Jerzy Swinka - Architectural Photography

Kezdolap
Magyarország
Budapest
Jerzy Swinka - Architectural Photography

Architectural photographer
📌🇭🇺&🇵🇱 || Available 🌍
⬇️ Portfolio & Info & Contact
www.jerzyswinka.com

15/05/2026

The wait is officially over. Budapest’s Citadella has finally reopened after a massive, 11 years long restoration, and it was worth every single day. The contrast between the heavy nineteenth century fortification and the new modern interventions is breathtaking.

Design by Art1st Design Stúdió & Pagony
Built by Market Építő Zrt. & ZÁÉV Zrt.

21/04/2026

Finally had a chance to capture those Zaha Hadid signature curves. Architecture that feels like it is in constant motion.

02/04/2026

Guess the building 🧩

Just a few close-up details to make it harder.

09/03/2026

Looking back a few days and also at the weather forecast, I believe it is finally time to hide the winter boots and forget about the snow. As always, snow was a hindrance to many people, especially in the city, but I also saw so many people pulling out their phones to photograph sometimes quite boring and trivial things. That proves my theory that snow simply looks good in pictures.

And if you combine an amazing subject, golden hour sunlight, and snow, you really end up with some amazing shots. My hands were freezing, but I knew the photos would come out beautifully. At the same time, it gave me a chance to pause and simply enjoy the scenery.

02/03/2026

I know this one is going to be a bit controversial, but I must say I wish there were more skyscrapers in Budapest. I do not want them in the city center, because I understand they would be an eyesore and would not match the surrounding architecture. They could be placed somewhere on the outskirts like in Vienna. I really believe that in Europe only Warsaw got it right when it comes to having skyscrapers in the city centre. It feels like a little Manhattan or Hong Kong, but that is another story.

I come from a city with no tall buildings, so when I moved to China and especially when I visited Hong Kong for the first time, I was overwhelmed by their enormous scale and number. I remember sitting by Victoria Harbour for four hours straight alone at night just staring at them. There were almost no people nearby, which felt even more magical in crowded Hong Kong.

Skyscrapers often get a lot of hate, but some of them are truly eye catching and feel like real marvels of engineering. And sure, some look like simple blocks of steel and glass, but sometimes you come across something that stands out, just like the MOL Campus.

20/02/2026

I rarely shoot architecture at night.

Especially in cities, darkness and light pollution usually mean losing the details that make a building interesting in the first place. Everything becomes either dark or flat, and the contrast disappears.

The House of Music is one of the few buildings that holds up surprisingly well. The ceiling actually benefits from artificial light. When illuminated from both above and below, the metal panels become more visible than during the day.

Shooting at night is still far from easy though. Long exposure times make controlling the scene tricky and ghosting is hard to avoid, although sometimes it can look surprisingly interesting.

On top of that, the surroundings are often so dark that you can barely see what you are doing. Finding the right angle, checking focus, and even operating the camera becomes more difficult. You end up relying on muscle memory in near darkness.

02/02/2026

It is time for another of my favorite architectural marvels in Budapest, captured in the snow.
The snow has melted in Budapest, but not in my memory.

I’m still amazed that I managed to get all these shots in under 30 minutes, with frozen fingers and dying batteries.

“What’s the secret?” you may ask.
Well, two identical camera bodies.

It’s a total game changer. Everyone loves having multiple lenses, but nobody loves changing them. It’s slow, introduces sensor dust, pulls you out of the zone, and leads to missed shots.

With two bodies, I can shoot almost at the same time with two completely different lenses, which leads to more keepers.

Patience and precision are essential in architectural photography, but sometimes you have to be flexible and quick. Snow can melt any day, sunny winter days are rare, and the days themselves are short. In moments like this, you simply have to overshoot, because these occasions do not come often.

22/01/2026

So this year, real winter finally came to Budapest, and it was even sunny a few times! I couldn’t resist shooting some of my favorite buildings. First on the list was the House of Music.

The funniest part? I accidentally recreated a shot from a year ago when it was overcast. I saw a lady walking her dog and started to adjust my settings like a madman with frozen fingers. Even the framing ended up very similar!

It was freezing, and my batteries were dying every couple of minutes, but it the end it was totally worth it.

15/01/2026

A 60-second photo shoot ⏱️🚀

While travelling in Bratislava with my family, I accidentally stumbled upon Mestský dom on Dunajská Street.

The “challenge”? My family was already half a block ahead and definitely not in the mood for a tripod setup. I had about one minute to figure out the angles of this atypical facade before I had to run and catch up.

Shooting handheld in the fading evening light meant I had to be precise, fast, and expect some issues while editing later. The facade is a complex puzzle of angular protrusions and shifting volumes that break the traditional street line. It’s the kind of building that demands a tripod and an hour of patience, but sometimes the “run-and-gun” shots capture the energy of the urban context best.

I’m really happy with how the textures of the dark masonry held up despite the rush. A quick reminder that a good eye is your most important piece of gear.

24/12/2025

There is a lot of debate about people-oriented architecture…
but is anyone thinking about Santa-oriented architecture?

Merry Christmas to you all!

Cím

Budapest

Weboldal

http://www.jerzyswinka.com/

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