Tag: Photography

The purpose of the past/ Cel przeszłości

Photograph: Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini, 2025

Is it possible to improve in life without being grateful for the past and what it taught us? Could we make progress in life without seeing the positives in our personal journeys? Could we be artistic, creative, productive if we do not appreciate what we have or what has passed? If we are angry that the flowers have died, could we appreciate their textures, their patterns, their beauty highlighted by time? They were. They existed. They contributed. If we decide to engage with the past or the passing of time in a creative manner, the effect is usually gratifying. Could it be otherwise?

Czy można poprawić sobie życie bez odczuwania wdzięczności za przeszłość i za to czego nas nauczyła? Czy możemy robić postępy w życiu, nie dostrzegając pozytywów w naszych osobistych podróżach? Czy możemy być artystyczni, kreatywni, produktywni, jeśli nie doceniamy tego, co mamy lub tego, co minęło? Jeśli jesteśmy źli, że kwiaty umarły, czy możemy docenić ich faktury, ich wzory, ich piękno podkreślone przez czas? Były. Istniły. Przyczyniły się do piękna. Jeśli zdecydujemy się na twórcze zajęcie się przeszłością lub wpływem przemijania, efekt będzie zazwyczaj satysfakcjonujący. Czy by mogło być inaczej?

Thankful Time/ Wdzięczny Czas (English/Polish Post)

In smart work there is less joy than in a game of tag
and time is running out
for children and adults alike
into the hustle and bustle of memories.

Who caught whom?
No one asks about the tag
But everyone writes a report
On the questions they asked
And answers they received
Only relevant to self
It seems

But to receive an answer
Is to make a promise of gratitude.

No one knows
Few understand

Has the person who asked got lost earlier?
Or did they ask in time?
To be grateful?
Or to be done?
Choose.

– Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini

Additional good read for this week:

This article has caught my attention this week. Very interesting read. This is the Key to Achieving ‘Time Affluence’ (click to read).

Poem and photography by Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini, 2025. Copying without an explicit and written permission from the author is not allowed.

Po Polsku

W mądrej pracy jest mniej radości niż w grze w berka,
a dzieciom i dorosłym czas ucieka tak samo
w zgiełk wspomnień.

Kto kogo złapał? Nikt nie pyta,
Ale każdy pisze raport
Z pytań, które zadał
I odpowiedzi, które otrzymał.
Dotyczących tylko siebie
Wydawać by się mogło.
Ale otrzymać odpowiedź
To złożyć obietnicę wdzięczności.

Nikt nie wie.
Niewielu rozumie.

Czy osoba, która zapytała, zgubiła się wcześniej?
Czy zapytała w porę?

Być wdzięcznym?
Czy po prostu mieć wszystko zrobione?
Wybierz.

Wiersz Alicji Pyszki-Franceschini, 2025.

Ten artykuł przykuł moją uwagę w tym tygodniu. Bardzo interesujący!

Artykuł w magazynie Forbes zatytułowany “To jest klucz do osiągnięcia ‘Bogactwa Czasu'” (kliknij w link tutaj)

Do następnego razu. x

Material Copyrighted by Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini, 2025. Copying without an explicit and written permission from the author is not allowed.

What are photographs for?

Do you remember the song by Ed Sheeran called Photograph? The official music video consists of photographs and video cuts. These are from his early childhood and his early music career. I love the simplicity of it all and the sheer joy of watching a growing child, his first steps, his running around and the shrieks of a toddler finding his voice. It is so moving. The decor of his family’s house that is sealed in time. The hands of the family members that carefully assist him in making his first steps, in music or drawing, busking and then all the Happy Birthday’s sung together to celebrate the child. Call me sentimental, but that song makes me cry. It is all moving and all beautiful. I am very inspired by the song and the video. It inspires me to rediscover my own family archive. These are the good times.

Photos taken in Derby (UK), in Poland and in Derby Museum and Art Gallery.

Link to Ed Sheeran’s Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDgHBxUbVQ

All images: Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini. All rights reserved.

Abstract from ice (modified and updated)

Once upon a time we had a rabbit. The rabbit died over a year ago just on New Year’s Eve. We took the rabbit tray outside, it was in our garden collecting rain water and algae. It was a big cage, capacious. When the big freeze came over the last week all that water with algae froze creating interesting patterns and compositions. I chopped the ice with an old bread tin. It was also filled with heavy ice. Our son lifted it off the tray. He placed it next to his knee to show how tall and thick it was, impressive in size. I photographed the blocks of ice while they were still floating among the icy water and when son was holding the ice.

The algae surrounded them. I then post-processed the photos in Lightroom. My favourite abstract composition is below.

I wonder what you think of it all?

Let me know.

x

And yesterday while walking, I met this little being. I think its eye is in the abstract.

Writing and photography: Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini, 2025, Home Studio, Derby, UK. Outdoor photo taken in Willington, South Derbyshire.

Updated 16.01.2025.

Thankful

I’ve got an impression that last winter my mother was making this soup every three days for our children. Her grandson was competing with himself to see how many bowls he could comfortably consume. We all looked at him in disbelief, wondering where that quantity was disappearing. Surely, he was not spoon-feeding the dogs under the table. He loved it. Everyone else did too. They gladly returned from the cold and sat in front of a steaming bowl and each bowl came with a piece of popular Polish bread showered with flax seeds. Yummy.

Do you cook? What do you like making?


The knitted cloth that the soup is placed on is actually a scarf made by my aunt. It is so warm, you won’t believe. Shoulders wear it gracefully indebted to my aunt for many hours of her work. I was comforted by the softness of the scarf. The warmth of the soup also brought reassurance. I am grateful that my mum and aunt keep their skills fresh and that they continuously make an effort. It is mesmerizing to see how things emerge in other people’s hands. As if from nowhere…

Creativity blossomed in our house over the weekend. Icy weather gave us many opportunities to refresh and revive our spirit and gave us hope for a good and creative year. I hope you are feeling equally energized.

The photos of the soup were taken last year in Poland. The photo of my children was taken in Melbourne (UK) at Woodhouse Farm. Many thanks to Brian Woodhouse for allowing me to take photos on his farm and fields.

Below is a photo from my parents’ place in Poland.

*Corrected draft.