I recently needed to find some old photos, and—as often happens —I got completely absorbed in our archives. I immersed myself in photoshoots that are not just completed work, but memories, people, and good energy. Sometimes it even brings a tear to my eye!

And I needed to find photos from editorial called "Justify my Love" we did for Jute Magazine. It was wild concept of mixing pastel blue and pink backdrop with black, bondage inspired stylings. And It looked soooo good! Check the gallery below  with all images form this photoshoot.

Here are the team credits:

photo: Remi Kozdra & Kasia Baczulis
model: Maria Konieczna / IMG Models
make-up: Marianna Yurkiewicz
styling: Ewa Michalik 

While browsing through the catalog, I realized how many unused gems were left there! From these shots, another series could be created, or even two—completely different from the original.

See for yourselves!

I’m sharing a selection of retouched photos paired with raw previews that were rejected at some stage of the selection process.

And this beautifully leads me to how important the process of selection is.

Let’s take the example of the photoshoot above. Me looking at the previews, and you looking at the previews, would probably choose different shots because each one resonates differently with us and reflects my and your sensitivity. And we definitely have slightly different sensitivities.

In fact! What I would choose today from this photoshoot would also be different from what I chose a few years ago. Why? Because it would reflect my sensitivity today, now, in this moment, and these trends. Yes, trends!

Because we don’t even notice how magazines (more so in the past than today), Instagram, or Pinterest shape our sense of aesthetics, what is beautiful, cool, correct, or worthy of five stars. (I do my selection by giving stars to photos).

I grew up in the 90s and 2000s, at the tail end of the supermodel era and the beginning of the top model craze. After all these years, I know (though sometimes it’s hard to admit how much) how much influence the media and the times I grew up in had on me. Both on a personal level and in terms of photographic sensitivity.

The photos I take, the ones I chose for editing, and how I edit them are a reflection of what I saw around me. Hence my very 90s style, where there’s a lot of “glam,” the models are beautiful, and the shots are correct.

Well, the shots are correct. But today, looking at the raw material, what attracts me more is emotion, elusiveness, imperfection. That’s why if I were to choose photos from this editorial today, it would look like this:

This striking difference in mood and style, achieved simply by altering the final selected images and their development, perfectly illustrates a crucial point. The work we undertake after the photoshoot—the meticulous process of image selection and the artful development that follows—is an incredibly powerful tool. 
It’s not merely about completing a task; it's about consciously shaping how our portfolio is perceived and how we define ourselves as artists. Therefore, mastering this combination of careful selection and thoughtful development is essential for elevating your photography and truly making your unique vision resonate.

If you would like to read more about development?