foto mix

Renata Pajchel

 

(born 1942 in Warsaw, died 2020 in Warsaw). An outstanding still photographer. Graduated from the Cinematographer Faculty at the FilmSchool in Łódź. “I was not always humble, but I was consistent" – she said about herself. “I always regretted that I was anonymous. I had little skills when I took the entrance exams to the film school (professor Jerzy Toeplity led me through the whole school). The school taught me everything. I listened to Kazimierz Konrad, Jerzy Mierzejewski, Krystyna Zwolińska, dear Stanisław Wohl. Why didn’t I practise the profession?... at the beginning it was very difficult – and I was very impatient...I became still photographer..."1.

 

 

After the studies, Pajchel never stood behind the camera as a cinematographer. She made the first stills for the film "Dwa żebra Adama" by Morgenstern of 1963 already as a student. She used a Pentacon Six camera. When she won the contest of the International Fashion Institute, she went to Paris, where she practised for two years under the supervision of the eminent photographer Herman Leonard who documented, among others, the work of jazzmen. After returning to Poland, she started to make stills professionally. From abroad, she brought a 4,5 x 6 Bronica camera, which enabled to take full advantage of the film frame and corresponded to film format. "She was the first" – says cinematographer Kurt Weber – "to treat the work on the set as a reporter, and not a theatre photographer. Other still photographers arranged a set with actors for their own needs, which involved discussion with the actors or the gaffer (...). In the view of this tradition, the way in which Renata Pajchel worked was something new, modern, and more adequate to the work pace of a film crew"2.

 

As the first one in Poland, Pajchel started to use a special soundproof camera cover she had brought from Los Angeles. It enabled her to take photographs during the shot without the characteristic click of the shutter.

 

Still before the film production is started, Pajchel used to read the script to develop a general impression. She thought that a good still provides a key to the whole story and enables to recognise the movie it comes from at once. Therefore, she always looked on the set for something visually distinctive, an icon. It was so, for example, with the famous still coming from "Wesele" by Wajda, on which Marek Walczewski, as the Host, holds a golden horn and a saber.

 

Pajchel started to cooperate with Andrzej Wajda in 1967 and since then she accompanied the director on his film sets for nearly thirty seven years. She cooperated also with Krzysztof Zanussi, Agnieszka Holland, Jerzy Hoffman, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Janusz Majewski, and Piotr Szulkin.

 

Since 2004, she used digital cameras. She admited, however, that digital photography is entirely different. "[Earlier], there was something as an impression of the photograph, manner of framing, everything was important because certain amount of time had to pass before you could finally see it.  Today it is not so. No miracle shall come, there is no magic whatsoever"3.

 

Piotr Śmiałowski

 
Filmography of Pajchel as still photographer:
1963 – „Dwa żebra Adama”
1964 – „Banda”
1964 – „Spotkanie ze szpiegiem”
1965 – „Niekochana”
1965 – „Trzy kroki po ziemi”
1967 – „Dziadek do orzechów”
1967 – „Wycieczka w nieznane”
1968 – „Weekend z dziewczyną”
1968 – „Wszystko na sprzedaż”
1969 – „Polowanie na muchy”
1970 – „Krajobraz po bitwie”
1970 – „Brzezina”
1970 – „Przygody psa Cywila”
1971 – „Trzecia część nocy”
1971 – „Za ścianą”
1972 – „Dama pikowa”
1972 – „Trzeba zabić tę miłość”
1972 – „Wesele”
1972 – „Tajemnica wielkiego Krzysztofa”
1972 – „Ostatni liść”
1973 – „Chłopcy”
1973 – „Iluminacja”
1974 – „Ziemia obiecana”
1974 – „S.O.S”
1975 – „Dulscy”
1975 – „W środku lata”
1975 – „Wieczór u Abdona”
1975 – „W środku lata”
1976 – „Smuga cienia”
1976 – „Człowiek z marmuru”
1976 – „Barwy ochronne”
1976 – „Pani Bovary to ja”
1976 – „Dagny”
1977 – „Sprawa Gorgonowej”
1977 – „Pasja”
1978 – „Bez znieczulenia”
1978 – „Spirala”
1978 – „Szpital przemienienia”
1979 – „Dyrygent”
1979 – „Panny z Wilka”
1980 – „Kontrakt”
1980 – „Spotkanie na Atlantyku”
1980 – „Z biegiem lat, z biegiem dni…”
1981 – „Człowiek z żelaza”
1981 – „Dziecinne pytania”
1981 – „Z dalekiego kraju”
1982 – „Danton”
1982 – „Przesłuchanie”
1984 – „Baryton”
1984 – „O-bi, O-ba. Koniec cywilizacji”
1984 – „Zabawa w chowanego”
1985 – „Jezioro Bodeńskie”
1985 – „Ognisty anioł”
1985 – „Kronika wypadków miłosnych”
1986 – „Biały smok”
1986 – „Nieproszony gość”
1986 – „Biały smok”
1987 – „Cyrk odjeżdża”
1987 – „Pociąg do Hollywood”
1988 – „Dotknięci”
1988 – „Obywatel Piszczyk”
1988 – „Piłkarski poker”
1988 – „Mistrz i Małgorzata”
1988 – „Biesy”
1989 – „Ostatni prom”
1989 – „Marcowe migdały”
1990 – „Kramarz”
1990 – „Ucieczka z kina Wolność”
1990 – „Korczak”
1990 – „Europa Europa”
1991 – „Panny i wdowy”
1992 – „Zwolnieni z życia”
1992 – „Szwadron”
1992 – „Pierścionek z orłem w koronie”
1993 – „Dwa księżyce”
1993 – „Kolejność uczuć”
1993 – „Pożegnanie z Marią”
1993 – „Do widzenia wczoraj”
1994 – „Diabelska edukacja”
1994 – „Spis cudzołożnic”
1994 – „Polska śmierć”
1995 – „Horror w Wesołych Bagniskach”
1995 – „Girl guide”
1995 – „Wielki tydzień”
1996 – „Panna nikt”
1996 – „Dzień wielkiej ryby”
1996 – „Bar Atlantic”
1997 – „Ciemna strona Wenus”
1997 – „Pokój 107”
1998 – „Siedlisko”
1998 – „Poniedziałek”
2000 – „Daleko od okna”
2000 – „Żółty szalik”
2001 – „Wtorek”
2002 – „Wszyscy święci”
2004 – „Czwarta władza”
2005 – „Parę osób, mały czas”
2006 – „Miłość w przejściu podziemnym”
2006 – „S@motność w sieci”
2007 – „Braciszek”
2009 – „Ile waży koń trojański”
2011 – „Księstwo”
 
 


1. Statement of Renata Pajchel comes from a booklet accompanying the exhibition “Kobiety, Aktorki, Gwiazdy" in the FilmMuseum in Łódź of 1993.

2. Letter by Kurt Weber of 4 February 2014

3. The statement and information contained in the biography are taken from the paper by Leut. A. Wyżyński, Zawód: fotosista, Filmpro, October 2012

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