When Anna Groniecka first moved to Ireland from Poland 18 years ago, she was just 20 years old and about to embark on a big adventure. “It was a big change, but it felt right,” Anna says. She arrived without English and had to work hard to learn a new language while also experiencing a new culture.
Photography had long been a passion of Anna’s, who got her love of cameras from her father. “He worked in a coal mine but in his free time he had an old Russian Zenit camera. He took family photos and he developed them in our tiny bathroom, he turned it into a darkroom. I was always interested in the process and I loved watching the pictures developing in the solution.”
Building up a business She decided she would set up her own photography business, based in Clonakilty. She started out working for friends, and thanks to their recommendations, she began to see more demand for her skills. Nowadays, Anna photographs a mix of weddings, business events, as well as fashion and commercial shoots.
Culture Anna says she loves Ireland and she feels more Irish than Polish at this stage. She admires the scenery and the supportive communities, stating that Ireland is an ideal place for creative people to flourish.