June 11 : 2026
Kateryna Polishchuk
Kateryna takes an ordinary city scene and, in a single elegant gesture, inverts it to produce something quietly striking through a composition so unexpectedly beautiful it feels less like a photograph than a discovery.
by Lily Fierman
Image: At the Rink
...the shadows that tell the story.
Q:
Can you please tell us more about creating your winning image, “At the Rink”?
A:
This is a multiple-exposure image taken above the central square of my hometown, where a big skating rink used to be constructed every winter. What immediately caught my eye was the relationship between the skaters and their long shadows on the ice, so I wanted to capture that balance between everyday activity and visual abstraction.
Q:
Some of your images feel literal, and some feel very surreal and abstract. How much of this is intention you’ve figured out before you put the drone up, vs. what you notice once the drone is in the air?
A:
I think it's a combination of both. I usually have a general idea of what I'm looking for before launching the drone: patterns, geometry, or interesting light. But many images reveal themselves only from above. Some locations are fully predictable, and some make nice surprises, while others can disappoint.
Q:
How do you scout or anticipate a shot like this? Are you watching light patterns in advance, or is it more instinctive on the day?
A:
Planning is an important part but there is always an instinctive element. For a shot like this, I knew low winter sun would create long shadows, so timing was crucial. For this kind of composition, there was no need to wait for the golden hour. Also, the location was very familiar.
Q:
The shadows seem to be doing as much work as the skaters themselves. Do you think of them as equal subjects, or is one serving the other?
A:
Actually, I think it's the shadows that tell the story. But the skaters provide human presence. Without either element, the photograph wouldn't have the same impact.
Q:
Do you shoot exclusively with drones, or does aerial work sit alongside ground-level photography for you?
A:
Before drones, I have been shooting landscapes from the ground for about 10 years and now I am mostly focused on aerial photography. At the same time, I feel that this background continues to shape every frame I create from above.
Q:
What does the drone allow you to say that you couldn't say otherwise?
A:
The drone allows me to simplify scenes and reveal patterns and perspectives that would otherwise remain hidden. From above, familiar places can become abstract, and ordinary moments can take on new meaning. Just like in this image, where the aerial perspective actually transforms a simple recreational scene into something more graphic, unexpected and open to interpretation.
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