Real Photo Show with Michael Chovan-Dalton

Agnieszka Sosnowska | Bryan Schutmaat | FÖR

7 snips

Mar 10, 2025

Guest

Agnieszka Sosnowska

Guest

Bryan Schutmaat

Bryan Schutmaat, an accomplished photographer and co-founder of Trespasser, joins Agnieszka Sosnowska, a teacher and photographer from Iceland, for an enriching conversation. They delve into Agnieszka's journey from Poland to Iceland and her dual identity as an educator and artist. The pair discusses the nuances of publishing her monograph, FÖR, the importance of community in photography, and their experiences with editing color work. They also reflect on how personal stories shape their visual narratives and the significance of tangible books in a digital age.

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ANECDOTE

Agnieszka's Teaching Commitment

Agnieszka has been teaching full time in public education for 25 years, deeply committed to her role as a teacher.
She views teaching as her primary identity, with photography being a personal, secondary pursuit.

ANECDOTE

Photographing Students as Practice

Agnieszka began photographing her students when unsure of her photographic direction, using it to better understand her community.
Her work captures genuine growth and connection, with peers providing honest feedback and encouragement.

ANECDOTE

Teaching Multiple Grades Simultaneously

Agnieszka teaches multiple grade levels in a small Icelandic school, often blending multiple ages in one class.
This setup requires rapid adaptation, strong organization, and attentiveness to varied student needs.

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Agnieszka Sosnowska | Bryan Schutmaat | FÖR

Bryan Schutmaat and Agnieszka Sosnowska join me today to talk about the process of publishing Agnieszka’s monograph, FÖR (Trespasser). Agnieszka shares her journey from Poland to Boston to Iceland, and how she considers herself a teacher and a provider before thinking of herself as a photographer. Bryan and Agnieszka detail their time together looking at the work, along with Trespasser’s co-founder Matthew Genitempo, and the book was later designed by Trespasser’s designer, Cody Haltom. We also have a wide ranging conversation about the legacy implications of publishing your work, the differences in editing color photography, and the importance of being a smaller imprint.

https://www.sosphotographs.com |||
https://www.bryanschutmaat.co |||
https://trespasser.co/shop/for

This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club Begin Building your dream photobook library today at https://charcoalbookclub.com

Agnieszka Sosnowska was born in Warsaw, Poland and was raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and a MFA from Boston University. She is currently an elementary school teacher. She lives on farm in East Iceland. Sosnowska has been the recipient of a number of grants, including a Fulbright Scholars Fellowship to Poland and an American Scandinavian Fellowship to Iceland. She was awarded the Hjálmar R. Bárðarson Photography Grant awarded by the National Museum of Iceland. Her series was awarded the Director’s Choice by the Center awards in 2017 and she has been in the Top 50 of Critical Mass on 3 occasions. Her work has been exhibited in the National Museum of Iceland and The Reykjavik Museum of Photography. Sosnowska's monograph, FÖR (Trespasser) was published in 2024.

Bryan Schutmaat is a photographer based in Austin, Texas whose work has been widely exhibited and published. He has won numerous awards, including a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, the Aperture Portfolio Prize, and an Aaron Siskind Fellowship. Bryan’s prints are held in many collections, such as Baltimore Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Pier 24 Photography, Rijksmuseum, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He co-founded the imprint, Trespasser.