Aleksandra Wierzbowska

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Aleksandra Wierzbowska

Documentary photographer & filmmaker
Reportage | extreme expeditions Together with Piotr Wojciechowski, I created the Icelandic part of the season.

My name is Aleksandra Wierzbowska and for years I've been mostly on the road, carrying out outdoor projects as well as closing culture, spaces, faces and first ascents in frames. During numerous trips, I have worked with such names as Sennheiser, National Geographic Magazine Poland, Royal Geographical Society, Petzl, Scarpa, Fjord Nansen, PAJAK, Cokin, Merrell, CAT The Reykjavik Gr**evine and many

more making visual and literary material. In autumn 2020 I was filming the new TV series "Polski Świat" for Discovery Channel Poland, broadcasted on TTV. I have completed a number of travel and sports expeditions from winter long-distance cycling, through long-distance hikes in Iceland, Lapland and the Himalayas, to climbing countless peaks, opening new climbing areas on virgin walls & creating a climbing environment in the rural areas within Project Armenia. During my numerous, mostly solo journeys, I have often defended myself against attempts of sexual assault, witnessed extreme poverty, saw gender inequality and met thousands of refugees in the Balkans. Those experiences made my consciousness grow and created in me a desire to change, to help, to fight for people's rights. On the road, I collected information on social problems and the condition of women, religion, culture. I have also interviewed women who have become victims of r**e and started working with refugees, immigrants, homeless and addicted people in Iceland. I feel it is my mission and responsibility to help them speak up and spread social awareness. Frames and words have become my way of manifesting myself and speaking to the world. By documenting, I make sure that what I close in the frame or written story remains and bears witness to itself. I deepen the interest in man, his individuality and human being in the context of nature and culture, in the context of places and time. Someone has to explain this world, build bridges, dissolve borders. I am eager to get involved in what is extreme, visionary, creative and filled with value. Shall we cooperate? [email protected]

30/08/2026

Przede mną jeszcze miesiąc północnych wędrówek, a później…zobaczymy. Nieprzewidziane zwroty akcji wymuszają spontaniczność. Lecz jeśli udało się zorganizować spływ rzekami Amazonii w niecałe 2 miesiące, to coś na ten czas też się zmajstruje. Już chyba nawet mam pomysł…🤫

18/08/2026

Moje miejsca wytchnienia 🤍

Fot. wspaniała slow life photography by marta kowalska

16/08/2026

Marzec i kwiecień bieżącego roku spędziłam w Kurdystanie, niejednokrotnie docierając pod granicę z Iranem, skąd rozpoczęłam spływ rzeką Mały Zab. Dużo myślałam o ludziach z przeciwległego brzegu. Dzięki książce „Teheran płonie. Zapiski z Iranu po ataku Izraela i USA”, którą otrzymałam od Wydawnictwo W.A.B. , mogę usłyszeć ich głos.

Dość abstrakcyjnie jest sięgać po tę lekturę w przestrzeni, która tak bardzo z nią kontrastuje - na spokojnej wyspie północy, w sierpniowym blasku słońca. Choć może ta sprzeczność to także jakaś prawda o świecie i życiu. Teheran płonie, a islandzka rzeka płynie dalej. Gdyby tak móc wodą z tej rzeki zagasić daleki pożar.

Wydawnictwo W.A.B.

Fot. 1 & 7 Kasia Zydzik 🤍

15/08/2026

Mój drugi dom od 11 lat 🌋

Po ukończeniu liceum spakowałam plecak i z biletem w jedną stronę wyruszyłam na Islandię. Do Skaftafell dotarłam w deszczu. Rozbiłam namiot, wczołgałam się do śpiwora i całą noc nie mogłam zasnąć. Rozbudzały mnie strach, ekscytacja, poczucie osamotnienia oraz przeszywające zimno. Nie sądziłam, że kilka lat później będę wracać w to miejsce jako przewodnik i fotograf, z ciekawym bagażem życiowych doświadczeń.

Dużo zawdzięczam tej przestrzeni i lubię traktować ją jako punkt odniesienia, obserwując przemiany, jakie we mnie zachodzą. Jedenaście lat temu wędrując tymi szlakami rozmyślałam o świecie, podróżach, przygodzie. Udało mi się spełnić te ambicje. Dziś częściej myślę o domu, założeniu rodziny, działaniach lokalnych. O wyprawach oraz przygodzie również, gdyż jest to nieodłączna część mnie, lecz w innym wymiarze i znaczeniu.

Jestem bardzo ciekawa, jakie etapy mojego życia przyjdzie jeszcze unieść tym szlakom.

07/08/2026

Oleksii Yukov was killed by Russians after spending years recovering the remains of the fallen, regardless of their nationality or which side of the front they had fought on.

Oleksii believed that death makes us equal, and that every soul deserves to be laid to rest with dignity. Guided by that belief, he founded Алексей Юков , bringing the bodies of fallen soldiers back from the front lines. In the process, he lost an eye - and now, his life.

It was a great privilege to know him and to witness the extraordinary care and respect with which he treated the dead. He saw them not as enemies or uniforms, but as someone’s son, brother, or husband. As fellow human beings.

He said, “By treating my enemies as human beings, I remain human myself.”

Amid the filth and brutality of war, he was living proof that humanity is always a choice - that even in the darkest circumstances, we can decide who we want to be.

It is heartbreaking to watch Ukraine lose some of its finest people. People whose courage, dignity, and compassion should inspire us all. War is an evil, but when it comes, we have a responsibility to stand against it.

We will miss you, Oleksii. But I like to believe that where you are now, you are not alone. So many souls are waiting for you.

03/08/2026

Animals have been some of my greatest teachers. I grew up in a home filled with rescued dogs, cats, birds, and even bats. Today, my parents care for six dogs. I brought two home from Ukraine and another, quite remarkably, from Serbia by bicycle. The other three were rescued in Poland. They taught me responsibility, compassion, and a kind of understanding that exists beyond words.

Horses teach me something different. They have taught me body awareness, patience, quiet leadership, and that less is often more. Every moment I spend with them helps me become a better person.

Wild animals remind me to seek the wildness within myself and to remember that nature is our original home. A place we should keep returning to - and one we have a responsibility to protect.

31/07/2026

A quiet sense of transformation has been growing within me.

The career changes I wrote about recently, the possibility of stepping into new roles, turning thirty, healing old wounds, and finally looking after the parts of myself that had long been neglected.

I felt the need to honour this moment - to bow to the past and welcome whatever comes next.

And then I met slow life photography by marta kowalska .

She came up to me at the FotoCamp festival, introduced herself, and within moments had touched something deep inside me. Her warmth, her sensitivity, the way she sees the world, and her own story all resonated with me in a way that’s difficult to explain. A few days later, we walked through the forest together towards a wild, empty beach.

Although I had chosen to book the session myself, stepping in front of the camera felt surprisingly vulnerable. I have complete trust in Marta’s talent, yet for as long as I can remember I’ve carried a great deal of self-criticism about my appearance and whether I’m photogenic at all.

For weeks, I couldn’t bring myself to open the gallery. I was afraid of looking at myself.

Today, I finally did.

And I saw a beautiful young woman.

A little sleep-deprived, wearing no make-up, her hair tousled by the wind, with the crooked nose she inherited from her grandfather. I also realised that a smile truly suits me - something that feels deeply connected to all the conversations and reflections I’ve been having about the direction my life is taking.

When there is joy within me, it naturally finds its way to other people. Perhaps that’s how we change the world - not by focusing solely on suffering, but by sharing kindness, hope, and happiness whenever we can.

Marta, thank you for becoming part of my journey and for helping me preserve this moment forever. I have a feeling that decades from now I’ll return to these photographs with tears in my eyes, and with even greater tenderness and compassion for the woman I see in them 🤍

30/07/2026

This was a long-awaited break.

Days spent hiking through the Bieszczady Mountains, afternoons at the shooting range, nights beneath the stars with a telescope, long conversations, lying in the grass, and swimming in the river. After more than a decade away, I also returned to horse riding and discovered Western riding – and completely fell in love with it.

But it was also a time of reflection.

For quite some time, I’ve been questioning my sense of purpose and the direction of my career. For years, I kept looking into the darkness, trying to save a world that perhaps doesn’t always want to be saved. I did it at the expense of joy, relationships and, ultimately, my health.

I’m increasingly drawn towards building a life that’s more rooted in home – investing in my relationship, my family and my country. I want the space to enjoy consistency in training, healthy routines and learning. To travel a little less, and not always to places defined by conflict or hardship. To return to photographing the world of adventure and extreme sports, as well as to explore new creative paths and new roles that I finally feel ready to grow into.

22/07/2026

SeaToSummit Polska

05/04/2026

One of my last trips to Pokrovsk (Feb, 2025), alongside the White Angels - a Ukrainian police unit evacuating civilians from frontline areas.

We visited a school destroyed by Russian forces. At the time, I still hoped that I would be able to return.

Many civilians were still living in the city. So were countless abandoned animals.

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Akre

Website

http://aleksandrawierzbowska.com/

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