The photograph used for the design of one of the newest postage stamps issued by Poczta Polska was created by two men from Częstochowa. Michał Sitek took the photograph, but the image would not have been possible without the aviation skills and precision of Janusz Darocha, a multiple world champion in precision flying.
The stamp depicts Pieskowa Skała Castle. It was issued as part of the EUROPA series, which has been published by European public postal operators since 1956. Poland has participated in this joint initiative since 1991. The theme selected for the 2017 edition was castles.
Representatives of Poczta Polska found the photograph, which I had taken in 2012, on my website. They decided that it was ideally suited to the project and contacted me. I agreed to allow the photograph to be used.
Creating the photograph
The creation of the photograph presented a considerable challenge. Flights directly over Ojców National Park are restricted, which meant that Janusz Darocha and I could not simply fly above the castle. We had to follow the boundaries of the national park, and achieving the correct position required exceptional precision from the pilot.
We returned to the area many times, at different times of day and during different seasons, working in constantly changing weather and lighting conditions. Eventually, we captured the photograph that Poczta Polska later selected for the stamp.
Photography, history and Częstochowa
I began with travel photography, particularly during journeys through Asia and Africa. My archive includes encounters ranging from a surprisingly affectionate African cheetah to considerably less reassuring moments with crocodiles.
Alongside my travel work, I have spent many years photographing my home city of Częstochowa and the surrounding region, particularly from the air. More recently, I have concentrated on the castles and historic fortifications of the Kraków–Częstochowa Upland.
I have also assembled an extensive collection of historical photographs, documents and postcards, which I have shared with residents through the Staraczestochowa.pl historical archive. With the permission of the Pauline Fathers, I have additionally photographed valuable documents preserved in the Jasna Góra Monastery Archive.
The stamp was designed by Karol Tabaka using a photograph taken by Częstochowa photographer Michał Sitek. It was issued on 5 May 2017 with a denomination of PLN 5 and a print run of 225,000 copies.
A photograph that became part of a European series
The project brought together photography, aviation, regional history and philately. A photograph that required repeated flights, careful planning and exceptional piloting precision ultimately became part of a European postal series and travelled far beyond the region in which it was created.
Source: Dorota Steinhagen, Gazeta Wyborcza
