Photographer's Statement

I was born in Russian town called Kaliningrad in May 1992. I was lucky to be born in a family of an amateur photographer. My father was very passionate about photography and from a very young age my toys were cameras and lenses. In the evening, standing in my bed surrounded by the dark red light, I was learning and experiencing magic of black-and-white photography. My father at that time, was a student in university. To feed our family, he was making fashionable at that time photos on plates. The uniqueness of the event was that the emulsion for those plates he made himself. By learning the basics of it, I understood the main thing, nothing is impossible, all you need is to find the right approach for every situation.

Russian photo plates

When I was at the age of 10, my parents moved to Lithuania in a small city called Klaipeda, where I finished my school. Creativity always accompanied me in my life, thanks to my parents who gave me the respect for the beauty and love for photography. Developing my skills in photography and sometimes printing my photographs in the bathroom, I learned how important it is to take whole photographs shooting act seriously. Being a photographer in the second generation, I was doing well in other areas of creativity where you need skill, vision and hard work. I just finished Art school in Lithuania when I realised that there were no opportunity for me to grow as a photographer or artist, so I decided to move to London and try to find my fate there. My English wasn't good, so I had to go to College first, where I studied English, photography, art and critical and contextual studies for two years.

As for the shooting genre, at first, I was interested in the landscape pictures very much, though many people believe that a little depends on a photographer. You came to a beautiful place, took your camera, pressed the button and got your masterpiece. The reality is far from that. Not in any weather and time of the day all beautiful places look attractively. Sometimes one can be lucky. By chance you turned to be with your camera in right time in a right place and imprinted a masterpiece. Once doesn’t mean anything. On the whole it is hard work (and just physically too) plus luck. Middle size camera with accessories, a set of lenses and a tripod weighs more than 20 kilos. Also, not all beautiful places can be shot just from a road. You must walk a long distance before you get to most of them. I believe that nature is perfect, charming and magical and it is very difficult to choose the time and the place, the point of view, to build a composition.

Later I began to shoot a portrait. I was fascinated how photograph can convey the inner world of person, his beauty and perfection, or opposite. Mastering the skills of portrait photography I learned to work with the light of the setting and composition. Posed portrait - it is also a conversation between photographer and person. It is very important to feel, understand, agree with each other. I like to work with models both in studio and outdoors. These two types of shooting have one common thing. This thing is models. All the rest is absolutely different. When you work in a studio you totally conduct the process. Composition, illumination, colour depend on photographer. Here the translation of the word photography as ‘writing down light’ is correct. To take pictures outdoors is quite another thing. Besides the weather (it dictates the light) a photographer totally depends on the location. There he must combine a model with the landscape. Expressiveness of the picture depends on the combination of all these factors. I also was shooting some corporate parties and weddings of my family friends when I still lived in Lithuania. I felt the strength, ability and desire to engage in professional photography. In the future I want to try do some photojournalism, which also requires the ability to feel the moment, to know in advance what will happen and catch the moment.

London is an amazing place where you can seek inspiration from everything. Going to different galleries and exhibitions gave me an opportunity to see and admire different photographers and artists who I didn't know about, or dreamed to look at. This is where I first discovered Ansel Adams (February 20, 1902 - April 22, 1984) work, one of the premier photographers of the 20th century. At that time I was still doing landscapes and I found his work extremely inspiring. Ansel Adams is renowned for his black and white photographs of America's National Parks, particularly the mountainous and beautiful American West. His works are eloquently rendered in their use of light, form, and texture. Photographs, he believed, were not taken from the environment but were made into something greater than themselves. "A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words."(Ansel Adams). His lasting legacy includes helping to elevate photography to an art comparable with painting and music, and equally capable of expressing emotion and beauty. As he reminded his students, "It is easy to take a photograph, but it is harder to make a masterpiece in photography than in any other art medium."(Ansel Adams).

Ansel Adams

Another photographer which inspired me to try photojournalism in the future is Robert Capa (October 22, 1913- May 25, 1954). Capa is famed for his black and white images of war. One of his most famous images was the Falling Soldier, taken as a man fell in death after being shot in Spain in 1936. The image’s proper and full name is, “Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Cerro Muriano, September 5, 1936.” A long title, but the image has been seen by millions over the years. Capa was noted for being somewhat reckless in his attempt to get good wartime images. As one of the founders of Magnum Photos, he is quoted as saying, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” Such photographers never truly die. They live on in their work, in the images they capture. Photography is more than taking pictures, not only does it capture the essence of a moment, but it often captures the ‘soul’ of the person capturing the images. You can get to know a bit about the photographer based upon the style, composition, and general feel of the photos. We can see his spirit of adventure, his willingness to push the edge, his fearlessness, his idealism, and his personality in the photos we have. Together, they tell a story of the events of this world and they help us get to know a man who was gone before his time. Looking at his pictures I learned that it is more than snapping a shutter, it is about capturing a story and we not only capture the soul and essence of the subject, but we also put a tiny piece of our own essence into the image.

Robert Capa, Falling Soldier

Most amazing, challenging and favourite photographer for me is Cindy Sherman (January 19, 1954). Sherman is a contemporary master of socially critical photography. She built a name as one of the most respected photographers of the late twentieth century. Recalling a long tradition of self-portraiture and theatrical role-playing in art, Sherman utilize the camera and the various tools of the everyday cinema, such as makeup, costumes, and stage scenery, to recreate common illusions, or iconic "snapshots," that signify various concepts of public celebrity, self confidence, sexual adventure, entertainment, and other socially sanctioned, existential conditions. As though they constituted only a first premise, however, these images promptly begin to unravel in various ways that suggest how self identity is often an unstable compromise between social dictates and personal intention. Through a number of different series of works, Sherman has raised challenging and important questions about the role and representation of women in society, the media and the nature of the creation of art.

Cindy Sherman

When I was doing portraiture I was looking at different portrait photographers, and one of the most famous and accomplished photographers of all times was Yousuf Karsh (December 23, 1908- July 13, 2002). He is one of the masters of 20th century photography. His body of work includes portraits of statesmen, artists, musicians, authors, scientists, and men and women of accomplishment. His extraordinary and unique portfolio presents the viewer with an intimate and compassionate view of humanity. Yousuf Karsh has taken photographs that tell a story, and that are more easily understood than many others. Each of his portraits tells you all about the subject. He felt as though there was a secret hidden behind each woman and man. Whether he captures a gleaming eye or a gesture done totally unconsciously, these are times when humans temporarily lose their masks. Karsh’s portraits communicate with people.

Yousuf Karsh, Albert Einstein

With the "digital age" came all this new technical equipment, digital photo shops, digital archives with photos, Photoshop and other programs, professional digital laboratory. Having all this in my life, new wave of creativity appeared. Now photography experiences a very important historical moment. We are witnesses of the process when digital shooting is supplanting what has been regarded unshakable more than 160 years.

This is some of my work which contains portraiture, landscape, capturing moment and some photoshop skills.