Photo art and artistic photography. Photo art and art photography This is an expensive hobby

Publication date: 22.07.2016

This is a continuation of the article, the first six ways you can find. Recall that our material does not claim to be a comprehensive work on photo composition. We just give a row practical advice, which can inspire new photo experiments.

7. Accents

In order for the viewer to understand the essence of your frame, you need to correctly place the accents. What will help emphasize the main thing? Sharpness, brightness, color, size, shape, placement in the frame ... There are many options, and it makes no sense to memorize them - for competent placement of accents, you only need experience in building a composition. Of course, first you need to decide on the plot of the frame, the main characters and details.

The setting sun breaks through the mountain peaks. Thanks to the haze, we clearly see the rays. One of them, like a theatrical spotlight, illuminates the side of the ship. Agree, without the ship, this frame would be more boring. The main object is highlighted with color and brightness. In addition, the guide lines of the rays "point" to it. During the shooting, I did not think about all this, but simply shot the way my experience told me.

Working with accents is worth learning from Elliott Erwitt, there is one on Prophotos.

8. Framing

I would like to illustrate this point with pictures of the famous street photographer Alexander Petrosyan - "Peter inside" and "Window to Petersburg". By the way, the author shares the history of their creation in articles published in our journal.

In essence, framing is the creation of a multifaceted composition. It's just that in this case, the foreground "frames" the rest of the plot. What can become the foreground? A window, curved branches, a gap in the greenery of trees, and so on. With the help of framing, you kind of deepen the plot of the picture, show the plot from an unusual side. So, in the photographs of Alexander Petrosyan, famous tourist places of St. Petersburg are presented in an original way. It turns out that St. Petersburg is not only the gold of domes and the grandeur of the Peter and Paul Fortress, but also, so to speak, the prose of life. Framing can effectively complement your story. Here I've used a foliage 'frame' which creates an unusual pattern around the main subject.

9. Shadows and silhouettes

Sometimes the shadow and silhouette of an object look more expressive than itself. This simple truth is known and used not only by photographers, but also by designers, artists, directors. Recall at least the theater of shadows. To make the silhouettes expressive, they must be recognizable, readable. A simple example: if you take a picture of a person squatting, their silhouette will most likely resemble a potato. But if you shoot standing man, his arms and legs will be visible - the viewer will immediately understand that there is a person in the frame.

Of course, to create such a picture, you need to find a dimly lit object against a bright background. Fortunately, this is common in nature.

Shadows can also become the protagonists of your shot. Pay attention to how they fall on the surrounding objects, change their length and shape depending on the time of day. Perhaps the shadows are the few that can be captured with high quality on a bright sunny day, when there is very hard lighting around.

10. Rhythm

As we love rhythmic music, so we love "rhythmic" shots.

Nikon D810 / Nikon AF-S 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Nikkor

More often, the rhythm is formed from repeating objects running horizontally in the frame, and is perceived from left to right - in the same direction in which we read the text. Rhythm can be created by pillars, steps, trees, waves, architectural elements (columns, for example) and even color spots. The task of the photographer is to find a "rhythmic" picture and show it in the photo.

Like many other techniques, rhythm can act as an object and main idea picture, and can only emphasize the plot.

An example of an artificially created rhythm. This picture is the result of working with multiple exposures. To create it, photo editors are not needed, a camera that supports this function is enough. For example, Nikon D7200, Nikon D500, Nikon D750, Nikon D810.

11. Dynamics

Capturing a sense of movement in a still image is not an easy task and can be achieved in many ways. For example, breaking the balance in the composition.

The transfer of movement in a photo is the topic, if not of a whole book, then certainly of several articles. Within the framework of this material, we will describe only the most basic.

It is worth introducing the reader to two concepts: static and dynamic composition.

Try experimenting with unstable, dynamic compositions. Sometimes even initially static scenes can be beneficially filled with movement.

However, sometimes an unstable composition harms the picture. It is important to remember that plots are both dynamic and static. For example, a pastoral landscape is more likely to be static and more suited to a stable, balanced layout.

Often, according to the plot of the frame, it is required to show not movement, but balance, balance, calmness.

A simple example of "inappropriate dynamics" is a littered horizon in a landscape shot. A photo with a runner may require a dynamic composition.

Here are some tips for creating dynamic shots:

The slope of the horizon line is acceptable when creating the effect of movement in the photo. If you tilt the horizon in the direction of your hero's movement, you will visually speed it up.
Lines indicating the direction of movement will emphasize it. Lines directed perpendicular to it will “slow down”.
Leave more space in the direction of your hero's movement.
The movement in the frame should be directed from left to right. We read in this direction, which means that it is easier for us to perceive movement in the same direction.
When photographing people and animals, catch the key phase of movement. To do this, use continuous shooting. The higher its speed, the greater the chances of catching the right moment. Therefore, in cameras sharpened for reporting, continuous shooting is usually very fast. So, in the new Nikon D500 model, shooting is carried out at a speed of 10 frames per second, and in the full-frame Nikon D750 - 6.5 frames per second.

How do photography masters work with motion? First of all, they do not trust the rules, but their own compositional experience.

If, when shooting motion, you get blurry or dark shots, then you should “pump up” your technical shooting skills. You can start with this article, it describes typical mistakes newbies and how to eliminate them.

When you start taking pictures, it seems that professional growth comes very quickly. You will measure your skill by the improvements you see in your work and the photographs you take. In this article, I will talk about the things that I learned in four years of photography and share tips for aspiring photographers to grow professionally.

Here are ten things I wish I knew before I started filming:

1. Vision changes

Once you get serious about photography, you will never see things the same again. If your experience of critically examining things is like mine, you will find yourself staring at every photo and video you see. It became almost impossible for me to watch a movie without analyzing the cinematography and the way it was shot. Cinema is a unique medium, but I still draw a lot of inspiration from professional photography.

Once you start chasing good shots, you can expect your lifestyle to change. Waking up early or staying up late at night to get unique lighting will become a routine part of life. Personally, I find that studying good shots closely is a great way to improve your work. If you plunge headlong into the world of photography, this will make the right lobe of the brain work more actively.

2. It's an expensive hobby

Photography is not cheap, especially if you plan to actively buy equipment. After buying your first DSLR, you signed up to buy a "system" of lenses and flashes that only work with that brand. If after that you want to sell everything and switch to another brand, it can cost a lot of money (I've done this quite a few times and I know what I'm talking about).

Buying a camera will force you to buy add-ons that are only compatible with it.

There are two approaches to avoid the costly side of photography: first, don't tie success to the equipment you use. That is, you cannot convince yourself that an additional lens will make your work perfect. When it comes to equipment, there is no magic wand; the best approach is to gradually and thoughtfully buy everything you need.

Second, cut costs with savings. Buying used equipment seemed intimidating to me at first, but over time it became a chance to buy cameras and lenses that were beyond my capabilities. Smart Solutions, such as buying a quick fix focus (more on that later) will help deal with equipment collection syndrome. Continue reading and learn how to do right choice.

3. Skip Stops

When I first started studying exposure, my mistake, which I often talk about, was trying to learn its mathematical scale. Measuring stops of light and memorizing the f-number scale is a huge waste of time.

Learning allf-numbers and cramming exposure scales are common for beginners, but not the best use of your time.

It is more important to understand how the exposure triangle works, as well as learn how to balance and creatively approach exposure. Don't worry about counting the feet and rendering the light perfectly, there are plenty of other things to do, like posing the models correctly and controlling the lighting.

4. Switch to manual mode

The sooner you start to really control the exposure, the sooner you will stop being a person who just clicks buttons. It's not always easy - you'll need to learn a lot about measurements, exposure, focus and other things.

Moving beyond the automatic exposure mode is the most important step in moving from beginner to master. As you begin to take control of your photography and learn to understand the nuances of exposure, you will turn your work on its head and be able to anticipate the result. You will use highlighting, create creative exposure, and come up with many scenarios that the camera can handle on its own.

Difficult situation with background lighting.

A great intermediate step is learning to control one additional factor at a time. Start by understanding ISO, how it affects the image, and the light that hits the sensor. Then you can move on to control shutter speed and aperture, also studying the visual changes from them. Working on shutter speed or aperture is an important training step towards full manual exposure control.

5. Shooting takes time

It sounds painfully primitive, but I often forgot that the only way to really improve my skills is to hold a camera in my hands every day, constantly taking pictures. The only way one thing I could use was to make time for filming between school and work.

How can you get better if you don't take the time to shoot? It seems so obvious, but like many, I fell victim to this belief. Shooting with friends and the presence of a competitive element - two the best way keep yourself busy shooting and improve your skills.

A great way to keep taking photos is to challenge yourself. If I have a task, even one assigned to me, the chance that I will get out and take pictures is much higher. There are tons of photo tests on the Internet that will not let you relax. If you choose this approach, various challenges and assignments will help keep you creative.

6. Prioritize your lenses

The key to avoiding overspending on hardware is to make smart purchases and use them right away. The first two years of my career as a photographer were spent jumping from one carcass to another. I was chasing megapixels, more focus points, and anything else that I thought should improve my shots. In the process, I always found a way to avoid buying what really mattered: lenses!

If you get attached to the cheap kit lens that comes with the camera, you will limit your options. While the standard lens can take great pictures, it does have its limitations; usually these are 18-55mm lenses with a slow aperture, which forces you to shoot only in well-lit places. If you cut it down to f/8 or so, the pictures will be sharp, but not enough.

This point may seem to contradict one of the previous ones, constantly requiring more equipment for better shots, but there is a grain of wisdom in buying lenses. It's much more important to make the right choice by buying a faster (wider aperture) lens that will produce great shots.

7. Don't rush to become a pro

After you have been shooting for a while and have already started exhibiting your work, there will be a chance that you will receive the first orders. Whether it's a friend's prom portrait, landscape photography for print, or a wedding (the most dangerous thing to do), friends will always be looking for someone (usually cheap) to capture their precious moments.

Of course, the chance to quickly monetize your hobby looks very attractive. This will help you buy new equipment and make ends meet. However, there are some nuances that cannot be predicted. Dealing with difficult clients who terminate the contract in last moment, risks legal liability and many other things - all these are integral parts of the professional process. No matter what relationship you have with a client, you will always be in a position to receive payment for services rendered. Don't rush into professional shooting and be careful.

8. Always take your camera with you

You will never get good shots if the camera is at home. I told myself that if I left my camera at home even once, that day I would lose the chance to win the photojournalism award I had been waiting for. Therefore, you can rarely see me without a camera. Whether you're carrying a DSLR or an iPhone with your favorite app, a photo tool should always be at hand!

Cannot take pictures without a camera. Whether it's a DSLR, a point-and-shoot camera or a smartphone camera, to improve your photography skills, you always need to have a shooting tool at hand.

What's more, the "always carry" philosophy has largely shaped my recent equipment decisions. I will not buy another huge carcass that will lie in the bag, because what difference does it make how good it is if it is not used anyway. I don't need this at all.

9. Buy a quick fifty

If your current camera has an interchangeable lens type, I can't think of a better "second" lens than the 50mm. They typically have apertures of f/2, f/1.8, f/1.4, which is great for shooting in low light conditions and allows you to control the depth of field in a way that a whale lens never can. If you use a smaller APS-C sensor, a 35mm lens will give you almost the same field of view as a fifty dollars on a full frame camera.

A 50mm f/1.8 lens is something that can almost always be recommended, and for good reason. With a wide aperture, you can shoot in low light conditions and work creatively with depth of field.

For me, the main creative possibility is the control of the depth of field. If you're not familiar with this concept, it controls how much of the frame's content is in focus. Lenses with a wide aperture (such as f/1.8 fifty dollars) allow you to leave only a small part of the picture in focus.

10. Get a close look at the camera

Another way to improve your photography skills is to understand the tools you are working with. When you don’t have to think about what buttons to press and what technical decisions to make, you can approach photography from a creative side. You think about the lighting, not the numbers on the aperture control. If you study every option, every setting, every control of the camera, it becomes an extension of the eye.

It may seem silly, but a thoughtful reading of the camera's manual is a great way to start. Even better, shoot every day, immersing yourself more and more in the settings.

conclusions

Looking back over the four years I took photography seriously, it's hard to say just how much photography has affected my life. From the friends I have met to the commercial experience that has come with time, photography can be a great positive activity for both amateurs and lifelong professionals.

What things would you like to know when you first started filming? What have you learned during your career as a photographer?

The first fixed image was made in the year by the Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niepce, but it has not survived to this day. Therefore, the first photograph in history is considered to be a “view from the window” photograph, obtained by Niepce in 1826 with the help of a tin plate covered with a thin layer of asphalt. lasted eight hours in bright sunlight. The advantage of Niépce's method was that the image was obtained in relief (after etching the asphalt), and it could easily be reproduced in any number of copies.

Artists reacted to the invention of photography in different ways. The main stumbling block in the debate about the artistic nature of photography and the role of the photographer as an artist, creator of a work of art, has become an extraordinary accuracy in the transfer of details, an accuracy that the most skillful painter could not compete with. Some enthusiastically welcomed light painting, others, on the contrary, saw in the camera an object that impassively captures reality without any application of human hands. But at the dawn of its existence, photography did not claim to be a work of art, and until the end of the 1840s one cannot speak of intentional photography.

3. Shooting architectural structures

This is such a genre of photography depicting buildings and their complexes, bridges, etc. As a rule, the goal is to obtain a documentary image that creates the necessary idea of appearance the object being filmed or its details. When the most important is the choice of the shooting point in terms of height, distance and angle of shooting. This is what determines the overall composition of the frame, the perspective, the ratio of plans. In urban areas, where there is not enough space, the choice of a is greatly facilitated by the use of a wide-angle or ultra-wide-angle lens.

5. Filming sports and moving objects

A feature of such photographs is the speed of movement. It is important to show the dynamics of movements. Sports are photographed only with short shutter speeds - no more than 1/100 sec, and often 1/500 - 1/1000 s. For such shooting, cameras equipped with fast shutters and fast lenses are needed.

6. Shooting children

There is a slight similarity between photographing children and sports. This is swiftness. Children do not sit still, so the easiest way is to shoot children busy with something (watching a play, listening to a fairy tale, playing). At these moments, children do not focus their attention on an incomprehensible interesting “thing” near your face, they are absorbed. It's just a treasure trove of interesting expressions! :)

7. And finally - reportage shooting

This is the so-called method of capturing an event without interfering with its natural course. - this is a series of pictures taken during an event, when the photographer is limited by the time and scenario of what is happening. Thus, the report puts the photographer in some time and scenario framework. The reportage method of shooting excludes directing, although in some situations the photographer may provoke people or situations a little. But this happens infrequently - the art of reporting consists in, without directing a shot, to shoot it impromptu, in the course of action, precisely finding a point, a plan, a moment.
In my opinion, the ideal photo of this genre is one that could illustrate any topic in the news under the “no comments” section. The picture should speak for itself.

Photo artists

People who are engaged in staging artistic photographs are called photo artists.
He, unlike just a photographer, pays Special attention special meansPeople who are engaged in staging artistic photographs are called photo artists.
He, unlike just a photographer, pays special attention to special means of production, uses certain technical techniques (choice of lighting, composition techniques, effector optics, post-production, etc.).

So - lighting

Photographers know that if the light source is behind it, then the frame is flat. The ideal, say, for landscapes is the light from the side (back-side or front-side).
If we touch on the time of filming, then ideally, of course, evening and morning. At this time, the light is softer and more diffused. When the sun is at its zenith, the color temperature is noticeably higher and blue and blue tones predominate in its spectrum; in the morning and evening light, as mentioned above - yellow and orange, and in the shadows - from blue to blue.

One of the most famous modern Russian photographers Sergey Maksimishin recommends to his students 54 of the best reportage photographers of our time. Let's talk briefly about each of them.

Jan Dago

Danish photographer Jan Dago began his career with short films, but became famous for his emotional photo essays, created over several years in the most different countries peace. Jan Dago has been a World Press Photo laureate three times. His works are published in the most famous international publications.

Stanley Greene

main photo

“I never have money because I spend every penny on my trips and reporting on what I consider important. I try to ask magazines for orders, and they say: “No, we’d better shoot what Paris Hilton has under her skirt.” Unfortunately, what she has there won't save the world..."- Stanley Greene said in one of his interviews.

All his work serves main goal- talk about the crises of our time, show the cruelty of wars and the devastating consequences environmental issues to draw public attention to what is happening around us. Deeply philosophical and realistic, Stanley Greene's reportage photographs have long won fame as the best.

Seamus Murphy

Seamus Murphy's portfolio is like a book dedicated to all the inhabitants of the planet. This is an incredibly emotional, empathic story about life. different peoples. Sometimes his photographs are slightly ironic, but often still tragic, just like human destinies. Seamus Murphy has been awarded the World Press Photo award seven times.

Bruno Stevens

Bruno Stevens is the author of many memorable reports who covered conflicts in Serbia, Angola, East Africa and other countries, a photographer who created poetic snapshots of everyday life. Here is what he says about his work: “I observe, I think, I analyze. My photos are stories in which I put my emotions and feelings. They have to be deep, like metaphors... I don't create anything. My camera is like a notebook or notebook. I write with light.

Thomas Dvorak

Thomas Dvorak was only 20 years old when he voluntarily gave up a prosperous life in Bavaria and wanted to know what war is. He devoted his life to the genre of photo reportage, visited various hot spots and made shots that will forever remain in the world. military photography. “I love that I'm not in complete control of what happens during the shoot; only decision for my part - the choice of frame. You might say that's the downside of photography, but it's also what makes it magic." says Thomas.

Antonin Kratochvil

A native of the Czech Republic, Antonin Kratochvil wandered around Europe for quite a long time. At 24, he moved to the United States, where he began his photography career. During this time, he captured many decisive events that took place in the world: the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, military conflicts in Iraq, Nigeria and other countries. Showing the war along with everyday life, Kratochvil created a documentary realistic gallery of the life of his contemporaries.

Larry Towell

Larry Towell is not only a photographer, he is engaged in folk music, writes books and just observes the surrounding life. “If there is a theme that connects all my work, I think it is the land: how it makes people who they become, and what happens to them when they lose their land, losing their identity with it” says Larry.

Jan Grarup

“My most important advice is listen to your heart. If you shoot without empathy, you will fail. Only time spent at the shooting location with the characters, only communication and interaction, only help and empathy will help you create a real story., Jan Grarup once said. His black and white shots tell about troubles and other people's pain. Showing the life of people in conditions of wars and crises, he draws the attention of the world community to the small deeds that have become an integral part of the lives of some of us.

Carolyn Cole

Carolyn began her career as a photojournalist right after graduating from university in 1983. She visited Kosovo, Afghanistan, Israel, Iraq - everywhere where serious military events took place. In 2004, Carolyn won the Pulitzer Prize for her photo essay on Liberia.

Alexandra Bulla

Alexandra covered the tragic events that took place all over the world. Her pictures were published major publications: Newsweek, Paris Match, National Geographic. She was one of the leading French reporter photographers. Since 2006 Alexandra has focused mainly on the conflict in Gaza. In 2007, she passed away.

Tomasz Gudzowaty

Polish photographer Tomasz Gudzovati specializes in non-commercial sports photography. In his portfolio we see dynamic shots of Mongolian horse racing, street parkour, kung fu masters training and much more. His work is actively published by Forbes, Newsweek, Time and The Guardian. Tomas himself does not consider himself a sports photographer and says that each of his shots is a story about a person.

Tim Clayton

Tim Clayton, among other things, is involved in and sports photography. The British reporter has already covered eight Olympics and five Rugby World Cups. Finally, he is interested in street photography. For his unique sense of composition and ability to choose unusual angles, Tim is sometimes called a living classic of photography.

Heidi Bradner

Heidi Bradner is known for her humanistic reportage shots. Her work is actively published by New York Times Magazine, Granta, GEO, Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, Stern. “When I am in another country, I am very open to what people tell me...” Heidi says. This must be the secret of her success.

Noel Patrick Quidu

French photographer Noel Patrick Cuidi took pictures in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Chechnya, Yugoslavia, the Balkans. "War is so ugly that I do not understand those who seek to make beautiful pictures» he once said. His shots are realistic and at the same time filled with humanism and sympathy. Noel has been awarded the World Press Photo award three times.

Ikka Uimonen (lkka Uimonen)

Ikka Uimonen, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, has made war reporting his main genre. The leading theme of his work was the coverage of military conflicts in Afghanistan and Palestine.

Christopher Morris

Christopher Morris is one of the most famous American photojournalists. He filmed the US invasion of Iraq, military operations in Colombia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yugoslavia, Chechnya and other countries, a total of 18 international conflicts. Christopher is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal and the World Press Photo Award. “The role of the photographer in war is very important: we must face its ugliness if we want world peace. The new millennium began, but conflicts became not less, but more. If you consider South Africa and Zimbabwe to be dangerous countries where white man it is dangerous to appear on the street at night, remember that these are the consequences of the past - the blindness of the colonizers and invaders. he says.

Luc Delahaye

Luc Delaye is a famous French photographer who has been photographing wars, social conflicts, suffering and poverty for many years. His work is distinguished by an underlined honesty in front of the viewer, which is combined with a thoughtful dramatization of the narrative, consisting of a series of photographs. Luke began working in the mid-1980s, and over the past almost 30 years he has filmed almost all significant military conflicts - in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Chechnya and Iraq. Luc Delaye's photographs are not only published in the press, but also exhibited in museums, creating truly powerful compositions.

“It's just true that in Afghanistan, death goes hand in hand with beautiful scenery. Do not show this contradiction?, Luke says . - Journalists representing the press see the Afghan scenery but don't film it because they weren't asked to. All my efforts are aimed at being as neutral as possible, as well as feeling as much as possible in order to allow the image to reveal to viewers the mystery of the real.

Georgy Pinkhasov

Georgy Pinkhasov is one of outstanding photographers of his generation and the only Russian who became a full member of the most authoritative Magnum agency. After graduating from VGIK, Georgy worked as a freelance artist, first in the USSR, then, since 1985, in France. His works are extremely colorful, and one of the most famous was the series "Tbilisi Baths", after the creation of which he was accepted into Magnum. Georgy Pinkhasov is the winner of World Press Photo, Bourse de la Ville de Paris (France), Society of News Design Awards of Excellence (USA), his works are published in GEO, Actuel, New York Times.

“All my best photographs are of the unexpected. You just need to destroy your own willfulness, the stereotype and surrender to the free wave ... You need to find harmony with reality, but, once again, this does not guarantee you success.

James Nachtwey

James Nachtwey is one of the world's most famous war photographers, having started working in conflict zones as early as 1981, when he made an almost legendary report on the uprisings in Northern Ireland. After that, war and social clashes became the main theme of his works, imbued with real pain and a call to stop violence on the entire planet. James has worked in South Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.

Devotion to the cause and humanistic ideals made James Nachtwey one of the most respected reportage photographers, which was reflected not only in a large number personal exhibitions, but also in the World Press Photo award in 1994, as well as five Robert Capa medals in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1994 and 1998.

“I am half deaf. I have bad nerves and constantly ringing in my ears ... I must have gone deaf because I did not put earplugs in my ears, because I really wanted to hear. I wanted to achieve the maximum power of sensations, even if they are too painful. says James.

Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel was born in 1959 in South Africa. Being a civil activist, with his pictures he not only tries to draw attention to any problem, but literally calls to solve it. AND main theme his work, not surprisingly for a South African, was the problem of AIDS. He was one of the first to describe this terrible disaster with the help of photography.

Gideon Mendel has received many awards for his work, and his photographs are actively published by the world's leading publications, including National Geographic, Fortune Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, GEO, The Sunday Times Magazine, The Guardian Weekend Magazine, L'Express and Stern Magazine.

Andrew Testa

Andrew Testa was born in England in 1965 and began his career as a freelance photographer for the Guardian and Observer newspapers. The first direction of his work was the protest movement of the "greens", but since 1999, Andrew Testa has completely gone into reportage photo covering numerous armed conflicts. The first place of his work was Kosovo, and then there were the countries of Central Asia, the Balkans and other regions.

He received his first World Press Photo award back in 1994, and since then there have been three. Not surprisingly, his reporting can be seen in publications such as Newsweek, Time, Stern, GEO, Paris Match, Der Spiegel, The Sunday Times Magazine and many more.

Anthony Suau

Anthony Svo is an American photojournalist specializing in social conflicts and their reflection in people's lives. He filmed the demolition of the Berlin Wall that launched his decade-long project to transform the Eastern Bloc, produced a report on the famine in Ethiopia for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and became the author of a photographic project about images and slogans inside the United States during the Iraq War. Anthony Svo visited Moscow twice: in 1991, during the coup, and in 2009.

“I am aware of the risk that exists in any military conflict. When I go there, I know what I'm getting into. Often a journalist speaks on one of the sides, and each of them has its own truth, its own ideals, its own understanding of what they are fighting for. I try never to separate them. It is important for me how I will see the history of this or that conflict.”

Ron Haviv

Ron Haviv is a photographer who has made it his goal to show the war for what it is. Born in 1965, almost immediately after graduating from New York University, he began filming armed conflicts, which have become commonplace even in Europe. Among his first assignments are the battle for Vukovar in Croatia, the siege of Sarajevo, the atrocities committed in Serbian concentration camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and much more. He also filmed other tragedies: an earthquake in Haiti, a famine in Bangladesh, a war with drug lords in Mexico. In 2001, Ron Haviv founded the VII photo agency, which along with him included, for example, Christopher Morris and James Nachtwey.

He recalls: “It’s terrible when someone is killed next to you. The first time it happened, I was not allowed to film. I couldn't save them, but if I didn't tell the world about it, it would be even worse. And I promised myself that if I find myself in this situation again, then at least I will be able to press the button..

Paolo Pellegrin

Paolo Pellegrin is an Italian photographer who combines the talent of a photojournalist with the talent of a photo artist, sometimes creating real works of art that do not lose their original content, remaining a deep journalistic work.

Paolo was born in 1964 in Rome and originally planned to become an architect, but after studying for three years, he realized that he was attracted to photography much more. He completed his studies at the Faculty of Photography, after which he moved to Paris and worked for the VU agency for ten years. Since the late 1990s, wars and social conflicts have become the main themes of Paolo Pellegrin's work, and he himself moves from one hot spot to another. It was in this field that Paolo became best known, and his work has earned him numerous awards: the World Press Photo, the Leica Medal of Excellence and the Robert Capa Gold Medal.

“I started traveling in the late 1990s, photographing events in Darfur and other hotspots of the time. I filmed Kosovo. I haven't been able to stop since then."says the photographer.- I think it's important for me to want to document and create a visual story about our history, at least part of it. I am interested in the social, humanistic side of photography, and for me this is the main attitude to life. I love to communicate with people and be an intermediary between photography and its viewer. The motivation for me is to connect these three components.”

Alex Webb

Alex Webb is one of the few photographers with a truly profound classical education. In addition to photography at the Center fine arts Carpenter, he studied literature and history at Harvard University. And since 1975, his career as a professional photographer began, and he was immediately noticed by the public and editors.

Since then, he has achieved impressive success, becoming a recognized master of photography: his work can be found in the Cambridge Museum of Art, international center photographs in New York and many other museums. In addition, as a journalist, he actively publishes in such publications as National Geographic, GEO, Time, New York Times Magazine. Alex Webb is also the author of numerous books on photography.

“When I work, I really have to work. I need to stay tuned. I have to get up early in the morning, go out of the house and be curious; when the light becomes less interesting, then I go to have breakfast... I work in color, so the quality of lighting is especially important for me, for this reason I shoot more at one time of the day than at another. I always try to be outside in the afternoon and in the evening,” says Alex.

Francesco Zizola

Italian photographer Francesco Zizola was born in 1962 in Rome. He entered photojournalism shortly before the outbreak of numerous armed conflicts in Europe and other parts of the world, so it is not surprising that the young Italian photographer began to visit these hot spots as a correspondent. He was in Angola in 1996, did two projects on Iraqi issues, and also filmed in Africa, Brazil and other regions.

The result of 13 years of his work was the book Born Somewhere, dedicated to the children of the countries he visited. Francesco Zizola has won seven World Press Photo awards and four Picture of the Year awards for his work.

David Guttenfelder

American war reporter David Guttenfelder, like all his colleagues, simply cannot stay at home for a long time and tries to go on a new trip as soon as possible. However, few of the photographers managed to visit a total of 75 countries around the world!

The main themes of his works are wars and the humanitarian disasters that accompany them. David has covered the Rwanda genocide, the conflicts in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. However, he does not refuse to work at various important events such as the inauguration of Barack Obama or the Olympics (he has visited several).

One of his most famous projects was a series of photographs from North Korea, which is not at all easy for an American, and even a professional photojournalist, to get into. Nevertheless, David Guttenfelder managed to make a very informative report from one of the most closed countries in the world.

Eric Refner

Danish Erik Refner started his career as a commercial photographer. However, at some point, he realized that the romance of photojournalism attracted him much more, and began to travel the world with a camera in his hands. He filmed conflicts in Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq.

However, Eric is not limited to wars and humanitarian disasters, the range of his work is much wider. In particular, he received the World Press Photo award for his reportage on the "last romantics of rockabilly", who today live as if in the yard of the 1950s.

“I can’t stand listening to complaints and excuses that everything is not going the way I want. I don't like people who are cold to their work. Technically, there is nothing complicated in photography. It is important for her to understand and desire to do something unique, without passion for this business, nothing will work out, ”- says the photographer.

Reza Deghati

Reza Deghati is one of the most famous photographers of our days, whose photographs have graced the covers of publications such as National Geographic, GEO, Time Photo and many others. He was born in Iran but was forced to leave in 1979 after a coup d'état brought radical Islamists to power.

Over the years, Reza Deghati has achieved recognition as one of the preeminent humanist photographers, combining professional talent with a sincere love for humanity. His photographs are imbued with the desire for the best, the desire to “give the world a chance”, therefore it is not surprising that, having proved himself as a photographer and teacher (since 1983, he has realized many curricula around the world), Reza Deghati is also a philanthropist. In 2001, he founded AINA, a charitable association dedicated to children's education.

“Two natures coexist in me, a photographer and a humanist. Photography for me is not just an image. With my work, I try to establish a connection between cultures, as well as show the society countries and people that they have not seen”, Reza says.

Abbas

Iranian photographer Abbas Attar first became famous on a global scale back in the 1970s, when he began to photograph the gradually maturing Islamic revolution in his country. After the 1979 coup, he left his homeland and moved to France. As a photojournalist, he has worked in various parts of the world, covering mainly wars and other conflicts. Abbas traveled to such countries and regions as Bangladesh, Ireland, Vietnam, Chile, Cuba, the Middle East, and South Africa during the apartheid period.

Since the late 1980s, Abbas has been big project dedicated to the rise of Islam in different regions of the planet, which not only brought fame to the photographer, but also grew into a kind of attempt to show the reality of religions as such, as well as the clash of various ideologies.

“I would call this feeling inspiration, with the correction that it is far from religious. To see the event as a whole and the multidirectional flows of people in it, you need to distinguish between color, shadows and lines. To do this, you need to immerse yourself in the event and be sensitive, and I do this consciously. Sometimes at a Muslim prayer, in an Orthodox church, at a pagan rite, there is a feeling close to a trance, but even in this case, I still have to set the exposure correctly, ”- shares his thoughts Abbas.

Harry Gruyaert

The Belgian photographer Harry Gruer, being a photojournalist, part of the team of the famous Magnum agency, found his own special niche in the everyday life of photojournalism. In his bright, emphatically coloristic works, West and East meet. He made his first trip to Morocco back in 1969, and the bright, saturated colors of this North African country inspired his creativity. Since then, Harry Gruer has traveled all over the world and brought his bright and colorful reports from everywhere.

“Composition suddenly formed from color, lines and movement is magic.”
“When shooting anywhere, I try to be open to the world. The camera must be ready, and the head must be empty at the same time, so that prejudices do not prevent me from seeing the world as it is.

Vladimir Semin

Vladimir Semin, Abandoned Villages. Forgotten people»

Vladimir Semin is one of those photojournalists whose work is becoming international. Born in Tula, he is still in primary school became interested in photography, and after graduating from a technical school he worked in the North. Then there was military service, study at Petrozavodsk University, work as a photojournalist in a youth newspaper. In the 1970s, Vladimir went on a long journey through the Pamirs, Altai and Siberia. He visited many cities and towns and brought back a wealth of material from his travels.

Since 1976, Vladimir Semin worked at the Novosti Press Agency, and then as a freelance artist. His work has been recognized all over the world, he has repeatedly been awarded various international awards, including several World Press Photo awards, and has given a start in life to many Russian photographers.

“I'm always looking for randomness. I can't get straight to the point. My photography language is random. I have a feeling of only inner attraction or coldness to this moment. Second. From experience I can see whether this situation is difficult or not. In addition to a difficult situation, she can still be cold, but she must become attached to her soul. It's just like a love moment. I don't want to say that it is ecstasy, but still it is at the level of some moment of ecstasy. A scene can be very short and I shoot a lot because I can't say "just that". Two hundred percent. I shoot both this nuance and this one, so that when I cool down, when I'm at home, I can choose and say "this is mine or something close",- says Vladimir.

Valery Shchekoldin

Cycle “History of Patriotic Photography. Photographer and power»

Valery Shchekoldin from Ulyanovsk is a recognized classic of Soviet and Russian photography. Starting to get involved with her at the age of 16, he went to work for a long time professional photographer. Valery worked as a designer at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant and graduated from the Ulyanovsk Polytechnic Institute, all this time without parting with the camera, and only in 1974, at the age of 38, did he begin to devote all his time to photography.

The authorship of Valery Shchekoldin belongs to many reports that honestly and impartially showed the Russian reality of the 80s and 90s of the last century. He traveled to many cities of the country, filmed in Chechnya. Today, in addition to working as a photographer, Valery Shchekoldin writes articles on photography.

“The photograph is not taken by the photographer, but by chance. Professionals who control everything are doomed to mediocre staff. The photographer is not a creator, the same Cartier-Bresson said that life is much more unusual than fiction: no brains are enough to invent such a frame that is given to you for nothing. We have to wait for him…”- says Valery.

Nikolai Ignatiev

Procession to the river Velikaya, Kirov region

Nikolai Ignatiev came to photography quite late. For a long time, the scope of his professional interests was far from photojournalism - born in 1955 in Moscow, he received an economic education, and then served in Afghanistan as a translator from Farsi. And only after the end of the service, in 1982, Nikolai Ignatiev became a photographer. All his life he worked mainly in the reporting genre, but he always tried to bring an element of genuine art into it.

In 1987 he moved to London, and a year later Life magazine published his material on the millennium of the Russian Orthodox Church. As a Network photographer, he documented the fall of the Soviet Union and subsequently appeared in leading publications such as the New York Times, Observer, American Express Magazine, Time, Fortune, Forbes, GEO, Stern, Vogue, Elle and The Sunday Times Magazine.

Yuri Kozyrev

Yuri Kozyrev is one of the most famous Russian photojournalists. For more than 25 years now, he has covered all the significant events taking place in our country, as well as many significant world events, including the wars in Chechnya, Afghanistan and Iraq. Since 2011, Yuri Kozyrev has been traveling around Arab countries engulfed by popular unrest.

As a result, this photographer has accumulated unique material in his creative baggage, which brought him a large number of international awards, including six World Press Photo awards. Moreover, for three years Yuri Kozyrev was a member of the jury of this most authoritative competition for photojournalists.

“My work is for the soul, this is my life, Yuri once said . - And there was never a separation, there were life stages. I shot one thing - closed spaces, prisons, children living in difficult conditions. I lived it all. And for the last 14-15 years I have been filming only the war.”

Oleg Nikishin came to professional photography at the age of 20 and since then has not parted with the camera, becoming over the past years one of the most respected Russian photojournalists. Starting to work in Kazan (first in the theater and then in a newspaper), he moved to Moscow in 1990 and worked first with Agence France-Presse and then with the Associated Press.

As a full-time photojournalist, and then as a freelance photographer, Oleg worked in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Abkhazia, Ossetia, Yugoslavia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Chechnya, which brought him awards from prestigious Russian and international competitions.

Sergey Kaptilkin

Moscow photographer Sergey Kaptilkin is not just a photojournalist who gained experience as a correspondent for the Krasnaya Zvezda and Izvestiya newspapers. In addition, he creates amazing pictures on the verge of reality and surrealism, filled with ambiguous meaning. Everyone sees something different in them. At the same time, the photographs of Sergey Kaptilkin are surprisingly harmonious and do not look like an artificial heap of subjects.

Today, his photographs are published by various publications, including Life, Time and National Geographic, and he has also become popular on the Internet. For his work, Sergey Kaptilkin has repeatedly been awarded various awards, including "Press Photo of Russia", Face Control Awards, " silver camera”, “Stolychnaya history” and others.

Victoria Ivleva

Victoria Ivleva is one of the most prominent domestic photojournalists. After graduating from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University in 1983, she very quickly gained considerable prestige among her colleagues. At the turn of the 80s and 90s of the last century, she worked in all the hot spots of the USSR, and then in Russia. In 1991, Victoria became the only journalist to shoot inside the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. For this piece, she received the most prestigious award for a photojournalist, the World Press Photo Golden Eye.

Victoria Ivleva's work has been published by many leading Russian and many of the world's best publications, including New York Times Magazine, Stern, Spiegel, Express, Sunday Times, Independent, Die Zeit, Focus, Marie Claire and others.

“During filming in dangerous places, as a rule, you are separated from the event by the camera and work - purely photographically, you need to think at the same time, there is simply no time to be afraid,” says Victoria.

Alexander Zemlyanichenko

Alexander Zemlyanichenko is one of the prominent Russian photojournalists and documentary photographers. He has come a long way from an employee of the Saratov newspaper Zarya Molodoy to the head of the photo service of the Moscow bureau of the Associated Press agency (with whom he has been collaborating since 1990). All significant events took place in front of the camera lens of Alexander Zemlyanichenko Russian history recent decades. And even now, as a manager and doing administrative work, he continues to shoot reports.

In addition to a large number of photographic awards, Alexander Zemlyanichenko is also the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 and 1997. Many of his photographs (for example, a picture of Boris Yeltsin dancing at a rock concert) have long become well-known and take on a life of their own, separated from the author.

“If you don’t see the frame that you need, then it’s simply not there, and you don’t need to invent it, interfere in the course of events, artificially create a performance,” Alexander said in one of his interviews. “But to wait for your moment, which would well express what is happening, and to catch it - this is a real and rare pleasure for a photographer, which does not happen every day.”

Vladimir Vyatkin

Vladimir Vyatkin is an outstanding Russian photojournalist. He came to photography as a very young man, after graduating from school, and immediately to the Novosti Press Agency. Of course, not for the post of photojournalist: first he was a laboratory assistant, and then a student of the artist. In fact, since 1968, Vladimir Vyatkin has been continuously working at the APN and its successor, RIA Novosti.

Over a long career, he has collected perhaps the most impressive collection of professional awards among all Russian photojournalists: he has seven World Press Photo awards alone, including the highest, Golden Eye. In addition, many of the best contemporary Russian photographers are students of Vladimir Vyatkin.

“Photography is a magnificent textbook of life, internal states, discoveries and experiences. This is the energy of knowledge, self-improvement, self-discovery. Before, I never thought that photography could at some point replace a certain kind of literature or supplement it. sure Vladimir Vyatkin.

Alexandra Demenkova

Alexandra Demenkova is one of the representatives of modern Russian photographers, although her work is based on traditional realism, with which she tries to show people life as it is, without embellishment. Her works have been repeatedly exhibited in different countries, and also published in leading Russian publications.

“I am sometimes told that I shoot in the tradition of humanistic photography; I do not mind, although often this means a reproach for being old-fashioned, -