ANDREY BELKOV: MEDITATING WITH A CAMERA
Photography for Andrey is a passion that takes up all his time, free from main activity. That’s why he loves landscape and still life, because these genres give him the opportunity to take a break from work: he talks to the world, and the world talks to him.
Please tell us how you discovered the world of photography and how long ago did you start photographing?
I began photographing as a child, displaying black and white films myself and printing photos in a dark room. Of course, at that time I was taking pictures of my family and friends for a home album. And he consciously came into the photo in 2005, having bought for himself the first DSLR camera, the Canon 300D. I was impressed with photosight.ru in the form in which it then existed: there were many true masters, I watched their works for hours and could not help but try to shoot myself. There were many difficulties both technically and visually, but somehow it was overcome by itself, apparently, because of a strong desire.
Have you studied photography yourself or professionally?
At first, I took several private lessons on the techniques of shooting and light schemes of the still life; I clarified the basics for myself, and then I studied everything myself.
Which genre of photography is most interesting for you?
I am interested in any genre of photography, which is meditative in nature. Photography for me is a whole world in which you plunge both during the shooting itself and during subsequent actions – scanning the film, first look at what the scanner gives out, and post-processing.
What do you like the landscape genre?
Opportunity to go beyond the metropolis, admire nature, new places and, quite simply, a break from the city bustle.
What do you think is the most difficult thing in this genre?
The most difficult thing in a landscape, as in any other genre, is to find and see a photo. In nature, trees do not grow in a ruler, there is no orderliness. By its very nature, nature is a kind of chaos, so it is interesting for me to find and show order in disorder and chaos.
Can you tell us about the most interesting, in your opinion, your shooting?
This incident occurred on Lake Ilmen. I tell about him to everyone who asks me similar questions. As one of the classics said: “When you shoot a landscape and wait for your frame, do not forget to look back: maybe there is something interesting there too.” I rented fishing boats and waited for them, rocking on the waves, to reach the position I needed relative to each other. Remembering the above quote, I turned around and looked back. There, on the shore, stood a rusty fishing boat. I really liked the rust pattern on it. I walked over, looked more attentively, took the camera and took a few shots. Thus was born a series of Ferrum. What is most surprising in this story is that until that moment I could not even imagine that I would be carried away by abstraction.
What do you think, what character traits should be inherent in the photographer in the first place?
The ability to critically evaluate their work and the constant, even to some extent obsessive, desire for excellence. Without these two qualities, there will be no progress, there will only be a confident and stable marking in one place.
What are your inspirations and sources of ideas for your photos?
In nature, the surrounding world and love.
What does photography mean to you?
In his spare time, this is a passion that fills my every cell.
Can you give some tips to novice photographers?
To form the character traits described by me above.
What are five facts about you that are not related to photography?
My core business is corporate finance. I love Italy, especially Venice and Lake Como, and Italian. I love dogs very much. I appreciate sincere and open relationships between people. My IQ is 145.
