Stanislav Liepa: “I take pictures of people to capture their beauty. Mobile photography: Stanislav Liepa (Interview)

Stanislav Liepa is a photographer, teacher of art portrait and iPhoneography at the St. Petersburg photography school Fototrend. And he is also a regular member of the "" column, whose pictures gain a huge number of votes with enviable regularity. For example, two of them ranked first and third in July.

Stanislav, hello. Tell us about yourself.

Talking about yourself is perhaps the hardest part. In short, now I am 23 years old, I was born and raised in the wonderful city of St. Petersburg. Like all people, he was a child, he walked in Kindergarten, loved toys, Sega and Lego. Studied at a school with advanced study of languages ​​and information technologies, after entered the university, changed twice educational institution and since then I have been a student.

If we talk about photography, the very first experience was not even photographing, but printing photographs in the good old manual way with my dear grandfather. They were printing old films, at the age of 7-8 years, it was just some kind of magic. When I was 15, my parents gave me a Nokia 6630. Oh, I was filming everything around that time! Dashing youth, let's just say. Now I shoot mainly on medium format film. I also teach at a photography school and give private lessons in photography.

When did you start taking photographs?

If we ignore the very first experience, my serious photography began with a broken leg, about five years ago, no matter how funny it sounds. It was in the summer, and in order to somehow get away from the injury, the girl presented a Soviet FED-3 camera. It all started with him. Now photography has become a way of life: this is the reason for all new acquaintances, interesting people around and constant striving to self-development.

Initially, it was just a hobby, but then somehow by itself it grew into a profession and became a part of life that brings income and pleasure.

How did your hobby for iPhoneography start?

Yes, I think, like most smartphone users, from Instagram and applying filters. Initially, I just shot in the application, turned on filters / effects and was happy with the resulting picture. But almost like everything in my life, the hobby began to develop and this was not enough for me, and besides, there were many good users on the horizon who shot much better than me. In principle, people who are in something higher than you in terms of level always motivate you to self-development in one area or another.

Has your smartphone camera become a part of your job or is it a hobby?

What are you shooting now?

Smartphone - iPhone 5, without lenses, in the future I want to buy a tripod for it to shoot TimeLapse. And for orders and creative filming, I have a Mamiya RZ67 with portrait and wide-angle lenses. There is also a compact film soap dish Olympus MJUII 35 2.8af, it looks funny, but with correct work gives a wonderful picture.

If not an iPhone, which smartphone would you choose?

In fact, I have not considered anything else yet, but sometimes I treacherously go to the HTC store and admire ONE. For me, the main thing in the phone is not even the color rendition, I myself can bring it up in mobile programs, the dynamic range that the camera can give out is more important. If the number of megapixels is more than six, it would be fine for me, the rest is not particularly important, because you can compensate in the editors.

What are your favorite photo editing applications?

The very first program that I processed was PhotoToaster, but then I learned about SnapSeed, and then I began to discover more and more new editor programs. Personally, I get the same pleasure from processing photos on the iPhone and more professional shots on the computer. For me, this is a meditative process, especially working with color. At the moment I have my own algorithm for running the image through several programs. Most often I use AfterLight, PicFX, Mextures, Over and Snapseed. I don't shoot with a standard camera, except for HDR, but mostly I use Camera +.

Apart from the mobility and stealth of a smartphone, what are the advantages of mobile photography over traditional photography?

I think it's not worth comparing with a traditional camera. They are two different devices for different cases. Naturally, the smartphone is always with me. But I have already started a race and addiction to shooting on it. Every time I want to make the picture better than the previous one.

What does a smartphone camera give you that you can't get from a full-fledged camera?

The aforementioned mobility, a large number of shots, because I photograph on film and I am always limited in frames, but this is good, it disciplines. The smartphone also provides conversation topics with friends for iPhones. You can also keep yourself busy with your phone on the go. Not a camera, but applications for processing, for example, on the road somewhere. I think everyone finds their own advantages for themselves.

How do you see the future of mobile photography? What qualitative changes should be expected?

Naturally, this is a separate round in photography. You cannot do without increasing the resolution of displays, creating cool matrices and megapixels in the amount of 100,500. This is a race of companies. If there is demand, there will be supply. For myself, I would like a cool smartphone with a quadfullHD display, a 12 MP camera with a matrix like DSLR Cameras I hope that in 2-3 years such devices will be at least in the concepts of companies.

Can you give some tips for aspiring mobile photographers? What should you pay attention to when shooting with a smartphone camera?

To begin with, I would like to advise you not to chase the technical properties of the device, it will be in time. You need to learn the basics of photography in general - composition, light aspects, etc. Try to shoot more often, rely on the work of recognized authors, and not only mobile photographers, but also the classics of photography, this trains your vision and taste. In general, it is always better to take a shot, even if in doubt. In the end, you have nothing to lose.

Try to look for new places, new faces, new interiors. After all, our world is closed within the framework of our movements and communication, if there are few of them, then the world is small, but we live only once ... Our world is insanely diverse, if at least once you go somewhere and discover something new, then this becomes a pleasant habit. Better to spend a little money on a trip to the sea or the mountains than on RAM for your computer or other things. The travel experience is priceless!

And in the end, I would like to wish you a calmer attitude towards constructive criticism. Personally, adequate criticism has always motivated me to develop in creativity, and sometimes in life situations. In general, the main thing is practice and experience, the rest will be.

Positions himself as an independent photographer, actively promotes mobile photography, conducts master classes and maintains a blog.

Luna learned from Stas how photography is developing in Russia and how contemporary photographers are promoting their work.

- What is the peculiarity of your style? How do you position it yourself and how do you try to convey it to subscribers?

Hey! I don’t think my style is special, it’s still just a portrait or, as it is fashionable to call it nowadays, “soul portrait”. I think the main thing in shooting a portrait is to reveal the uniqueness of the character in the frame, which is what I try to do every time. Sometimes it comes out with a bang, and sometimes I just don't show the public the end result.

- Where and from whom did you study photography? Why did you decide to associate your life with this particular case?

This story is very old and has been told by me many times. I took up photography to distract myself from my broken leg. It was all just a hobby, but my passion for the technical side of the process drove me to film photography. I did not study anywhere, I comprehended everything with time and experience, 9 years after all.

- How are you different from other photographers?

I think that the systematization of any creative process leads to the creation of a unique style of the photographer, since in creativity you can interpret all your experience for your favorite work. Therefore, I can say that my life experience sets me apart from other photographers. Well, maybe a little medium format film camera. But it is not exactly.

- Whose work inspires you?

To be honest, at the beginning of my journey I was inspired by the works of such authors as Hannes Caspar, Stephan Vanfleteren, Sergey Sarakhanov, Daniil Kontorovich, Anna Danilova and others. Now I look less often at someone else's work; interesting people and my strange dreams inspire me more.

- Photography itself, in particular, also has an impact on some forms of art. How do you feel about combining different styles and genres in photography? Do you like experiments?

Art is so multifaceted that any iota entails an irreversible change in the future, what can we say about the influence of photography. Of course, it's great that we live in an era when in art you can not only reveal your creative desires, but also make money on this for further creative existence - the main thing is that it does not slide into pure commerce, otherwise everything is perishable. I myself have a positive attitude towards experiments, I especially like to watch collaborations of worthy authors, but I rarely implement anything myself, since I do not really trust teamwork. There were many cases when one person from the team let down, and the whole project rolled to Tartarus. Since then, it has been more comfortable for one to realize his ideas. Although I had a very pleasant experience with Pokras Lampas, we collaborated with him a couple of times, and I really liked the result.


How do you assess the state of photography in Russia at the moment? Especially when compared with the works of foreign authors. Interested in working and conditions for photographers abroad?

Thanks to social media, art is now in a very good stage of rebirth, in my opinion.
There is a myth that photography is better abroad, this is absolutely not the case. In Russia, to the extent of the peculiarities and number of the population, photography and its level are higher.

That is, there are better Russian photographers abroad, but there are about 0.0001% of them. The only point where we are lagging behind is the payment of royalties for the photographers. For some reason, everyone thinks that it is easier to shoot and process, and this, nevertheless, is both moral and physical labor - running a day with 10 kg technicians is not juice at all, and creativity should not be missed.

- What shooting became the most memorable, unusual for you? Were there any funny incidents during the filming?

There were so many filming that it is very difficult to single out any super-outstanding, all the filming processes are interesting in their own way. It's almost the same as asking about my favorite photo in my portfolio - all works are good in their own way at different times. There were a lot of curiosities, ranging from slight misunderstandings to even threats to take my life addressed to me.

- Seeing your photos from, I can't help but ask: do you like this place? Do you come here often?

Yes, there are many friends and acquaintances in Tsifer, and the atmosphere and interior are very appealing to me. I love to spend time like this and sometimes to take pictures. And of course I really like their manager Victor, he is also Johnny Depp!

How do you feel about popularizing photography? Progress in the development of the mobile camera has stepped forward a lot. Is it possible for a photographer to be satisfied with just a phone now?

Popularization of photos through social networks I am very happy because the younger generation, myself included, have a taste for photography, and this directly leads to self-development in this vein. For me, mobile photography has become a separate channel in my work. It was originally a race with other photographers for best photo, filmed on a mobile phone, and now has evolved into an instrument that is always with me and continues to develop in a technical aspect, which directly affects the creative side. Mobile photography perfectly showed that camera model is not a priority for have a good shot, the main thing is composition and work with the model, if we are talking about portrait photography.

It turns out that the mobile is always at hand, and you can catch any necessary moment, and then process the finished frame again on the phone in a convenient place. This is serious progress. How do you assess the prospects?

I think that professionals will not be able to refuse photoshop on computers, but amateurs and a novice photographer can easily create masterpieces on portable devices.
For example, I have a couple of digital artists I know who have completely switched to the iPad Pro and now create exclusively on it.



These photos were taken and processed on a mobile phone.

- You are involved in one of the largest mobile photography groups in Russia. Tell us a little about her.

I'm not sure if this is the largest group in Russia, but if so, I am very pleased. I run this public purely out of personal interest, in order to show people interesting instagram accounts. Naturally, the works are selected so as not to clog the tape with mediocre personnel. We show our subscribers beautiful pictures and make a small advertisement for the authors. I keep the group afloat together with Daniil Kontorovich.

Photography in your life is inextricably linked with social activity, with the need to convey, show users of social networks your creativity, how are you developing in this direction? Are you a blogger?

Yes, there is already a certain dependence on social significance, I hope this is not the beginnings of PTSD. I always try to delight the audience with fresh content, or, in extreme cases, when there is no time to shoot, I post old unpublished works.

- And which photos get the most likes?

For me, this question remains a mystery, because the taste of the public and mine are extremely different and sometimes, before uploading a photo, I ask my friends and family for advice. It turns out that their choice is radically opposite to mine. As statistics show, the photos that I upload on their advice gain more views and likes.

I hope my taste will still change and evolve! I recently bought myself a drone for aerial photography. The audience appreciated new format photographs from the air, after all, these are unique angles that a person does not see in Everyday life will always be interesting.


You constantly participate in instamits, at meetings of mobile photographers and bloggers. What are these meetings? How can a person who has just started this path get into your closed club?

Initially, instamits were supposed to be meetings of instagrammers who shoot everything exclusively on mobile phone, and now almost anyone can get into international institutions. They are held a couple of times a year and each time they carry different themes for implementation. Yes, in our "insta-party" there are also closed instamits, it is more difficult to get there, but with a great desire and a fairly active profile on Instagram it is quite possible. Include deduction, look for organizers and write to them. Perhaps they will take you to the next meeting!



Instagram Stas

- What needs to be done to become popular on Instagram? What criteria should an account meet?

There is no definite answer here, but I can give some advice for our readers.

1. Start studying classical composition, this will help you in new creativity, as well as give a completely new perspective on familiar things.

2. Chat with charismatic and interesting people. Firstly, it is pleasant, and secondly, it will give you a unique experience that can be interpreted not only for creativity, but also for your daily life.

3. Practice constantly. You shouldn't think about framing, it should go into intuition.

4. If you want to shoot portraits, then shoot yourself more often! This will give you confidence in communicating with the models, and you will be able to better reveal images when shooting.

5. Invest in tech and applications. These are things that will never go to waste. If you spend 300 rubles on coffee, which you drink in 10 minutes, why do you feel sorry for 249 rubles for an application that will serve you faithfully, and besides, it is constantly updated?

Interviewed by Roman Egorov

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Famous St. Petersburg portrait painter Stanislav Liepa talks about himself and his participation in the camera test Olympus OM-D E-M1 .

I started taking photography about six years ago, then it helped me distract from my broken leg. My first camera was a film FED-3. And the portrait became my main genre. It so happened that I am interested in charismatic faces, and as it turned out, there are a lot of them!

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.75mm F1.8 SETTINGS: ISO 400, F1.8, 1/200 s, 150.0 mm equiv.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro SETTINGS: ISO 250, F2.8, 1/80 s, 120.0 mm equiv.

As practice shows, human activity shapes his appearance. Communicating and making portraits of people from different fields, I delve into their profession; it is very informative and expands the vision of the world. My style was formed in about two years of photography. It was the film that disciplined and concretized it. I still try to try something new, but I don't always reveal it to the public. The most important thing in good portrait is composition and trust between photographer and model. You can always finish the composition yourself, but the emotional component of working with a model is not always so easy.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2.8, 1/160 sec, 120.0 mm equiv.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.75mm F1.8 SETTINGS: ISO 200, F2, 1/15 s, 150.0 mm equiv.

If you are constantly engaged in photography, then it certainly begins to make up a significant part of life. In my case, this is a job, a hobby and just a pleasant pastime. I can't imagine how you can just walk past a beautiful place on the street and not take a picture. In general, be careful with photography: it can get addictive.

Now I use a medium format film Mamiya RZ67 for my work, Olympus OM-D E-M1 and more recently OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Comparing the Mamiya medium format film and OLYMPUS system cameras would be as strange as comparing a naval vessel to a good sports car. True, I want to add that unlike Mamiya, OLYMPUS can always be put in a backpack, especially with the universal M.Zuiko 17mm f / 1.8 lens, which makes it possible to shoot not only in professional conditions, but also in life situations, for example, portraits of friends or mine. beloved wife and daughter.

E-M5MarkII / OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro SETTINGS: ISO 320, F2.8, 1/25 sec

Before Olympus, I had a Nikon D800, but with the advent of OM-D E-M1 the desire and need to shoot with Nikon disappeared and it was sold without any regret.

Olympus E-M1- very cool flagship camera. If professional photographer rationally understands what kind of photos he wants at the exit, he will definitely get them. This camera will pleasantly surprise even amateur photographers with its capabilities, and most importantly, with pleasant colors and an excellent built-in stabilizer without competitors among other photo companies.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro SETTINGS: ISO 320, F2.8, 1/200 sec, 120.0 mm equiv.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.75mm F1.8 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F1.8, 1/800 sec, 150.0 mm equiv.

Recently I got new camera from Olympus - OM-D E-M5 Mark II. It is, of course, just a "camera-space". All E-M1 technologies have been transferred to an even more compact body and many pleasant innovations have been added, such as a rotating screen, many times improved video capabilities, and of course a new mode with an ultra-high resolution of 40 megapixels. I found the swivel screen very convenient for myself, you can very conveniently shoot video portraits, holding the camera at outstretched hands, you get double stabilization. A very cool feature that really came in handy for product photography and static low-light portraits is remote control cameras from a mobile device. I set up a tripod, fixed the device, synchronized it with a smartphone and you sit in your chair, comfortably controlling the camera, without shaking or physically affecting it. Of course, if you are really bored, then you can use this function for other purposes and spy on models, for example.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.75mm F1.8 SETTINGS: ISO 200, F1.8, 1/1250 s, 150.0 mm equiv.

Also in everyday life, while filming some dynamic scenes on the street, it is very comfortable that the people around you do not focus on the camera. To some, it does seem to be film at all, since it is not so bulky and does not look like a professional camera. But you know what the salt is and work comfortably.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro SETTINGS: ISO 100, F3.2, 1/15 sec, 120.0 mm equiv.

Optics plays an important role in the resulting image. So Olympus is really great with this. I am using these instances:

  • M.Zuiko 12-40mm f / 2.8pro
  • M.Zuiko 17mm f / 1.8
  • M.Zuiko 60mm f / 2.8 macro
  • M.Zuiko 75mm f / 1.8

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.75mm F1.8 SETTINGS: ISO 320, F1.8, 1/400 s, 150.0 mm equiv.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.75mm F1.8 SETTINGS: ISO 320, F2.8, 1/160 s, 150.0 mm equiv.

Of course, you can write a whole review about each lens, but in short, these are very sharp lenses, with high resolution and individual patterns. The 12-40mm f / 2.8 is generally versatile and very practical, especially if you travel a lot. But personally, I shoot a lot of videos on it. I hope my work tells you well how these lenses behave on set.

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.12-40mm F2.8 SETTINGS: ISO 320, F2.8, 1/40 s, 24.0 mm equiv.

Well, and perhaps the biggest plus for me, these are very beautiful JPEG files that require a minimum of modification in a graphics editor. And sometimes you don't have to do anything at all. For people involved in commercial photography, this will be a definite plus. For safety and security, you can always shoot RAW + JPEG.

If you suddenly want to switch from the E-M1 to the E-M5 Mark II, but are confused by the form factor, you can just put the grip handle to make you feel "at home."

E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.17mm F1.8 E-M1 / OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro SETTINGS: ISO 500, F2.8, 1/60 s, 120.0 mm equiv.

Stanislav Liepa is a famous St. Petersburg photographer, a popular author on Instagram. Shoots portraits of people to capture their beauty. Has extensive experience with Olympus cameras The OM-D - for both the flagship E-M1 and the recently released E-M5 II, takes photos and videos with them.

All this is in our conversation with Stanislav.

Dmitry Krupsky: - StanislavPlease tell us how did you pick up the camera, what path did you go?

Stanislav Liepa:- Everything in life happens for a reason. Each action, event carries with it further development and consequences, and so do I. Once, in the summer of 2008, I broke my leg, and in order to distract me, the girl gave me an old Soviet FED-3, and my "photo life" began with it.

Naturally, initially I did not know anything - neither about the exposition, nor about any technical properties cameras, I just shot myself for joy. And, of course, over time it took more opportunities and I, not without the help of my relatives, saved up for a digital Nikon D300. Huge crop camera. Well, about a year later, I realized that after all, the film is dearer to me, I sold a digital Nikon and took two film cameras in exchange - Nikon FE2 and Pentacon Six, a little later I changed the last one to Mamiya RZ67, on which I “sit” to this day.

As for the numbers, I also had experience with the Nikon D800, but somehow I didn't get accustomed to it either. And last year I fell into my hands Olympus OM-D E-M1. Small, comfortable and for some reason giving a very cool picture, which, in fact, amazed. It has become my primary digital camera.

D.K. - Do you have any fundamental concepts, basic ideas that you express with your pictures?

S.L. - I have my own internal code, according to which I work, the fundamental algorithm, let's put it this way. In general, I can say - and without the author's explanations, each viewer can see what he wants. I think this is based on the individual's previous life experience and on the qualities that the viewer possesses. In my portfolio, perhaps, there are only a few pictures that carry some specific meaning. Usually I take portraits of people to capture their beauty. I especially like to photograph those who make a significant contribution to the development of society - architects, physicists, artists, and so on.

D.K. - What attracts you to shooting portraits?

S.L. - It so happened that I am interested in charismatic faces, and as it turned out, there are a lot of them! And, as practice shows, human activity forms his appearance. Communicating and making portraits of people from different fields, I delve into their profession; it is very informative and expands the vision of the world. My style took shape after about a couple of years of photographing. It was the film that disciplined and concretized it. I still try to try something new, but I don't always reveal it to the public. The most important thing in a good portrait is composition and trust between the photographer and the model. You can always finish the composition yourself, but the emotional component of working with a model is not always so easy.

D.K. - How are your pictures born? Do you plan in advance how you will shoot your model, do you design the scene / objects / light?

S.L. - The only thing I think about is the color shades that can be used to fill the picture already in post-processing. And the model always comes to the shooting unpainted, and we improvise. There is nothing super complicated, the light is always natural, soft, plastic. Studio lighting still does a slightly different picture style.

D.K. - But does it happen the other way around - are there ideas that you generally would like to implement, and are you already selecting specific people for them?

S.L. - I have already said that I am always looking for charismatic types, faces out of time, in fact, I already work with them.

D.K. - How do you process pictures? Not in details, of course, but in general, general ideas, principles of approach?

S.L. - I process everything in Adobe photoshop, I work with volumes, with color and sometimes with plastic. If you want more details - come to my courses, I will tell you everything, I will show you.

D.K. - How much do you take a picture BEFORE shooting, and how strong is the contribution of post-processing to the result? By the way, do you shoot in JPEG or RAW?

S.L. - I shoot in JPEG + RAW. I mainly process RAW, but sometimes, when there are no overexposures or blockages in the shadows, it is quite possible to quickly make the finished result from JPEG.

In general, it's better to make a cool composition and work out all the nuances while shooting. So that there is a minimum of processing. And, of course, good processing is one that is not visible at first glance.

D.K. - So you shoot in medium formatMamiyaand onOlympus E— M1. When do you use one and when do you use the other?

S.L. - These cameras have completely different output images. Mamiya is exclusively for static, classic portraits. And on Olympus, you can shoot the same portraits, plus dynamic pictures.

When I shoot, for example, a girl with flying hair, I will of course choose Olympus, because you need to shoot a series in order to catch the right moment.

The Olympus E-M1 is a very cool flagship camera. If a professional photographer rationally understands what kind of photos he wants to get at the end, he will definitely get them. This camera will pleasantly surprise even amateurs with its capabilities, and most importantly, pleasant colors and an excellent built-in stabilizer.

I recently got a second camera from Olympus - the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. All the technologies that I was already familiar with from the E-M1 have been transferred to an even more compact body, and many pleasant innovations have also been added - a rotating screen, many times improved video capabilities, and, of course, a new ultra-high resolution 40 megapixel mode.

D.K. - What are the features and characteristics of the E-M5IIcame in handy for your tasks?

S.L. - For me, the rotating screen turned out to be very convenient, with which it is very convenient to shoot video portraits, holding the camera at outstretched hands, it turns out double stabilization.

Another very cool feature that really came in handy for subject shooting and when shooting static portraits in low light is the remote control of the camera from a mobile device. I set up a tripod, fixed the device, synchronized it with a smartphone and you sit in your chair, comfortably controlling the camera, without stirring.

In everyday life, when shooting dynamic scenes on the street, it is very comfortable that others do not focus on the camera, since it is not bulky and does not look like a professional one. And to someone, perhaps, it does seem to be film at all. But you know what the salt is and you work comfortably.

And the biggest plus for me is, perhaps, very beautiful JPEG files that require a minimum of work in the image editor. Sometimes you don't need to do anything at all. For people who are engaged in commercial photography, this will be a definite plus. And if you wish, you can always shoot RAW + JPEG as a safety net.

D.K. - Do you use such functions of camerasOM— DHow is focusing and shutting down on the screen? Or near-eye autofocus?

S.L. - The touchscreen came in handy, especially for quick focus point selection and zoom in on photos. Autofocus is always in my eyes, of course, depending on the pose I change the function.

D.K. - Aren't some features of the 4/3 system a limitation? For example, a large depth of field provided by a relatively small matrix.

S.L. - I shoot both in medium format and on a smartphone, I am already a little tired of the general race for "bokeshechka". This is not happiness, happiness is in observing all aspects of the composition.

Olympus really likes the Zuiko optics, what sharpness and plasticity it gives!

D.K. - What lenses have you worked with?

S.L. - At the moment I have a relatively large fleet of optics: fixes M.Zuiko Digital 17 / 1.8, 45 / 1.8, 60 / 2.8 macro, 75 / 1.8, as well as zoom 12-40 / 2.8.

You can write a whole review about each lens, but in short, these are very sharp lenses, each has its own individual pattern. I must admit that at first I was afraid of the 2x crop, but now I understand what the salt is - in optics! And Olympus never had a problem with it. That is why now many people attach the old manual Zuikov optics to their full-frame brands. And here everything is much better, and even in a more compact case!

The 12-40 / 2.8 zoom lens is generally versatile and very practical, especially if you travel a lot. Personally, I shoot a lot of videos on it. I hope my work tells you well how Zuiko lenses perform on set.

D.K. - If you had to keep only one of the lenses, which one would you choose?

S.L. - I wondered which lens I would keep for myself if I had to choose one. It is really very difficult, everyone is too good. Therefore, I cannot answer this question, only a pistol at my temple will make me choose one (laughs).

D.K. - You work not only with photos, but also with video - you shoot video sketches, video portraits.

S.L. - Yes, video portraits are a good addition to the main work. You can shoot both isolated video during shooting, and make backstage video sketches.

D.K. - What attracts you to the video?

S.L. - Probably because this is not a very professional activity for me, and I can afford a lot in it. Little knowledge, thus little framework.

D.K. - Did you feel the changes, improvements in terms of shooting video with the new cameraOlympusE-M5 II compared toE— M1? You filmed with both of you?

S.L. - Yes, I was very happy with how the E-M1 shoots video, the stabilizer worked cool. But, as they say, everything is learned in comparison. In the E-M5 mark II, the stub has become much cooler, and therefore there are more possibilities! Yes, the E-M1 lacked shooting 60 frames per second, and in the new E-M5 II this function appeared, which I am very happy about, now you can make beautiful slow-motion, thereby emphasizing the artistry of the moment and other things.

These videos were shot on OM-D EM-1:

And the next two - for the new E-M5 II:

D.K. How good do you think the E-M5 II is for filming? Do you feel any of its limitations?

S.L. - It is very good for video, only you need to understand that the optician and hands from the right place play a huge role. And, of course, I would like to be able to record RAW video for better color post-processing.

D.K. - I look at your photos and I see that you love symmetry, you often use central composition in your photos. This is especially noticeable when you open your Instagram.

S.L. - Yes, I use the central composition purposefully. The person in the center is the main subject, and everything else is an environment of lines or beautiful landscapes that lead to the character.

S.L. - Instagram is a separate story. I recommend it to everyone as an excellent training in composition skills and an assistant in finding locations for shooting, while you are walking in new places. I advise everyone to shoot with a smartphone and process on it.

To be honest, I do not specifically use Instagram for promotion, it comes out somehow passively, without my knowledge. I just shoot and post.

D.K. - As far as I understand, Instagram was originally conceived specifically for displaying pictures from phones, this was interesting, and now it has become just one of the networks for exchanging pictures.

S.L. - For me, Instagram is exclusively a photo taken on an iPhone and processed there. We call people who shoot exclusively on their phones for Instagram “Orthodox Instagrammers” J.

It even has its own separate insta-hangout. We hold insta-meetings, various meetings in closed places. It is very exciting.

Although sometimes I have thoughts - to post on Instagram and filmed on Olympus too. Perhaps someday I will ...

D.K. - At the end of the conversation - traditional questions about plans. Where will you go next, are there any specific dreams and desires?

S.L. - Now popularity is beginning to come, and, to be honest, I'm afraid of it. Indeed, for many, it causes star fever, and they stop developing. And I want to promote my work, make not only good old portraits, but also create something new - according to the well-known principle “Evolve or Die”!

I am also slowly developing on foreign resources, capturing a new audience.

D.K. - What advice would you give to novice amateur photographers who want to “evolve”?

S.L. - Naturally, more practice, more rational approach to the choice of models and shooting locations. Of course, keep an "Orthodox Instagram", as well as communicate more with people who are smarter and more experienced than you!

All pictures of Stanislav Liep on this page were taken with Olympus OM-D E-M1 and E-M5 II cameras.

 

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