Sarah Retchin: Ciril Jazbec

Jazbec is an independent freelance photographer who has quite a diverse portfolio. He’s produced commercial advertising work, documentary work, photojournalism-style work, etc., but all of his photos seem to have one thing in common—they all capture a moment in time. Yes, all photography is supposed to do that, but he seems to capture those moments that mostly goes unnoticed, and that renders him with really honest photography.  

He studied at the University of the Arts London where he received a Master of Arts degree in photojournalism and documentary photography—he says he does commercial work in order to afford his documentary works, which he prefers most. His personal and assigned projects have taken him to Kiribati, Alaska, Uganda and recently Greenland. In 2012, he traveled to Shishmaref, Alaska, on assignment from GEO Germany to document the Inupiat people, who face losing their island due to the effects of climate change. He actually won the Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2013 for his most recent portfolio “Waiting to Move,” so he’s been gaining more recognition as of late.

“I believe in the power of photography; otherwise I would not be able to pursue what I do with such enthusiasm. I find myself increasingly attracted to using photography to send a message. The stories that interest me nowadays are different than they used to be – I want to show positive examples of how to solve various problems of our society and the world in general.”
                                                             ---Jazbec