Fabian Zelinsky on cloudy days and emotional photography

Fabian Zelinsky is an Austrian visionary with substantial inclinations. A polished and formidable photographer, Zelinsky captures the little moments that define the sum of life’s parts. Inspired by female excellence and sunscapes, this conscious creator stops time to capture the power of now. Recalibrating the mundane, Zelinsky surveys the human experience with a dreamy prowess. Talking lighting design, cloudy days, and emotional photography- this is Fabian Zelinsky at his core.

Where did your journey into photography begin, and how has it evolved over time?

I would say my journey started 8 years ago. At that time I didn’t really know what to do with my creativity and energy. One day I picked up my dad’s camera and started shooting everything. I think I started like everyone does by taking pictures of flowers and stuff. I simply shot everything I could find and had fun. Over the last couple of years, many things have changed. I started focusing more on shooting nature, landscapes and sunsets. At one time, I think 2 or 3 years ago, landscapes were no longer enough. I was missing the human aspect in photography. Then I got a chance to photograph the first woman outside of my family and friends. It was my first try and… yeah I think the pictures looked exactly like “the first time ever.” From this point I was hooked and started to photograph more and more people- especially women. Throughout my whole life I had strong women by my side- my mom, my grandma, my girlfriend, and her mom. So for me, women are such strong and beautiful human beings that I just want to capture how they look to me. At this point I try more and more to tell stories and capture natural beauty, with people, emotions, colors, and honest moments.

As many of your subjects are women, what do you do to ensure that they’re comfortable enough to produce such natural and candid content?

I do nothing special. I grew up surrounded by girls because I was a quiet kid and couldn’t really connect with other boys so I just started spending my time with girls. I think because of those years surrounded with women I have learned to listen more.
So when I meet someone to take photos of them, I take my time to get to know each other, I talk very much with them. They also get to know me and my life, and think by that, trust and honesty starts building up and makes everything easier. Also before we even meet, I text with them a lot and collect moods so they get a feeling for my vision of the whole shoot.

New wave feminism is sweeping the globe, what does feminism mean to you and how is it portrayed in your work?

For my work it doesn’t really change anything, I always have shown women like they are- strong, beautiful, and unique. After that whole “everything needs to look perfect” phase on social-media (and photography), finally natural, candid, and emotional pictures had their revival. So now I try even more to show them that they look amazing without photoshop.

“For me, women are such strong and beautiful human beings that I just want to capture how they look to me.”

Each of your posts on Instagram are complemented by a poetic caption. Are these always related to the image, or is this writing another medium of creativity for you unrelated to the image?

Thank you for the nice words but I think most of them are not really poetic. Many captions are parts from song lyrics, but for the last few months I’ve written the captions by myself. Only a few of them are really related to the actual picture. Most of the time I simply write down thoughts, or try to give the picture a certain feeling with words.

Sunsets also seem to be a subject of yours. What is it that inspires you about the golden hour? Do you prefer the sunrise or sunset?

Of course they are, I think I simply like the colors and that every single sunset/rise looks unique. For taking pictures, I simply love sunsets because of the colors, the feel, and that you have more time to capture the sunset itself. I personally love to wake up and start the day early, so sunrise is also nice.

Your beautiful series titled “Linda” showcases very specific and natural lighting design. How does nature’s light influence and ultimately shape your vision?

Light is one of the key elements in photography. The color temperature light simply changes the whole feeling of a picture. So I try to work with the light I have and create pictures that show the mood and feeling of the moment. Grey and cloudy day equals moody cool tones, warm and sunny day where the sun is hitting perfect equals happier warm tones. So light is the key for the mood of a shot, that’s why I love sunsets and sunflairs.

On your Instagram page, there is a story highlight titled ‘Music.’ If you could choose any song or album that parallels your aesthetic as a photographer, what would it be and why?

It really depends on my mood what I´m listening to. But music is a great inspiration for my photography. I would say Hip/Hop and RnB influence my work. I personally like the more melancholic stuff like Dermot Kennedy and NF. I think most of the time you can see that dark mood and feel in my shots.

“I grew up surrounded by girls because I was a quiet kid and couldn’t really connect with other boys so I just started spending my time with girls. I think because of those years surrounded with women I have learned to listen more.”

Although self-criticism is an abstract concept, what are some things you want to improve upon moving forward with your career?

It really is, but I think self-critically. Sometimes I think my stuff is simply garbage and on other days I really love my work. I know at some point in my work that I really want to improve, especially my framing and use of color and emotions. I try to improve these points with every shoot so everything always looks a little different but that’s okay. But at this moment, I really like the mood and feel of my pictures. But I think over time things change, so I don’t know what they will look like in the future.

Self-love is an even more abstract concept, what do you love about the work that you share with the world?

The fact that I can show the world my perspective and vision- the way I see and feel things. That I love every second I captured and I don’t want to miss a single one.

What message do you hope viewers will take away from your work?

I don’t really want to share a message. I simply hope that they can feel the pictures the same way I do, I hope someone maybe will get inspired.

What does the world have to look forward to in the next year from Fabian Zelinksy?

That’s a great question, to be honest I really don’t know. I just know that I want to shoot more in a more documentary-esque style, be more creative, find some new faces, go to new places, and never stop capturing my view on moments. I want to capture roadtrips and lifestyle stuff…simply stunning moments with amazing people. And maybe I will buy a new camera.