to documenting more of this city soon. It all started with that first Leica I took on holiday—it taught me how to look up again.

    Modernist architecture Kukurydze Katowice - Andy Bar Journal

    Studio Notes.

    Highly irregular. Entirely intentional.

    Subscribe to join the Collector’s Circle for updates on new work and visual stories. I only send a dispatch when there is something truly worth sharing.

    Your privacy is respected. Unsubscribe at any time. See the Privacy Policy.