When we spotted Polish photographer Dominik Smialowski’s gorgeous series The Pilot’s Melancholy over at Faith is Torment, we had to stop to catch our breath. Smialowski’s landscapes, all rock and water and what looks like lava fields, would be beautiful on their own, but something about the slightly strange, sad figure of the pilot wandering among them jabs at our hearts and has us imagining futuristic tales of aeronautic woe. It’s amazing how much a single human figure, whose face is obscured, no less, can so easily change the feel of a natural expanse — and how much we want to go out and look for him. Click through to see our favorites from the series, and then do yourself a favor and head over to Smialowski’s website to see much more of his amazing work.
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski
Image credit: Dominik Smialowski