Robert Stefaniak
The Autumn of Life
The autumn of life is a quiet season — filled with memories, unspoken words, and questions that rarely find answers. This series of photographs tells the story of an elderly man who, after a lifetime of hard work on the land, is placed in a care home by those closest to him. It is not a story of abandonment, but of passage. Of a body that weakens but remembers. Of hands that no longer work, yet still bear the marks of a life fully lived.
Each image is a fragment of a greater story: of daily life, of longing, of the last flickers of tenderness. Of what remains when all else begins to fade. This is a gallery not only of images, but of emotions — an invitation to pause, to look closely, and to listen to what can no longer be said out loud.
Exhibitions
Robert Stefaniak
Address: Rynek 12, 43-400 Cieszyn, Poland
www.domnarodowy.pl
Robert Stefaniak II
Address: Sonnenstraße 26, 80331 Munich, Germany
www.foto-video-sauter.de
Robert Stefaniak III
Address: Zjednoczenia 67, 43-250 Pawłowice, Poland
www.kultura.pawlowice.pl
My name is Robert, and photography is my way of understanding people and moments. I strive to capture images that are honest and emotionally resonant — portraits that don’t distort reality but reveal something deeper.
Many of my works are inspired by real encounters. Some were spontaneous, like the portraits of Alex, whose raw, almost gladiator-like presence struck me instantly. Or Natasha, hanging laundry on a rooftop — a moment subtly shaped by the charm of an old Polish film, How I Unleashed World War II.
Not every photo tells a specific story. Some are shaped by a quiet longing — for timeless elegance, for a kind of femininity that feels both classic and bold.
Beyond portraiture, I am also deeply passionate about documentary and street photography — capturing unposed slices of life as they happen, full of unpredictability, movement, and human presence.
While I often work with color, I find myself increasingly drawn to the power of simplicity — to the way black and white distills an image down to its most essential emotion. Perhaps that’s something I’ll explore more deeply in the future.