Photographer's extraordinary pictures capturing life after dark in Cardiff in the 2000s
Maciej Dakowicz's Cardiff After Dark images were feted around the world
In the daytime Cardiff is a bustling, busy city full of shoppers and workers and people rushing around, but at night it changes, a lot. Photographer Maciej Dakowicz was a student at the University of Glamorgan in 2006. He wasn't from Cardiff, so he found the nightlife very interesting. From 2005 to 2011, he took pictures of what happens in the city after dark, and the results are absolutely encapsulating.
Read More: Quiz: Can you name famous Cardiff cinemas from their entrance?
Maciej came from Bialystok in Poland and lived in Cathays in Cardiff. when he started taking photos of people having fun at night.
"It is natural for me to photograph something if I see it," he said. "But I've never seen anything like this before in my life it's like a zoo, it's mad! Mostly people do not mind having their pictures taken often they ask to have them taken.
"Sometimes you get problems with people saying why are you taking pictures of me and I say 'Because you are beautiful'. Otherwise, you can get in trouble," he said. "The city is full of so many people and they are all out just having fun. I don't see much violence.
Now Maciej's photos have been seen in newspapers, shown in galleries, and at festivals.
He is a recipient of numerous awards, a frequent judge of photography competitions and has authored two monographs – “Cardiff After Dark” published by Thames&Hudson in October 2012, and “Sonepur Mela” self-published in July 2021.
You can see more of Maciej Dakowicz's amazing photos from Walesvia his website or follow him on Instagram
This is Chippy Alley. They noticed me, but I had no problems, they were so surprised to see me taking pictures.
(Image: Maciej Dakowicz)1 of 16
She was just calling her friend.
(Image: Maciej Dakowicz)2 of 16
Remember when bunny ears were a nightclub essential?
(Image: Maciej Dakowicz)3 of 16![A group of young men and woman outside a pub in the city centre of Cardiff on a Saturday night.
Cardiff, the capital of Wales is well known across the UK for its vibrant nightlife. St Mary street, one of the main streets of central Cardiff, is also one of the main city's hubs of clubs and pubs. The street is closed for cars on Saturday nights and becomes the main scene of fuelled by alcohol city's night life. Everything takes place in public - from drinking, fighting, kissing to crying and sleeping.]()
Does anyone else need a foot massage?
(Image: Maciej Dakowicz)4 of 16
