Photographer preserves a scene
Jake Mysliwczyk crouches down to shoot a foggy Pittsburgh morning from the city's North Shore. • Submitted photos • Photo by Mark Alberti
Jake's glowing photo of the city from under the West End Bridge. • Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
By Tom Victoria
Jake Mysliwczyk seizes moments with a lens. The burgeoning photographer already is recognized for his stunning pictures of Pittsburgh and close encounters at events making national news.
Jake said the quality of a photograph depends on everything working together. For scenery, that list is comprised of the sun, light and clouds.
Jake photographs professional sports games at Heinz Field. • Photo by Mark Alberti
“When all those things work out, it usually makes a great photo,” Jake said. “What makes a photo great — to me at least — is when all the clouds are evenly lit up pink or red for sunrise and the rivers are so calm it shows a reflection off the clouds. When I stand outside in the pouring rain trying to capture lightning and a giant bolt strikes, and it lights up the sky. During sunsets, when you get the sun rays bursting through clouds on the horizon.”
But Mother Nature isn’t the only one who ranges between serene and volatile. Jake shoots people in the throes of passion. He was at the scene when a Black Lives Matter protest in Pittsburgh erupted in violence May 30, leading to a car being set ablaze.
“That was pretty scary,” he said.
Jake fully utilized the zoom function of his camera to get the shot and depart to a safer area. While in the city during the chaos, he was able to snap an enraged woman throwing a water bottle at a police officer.
Another assignment was covering the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018.
“You couldn’t get anywhere near the synagogue,” Jake said.
Jake catches a sunrise behind Pittsburgh's Point, where rivers meet, with the Duquesne Incline in the foreground. • Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
However, what Jake could get was outside shooter Robert Bowers’ house. The experience was surreal for him as he frequently passed the man’s house on his way to and from his own home.
Some of Jake’s photographs depict raw emotions. For a story about a Pittsburgh woman who repeatedly was cited for city code violations at her house, the image showed her angry expression.
Most of the time, however, Jake prefers the subject not gaze into the lens.
“I try to capture them as if they’re walking down the street and don’t know a camera is there,” he said.
For feature stories, Jake searches for a self-explanatory shot.
“I’d say the key to taking a good feature photo is to find a scene that speaks for itself,” he said. “Something that can tell a story in just a single photograph. I try to capture a photo that draws the reader in.”
Jake's shot of a Pittsburgh sunset from its North Shore. • Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
A silhouetted Jake captures a sunrise near the city's Station Square. • Photo by Dave Dicello
Jake did not set out to be a photographer. While in high school, he became enthralled with the student television studio.
“I fell in love instantly.”
Jake proceeded to learn all aspects of a studio, including lighting and sound.
“I didn’t know photography at the time,” he said.
One day, Jake wandered into a pawn shop in the Brentwood section of the city. A used Nikon DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera caught his eye.
After buying the camera, Jake started taking sunrises. He and his father would drive around the city looking for the right spot.
“I am pretty much self-taught,” he said.
Jake began posting his photographs on his social media accounts. The response was overwhelmingly positive as people wanted to buy the images.
“Social media is where I got today,” Jake said.
Jake captured a bolt of lightning above the city from the West End Bridge. • Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
He eventually interned at the Pittsburgh City Paper, an alternative weekly publication. After editor Charlie Deitch left the paper and became editor and publisher of the Pittsburgh Current website, he offered Jake a job.
As a full-time staffer for the site, Jake covers sports, breaking news and feature stories.
“They let me do anything,” he said.
Initially, Jake preferred only taking shots of scenery.
“At first, I didn’t like taking people,” he said.
Now, he enjoys the spontaneity of photographing such subjects as members of a rock band goofing around.
Due to the impact of government regulations in response to the novel coronavirus, COVID 19, there was a drastic reduction in the number of happenings to shoot, so Jake is currently more focused on social media and podcasts for Pittsburgh Current.
Jake's shot on the Ft. Pitt Bridge entering Downtown Pittsburgh. • Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk
Jake continues to beat the dawn to catch the sunlight reflecting off one or more of Pittsburgh’s rivers. He constantly seeks unique vantage points and perspectives.
“It’s a lot of work behind the scenes,” Jake said.
He advised prospective photographers on how to find the right pic.
“Really, just do what makes you happy,” Jake said. “And do the shot no one has taken.”
But that does not mean budding photographers should shoot only what they like. Jake said a portfolio should have variety as well.
“You have to do stuff out of your comfort zone,” he said.
Jake encouraged young shutterbugs aspiring to become professionals to persevere when times are challenging
“Keep pushing forward,” he said. “Roll with the punches.”
The link to Jake’s website is: www.jm412photography.com
The link to Jake’s profile on the Pittsburgh Current is: https://www.pittsburghcurrent.com/author/jake-mysliwczyk/