For more than two decades, Polish photographer Karol Nienartowicz has been chasing light in the mountains. He began photographing in 2003, initially working with analog equipment and developing his own images in the darkroom before transitioning to digital photography a few years later. Since 2009, he has combined photography with trekking, often sleeping in a tent in remote, hard-to-reach places so he can catch the first and last light far from crowds. That approach lends his work a raw, immersive quality, shaped by a clear love for wild landscapes and the kind of quiet moments that many people never get to experience.
Although Karol has photographed in more than 45 countries across four continents, the mountains of Poland remain especially close to him. In this post, we’re focusing on his images of the Polish Tatras along with other landscapes from across Poland, which reflect both his technical skill and his deep personal connection to these places. Over the years, his work has appeared in major Polish media outlets and travel publications, and he has also published a book devoted to mountain photography. Beyond still photography, he even contributed to the Oscar-nominated film ‘Loving Vincent,’ adding another fascinating layer to his creative journey.
To see more of Karol’s photography, be sure to visit his Instagram page and website. And as you scroll through the images below, don’t forget to upvote the shots that impressed you the most.
More info: Instagram | karolnienartowicz.com
#1
Location: Chatka Puchatka mountain shelter, Połonina Wetlińska, Bieszczady National Park
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#2
Location: Sněžka, Giant Mountains, Czech–Polish border
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#3
Location: Połonina Wetlińska, Western Bieszczady Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#4
Location: Sněžka, Giant Mountains, Czech–Polish border
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#5
Location: Czorsztyn village, Nowy Targ County, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#6
Location: Radziejowa, Beskid Sądecki mountain range, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#7
Location: Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#8
Location: Gąsienicowa Valley, Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#9
Location: Kościelec, High Tatras, Gąsienicowa Valley, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#10
Location: Sokolica, Pieniny National Park, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#11
Location: Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#12
Location: Połonina Caryńska, Bieszczady Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#13
Location: Black Lake below Mount Rysy (pol. Czarny Staw pod Rysami), Tatra Mountains, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#14
Location: Red Peaks (pol. Czerwone Wierchy), Western Tatras, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#15
Location: Giewont, Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#16
Location: Hruby Wierch, High Tatras, Slovakia/Poland border
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#17
Location: Koziarz, Radziejowa Range, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#18
Location: Rysy, High Tatras, border between Slovakia and Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#19
Location: Starorobociański Wierch, Tatra Mountains, Polish-Slovak border
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#20
Location: Eagle’s Path (pol. Orla Perć) hiking trail, High Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#21
Location: Trzy Korony, Three Crowns Massif, Pieniny Mountains, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#22
Location: Wysoki Wierch, Pieniny Mountains, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#23
Location: Black Lake below Mount Rysy (pol. Czarny Staw pod Rysami), Tatra Mountains, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#24
Location: Gąsienicowa Valley, Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#25
Location: Gąsienicowa Valley, Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#26
Location: “Goose Neck” (pol. Gęsia Szyja), Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#27
Location: Glodowka, Tatra Mountains, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#28
Location: Kacwin village, Nowy Targ County, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#29
Location: Kościelec, High Tatras, Gąsienicowa Valley, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#30
Location: Łapszanka village, Nowy Targ County, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#31
Location: Mnich mountain, High Tatras, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#32
Location: Niedzica village, Nowy Targ County, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#33
Location: Osturňa, Kežmarok District, Prešov Region, Slovakia
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#34
Location: Pilsko, Żywiec Beskids mountain range, border between Slovakia and Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#35
Location: Rabsztyn village, Olkusz County, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#36
Location: Śnieżne Kotły, Sudeten Mountains, Karkonosze National Park, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#37
Location: Szkocja village, Nakło County, North-Central Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#38
Location: Szpiglasowy Wierch, Tatra Mountains, Polish-Slovak border
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#39
Location: Turbacz, Gorce Mountains, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#40
Location: Wysoki Wierch, Pieniny Mountains, Southern Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#41
Location: Żar Mountain, Little Beskids Mountain Range, Poland
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
#42
Location: Sněžka, Giant Mountains, Czech–Polish border
Image source: Karol Nienartowicz
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