Full Frame: Auschwitz today

Full Frame features photo essays and conversations with photographers.

As a grandson of a Holocaust survivor, my decision to explore the Polish town of Oswiecim, known better in German as Auschwitz, was personally motivated. Poland was once the center of Jewish life and learning in Europe, but its population was reduced to ashes during World War II. I wanted to consider the aftermath of the Holocaust in its present-day context.

About the photographer:

Danny Ghitis (1982) is a freelance photographer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. His work is motivated by the pursuit of his elusive cultural identity, and the desire to find common ground with others. His stories seek to reveal truths about the human condition, focusing in areas where cultural collisions interfere with progress. He believes that challenging social norms with satirical imagery can spark the curiosity needed for dialogue in the average person. And that everyone, in turn, is capable of contributing to societal advancement. He began his project on the Polish town of Oswiecim (Auschwitz) in early 2010. Danny has been recognized by the Hearst Photojournalism Championship, College Photographer of the Year, the National Press Photographers Association, and others. In 2009 he received a Nikon Emerging Talent Award and attended the Eddie Adams Workshop. He is a co-founder of the Pangea Photo Collective.