We can offer reportage photography. Genre and reportage photography. What's special about reportage photography

✔ Reportage photography is a special type of photography and networking that combine several genres of photography at the same time. Each reportage photo is filled with movement, it conveys the atmosphere of the event, emotions and faces of the participants. And the very workflow of a photojournalist during reportage shooting is significantly different, because he must have time to capture a dynamic and interesting frame, taking into account the background and light environment. A professional photographer is required not only to be able to carefully observe and immediately capture a bright frame, but also to create interesting compositions without disturbing the participants of the event. This is the only way to get good reportage photos that convey the atmosphere of the event.

During the photo reportage of the event, the photographer has to take a whole series of photos in order to get a high-quality and bright photo. In addition, all photographs from the series must complement each other and have a common story. This is what complicates the process of taking photographs. Reportage photography is universal, emotional and expressive. Such photographs are able to transfer a person to the place where they were filmed and feel all the emotions, moods and experiences that his participants experienced.

Today reportage photography is used in various fields. More and more often people order a photo reportage of a conference or reportage for a celebration, for example, a birthday or a wedding. Professional photos will keep vivid events, impressions and emotions associated with this event in memory for a long time. Many professional photographers believe that a photo report from any event, for example, a photo report from a concert, is a whole poem that can be discussed and considered for a long time. And do high-quality pictures - means getting pictures filled with a story that can be "read" without words.

How to choose a reportage photographer?

✔ Many do not know that the work of a photographer is not only the photography itself, but also the subsequent processing of photos. Exactly professional processing photographs turns them into a self-sufficient work and conveys the emotions experienced by the participants at the time of the shooting. Reportage photography has its own specifics, and if you decide to order this type of photography, then you should pay attention not only to the experience of the photographer, but also to his skills in using photographic equipment. A photographer must be able to instantly react to problems associated with professional equipment and be able to quickly fix them, since every shot is important in reportage photography. And without modern professional equipment it is impossible to capture spectacular shots, and also it will not be possible to clearly distinguish plans. When choosing the services of a photographer, you should also familiarize yourself with his portfolio. Finally, I would like to say that reporting is a universal genre, if the photos are of high quality and professional, then the viewer viewing such photos will be able to experience all the emotions, to grasp the meaning of what is happening, regardless of whether he was at this event or not, he knows the language and text written under the photograph.

Price for reportage shooting in Moscow

They have a lot to learn

Reportage photography is probably one of the most difficult, but at the same time interesting genres. After all, in one shot, the photographer must tell a story. And so that it was exciting and bright.

In this article we have collected best photographers- reporters of our time. Who have reached unprecedented heights in this difficult genre.

Stanley Greene

In his photographs, Stanley Greene shows the stories of people's lives. He has no goal of portraying death or shocking the public with his photographs. His photographs reflect death and destruction on the faces of those who survived, and these photographs give us a glimpse of the war.

Seamus Murphy calls photography "half history and half magic." it short description can serve as a title for the entire archive of his works, because his work is particularly penetrating. For a long time he has shot in the Middle East, Europe, Russia and Far East, in African countries, in the Americas. He is a six-time winner of the World Press Awards.

Polish photographer who specializes in non-commercial sports photography. Among his works you can find dynamic shots of Mongolian races, street parkour, training of kung fu masters and much more. His works are actively published by such well-known publications as 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.

Frames by French photographer Noel Patrick Quidy are lifelike. And at the same time, they are filled with humanism and sympathy. "The war is so ugly that I do not understand those who seek to take beautiful photographs", says the photographer. For his shots, Noel won the World Press Photo award three times.

Bradner is widely known for her humanistic photography. Her works are 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 ..." - says Heidi. Apparently, this is the secret of her success.

This is one of the most famous American photojournalists. In total, he filmed 18 international conflicts, including the invasion of US troops into Iraq, military operations in Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Chechnya and other countries. Christopher is the recipient of numerous awards, including 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." - says the photographer.

The famous French photographer has been photographing wars, social conflicts, poverty and suffering for many years. Emphasized honesty in front of the viewer, combined with thoughtful dramatic storytelling, is what sets this photographer apart from others. His photographs are not only published in the press, but also exhibited in museums, creating truly powerful compositions.

“My every effort is to be as neutral as possible and to feel as much as possible in order to allow the image to reveal to the viewers the mystery of the real.”

An outstanding photographer and the only Russian citizen who became a full member of the most authoritative magnum agencies... His works are extremely colorful, and one of the most famous was the series "Tbilisi Baths", after the creation of which he was admitted to Magnum. His photographs are published in GEO, Actuel, New York Times.

“All my best photos are contingencies. You just need to destroy your own self-will, stereotype and surrender to the free wave ... You need to find harmony with reality, but, again, this does not guarantee you success. "

With his photographs, the photographer not only tries to draw attention to any problem, but literally calls on to solve it. The main theme His creativity, which is not surprising for the South African, became the problem of AIDS. He was one of the first to describe this terrible disaster through the use of photography.

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.

War and social confrontation is the main theme of his work, imbued with real pain and a call to stop violence on the entire planet. James worked in South Africa, Latin America, in the Middle East, in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Unionas well as in Eastern Europe.

His dedication to his cause and humanistic ideals has made James Nachtwey one of the world's most respected reportage photographers.

“I am half deaf. I have bad nerves and constantly ringing in my ears ... I guess I became deaf because I didn’t put the earplugs in my ears, because I really wanted to hear. I wanted to achieve maximum strength of sensations, even if they are too painful ", - says Nachtwey.

The English photographer 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 "green". But since 1999, he has completely gone into reportage photography, covering numerous armed conflicts.

He received his first World Press Photo award back in 1994, and since then there have been three of them. His work can be seen in publications such as Newsweek, Time, Stern, GEO, Paris Match, Der Spiegel, The Sunday Times Magazine and many others.

For more than 25 years, 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. As a result, this photographer's creative baggage has accumulated unique material that has won him a large number of international awards, including six World Press Photo awards.

“My work is for the soul, this is my life... And there was never separation, there were life stages... I've lived it all. "

The goal of this photographer is to show the war as it is. He filmed the Battle of Vukovar in Croatia, the siege of Sarajevo, the atrocities committed in Serbian concentration camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and much more.

“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 such a situation again, then at least I will be able to press the button. ".

Jan Grarup's black-and-white footage tells about the troubles and pain of others. Showing the life of people in conditions of wars and crises, he draws the attention of the world community to small feats that have become an integral part of life.

“My most important advice is to listen to your heart. If you shoot without empathy, you will fail. Only the time spent at the shooting location with the characters, only communication and interaction, only help and sympathy will help you create a real story ".

One of the most famous photographers of our days, whose pictures have repeatedly graced the covers of National Georgaphic, GEO, Time Photo and many others. His pictures are imbued with the desire for the best, the desire to "give the world a chance." 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 a picture. 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 ”,says Reza.

Dane Eric Refner began his career as a commercial photographer. However, at some point he realized that the romance of photojournalism attracted him much more. And he began to travel the world with a camera in his hands.

But he did not limit himself to wars and humanitarian disasters. In particular, he received the World Press Photo Award for his report on the "last romantics of rockabilly" who still live as if they were in the 1950s.

“I hate to hear complaints and excuses that things are not going the way they want. I don't like people who are cold about their work. There is nothing technically complicated in photography. It is important to understand and desire to do something unique, without passion for this business nothing will work. "

The Italian photographer came to photojournalism shortly before the outbreak of numerous armed conflicts in Europe and other parts of the world. Therefore, he began to visit these hot spots as a correspondent. He was in Angola in 1996, has prepared two projects on the problems of Iraq, and 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. For his work, Francesco Zizola has received seven World Press Photo Awards and four Picture of the Year Awards.

This is one of the few photographers who has a deep classical education. He achieved impressive success, becoming a recognized master of photography: his work can be found in the Cambridge Museum of Art. The International Center photographs in New York and many other museums. In addition, as a journalist, he is actively published in publications such as National Geographic, GEO, Time, New York Times Magazine. Also Alex Webb is the author of numerous books on photography.

“I work in color. Therefore, the quality of lighting is especially important to 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 evening. "

As a photojournalist for the famous Magnum agency, he has found his special niche in the everyday life of photojournalism. In his bright, emphatically coloristic works, the West and the East meet.

"A composition formed suddenly of 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, so that prejudices do not prevent me from seeing the world as it is. "

Recognized classic of Soviet and Russian photography. He owns many reports that honestly and impartially showed the Russian reality of the 80s and 90s of the last century.

“The photograph is taken not 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 free. We must wait for him ... ".

Today we would like to talk with you about two of the most interesting trends in the art of photography - genre photography and reportage photography. As a rule, the viewer only admires and enjoys landscape shots, portraits or still lifes. But the genre and reportage makes the person looking at the pictures think. Think, at times, about rather serious problems.

Let's first of all define the concepts: what is genre photography and reportage photography? How do they differ from each other and what do they have in common?

A photo report is, first of all, a report by a photographer about an event, an event he attended. But at the same time, it is a kind of metaphor that should attract the viewer's attention, urge the viewer to think about what is depicted in the photographs, make him develop his own attitude to the event, which is described in the report.

Working on a photo report requires a certain amount of experience from its author. You can't shoot a report so easily. To do this, you need to develop the ability to see the plot, to have knowledge of what you are shooting. For example, when filming a report from a football match, you must at least know the rules of the game of football. To shoot a reportage about a theatrical premiere, you need to know at least the basics of theatrical art ... Of course, to work in this genre, you need to be fluent in photography techniques.

A photographer who is engaged in reportage shooting must not forget about the logic of the events happening around him, know these events, correctly track and show the viewer the relationship of its elements, stages. An experienced master of photo reportage, it would seem, is a completely insignificant, trifling event, is able to present us with you as a fascinating, fantastic story. If you have already decided to devote your work to a photo essay, then you should definitely develop the qualities of an interesting storyteller in yourself. But do not forget, when working on a report, about the author's vision of what is happening, about the author's subjectivism. After all, any reportage photograph reflects not only the actual fact of the event depicted, but also the attitude of the author of the photo reportage to it. Simply put, the photographer seems to incline the viewer to his point of view, only he does it not in ordinary words, but in the language of photography. Thus, he, without noticing it, is engaged in propaganda of that situation, that event that unfolds in front of the lens of his camera. However, this can be done consciously, purposefully. But this is, as they say, aerobatics.

Thus, one can easily come to a simple conclusion: a photo reportage, or even just one reportage photograph, is essentially just an interpretation. But she must be honest. Without any manipulation and deception of the viewer. This is simply unacceptable here.

But genre photography, in contrast to reportage photography, depicts scenes that take place around us in everyday life. Shows us images of people around us. It is important for a photographer to be able to see and record in time unusual, bright moments of everyday life. Working on genre photography allows the photographer in his work to be interesting, agile, even somewhat unusual, to be sensitive to what is happening. Genre photographs can be safely called unique. After all, the plots captured on them will never be repeated again.

What is important for a genre photographer to know and be able to do?

The main thing is to learn not only to see what is happening, to notice everything interesting and unusual, extraordinary around you, but also to clearly understand what is happening right now in front of the camera lens. It is important to be able to choose the desired shooting point, take a picture from a favorable angle, instantly, while still in the process of shooting, have time to work on the composition of the frame, mentally scroll through the plot in your head and much more. All this comes with experience, with skill. In order to develop this skill in oneself, the photographer must work very hard. And this work will be rewarded. You will learn to shoot as if without thinking, on an intuitive level.

To the uninitiated or new to photography, it may seem that photo essay and genre photography are very similar to each other in their essence. But this is a common misconception.

The main thing that distinguishes a genre photo from a reportage one is that a person is shown in it in close-up. Close-up not in a compositional sense, not a face in full frame, but in its semantic meaning. A person should be shown in all his experiences, emotions, mood. In genre photography, a person should be, as it were, snatched by the gaze of the photographer, by the click of the camera, from the general stream of current events in everyday life. A man with all his difficulties, with his inner world - that's what is most important in genre photography. This is what is important to learn to convey to the viewer.

Another sign, a distinctive feature of the genre in photography, is the warmth of intonation, a certain lyricism, softness, and penetration. A good, masterfully made genre photography is, one might say, a whole performance with its own drama. The viewer should feel, as it were, to see what was before the photographer pressed the camera shutter button. And what will happen in a minute, in an hour and even the next day ...

It has become a long-standing tradition that all significant events, be it an event of national importance or a book exhibition, or a film festival, are covered not only by journalists, but also by photographers. A series of photographs capturing individual moments, episodes of what is happening are called a photo reportage or reportage shooting.

Process specifics

Sequential shooting is fundamentally different from the usual. Fundamentally different, first of all, the approach to the selection and presentation of material. For a photo session or traditional photography, the artistic side of nature is important, i.e. what is photographed and depicted on the card. Therefore, any photographer is also an artist to some extent. He tries not only to show the distinctive features of the subject being shot, but to do it beautifully, with a twist, creating

The photo artist carefully plans the composition of future photographs, chooses the desired lighting tone, color range. He may ask his models to smile or pretend to be sad, depending on the plot. And even if the photos are ordered and must meet certain requirements, the photographer still has many opportunities for improvisation. Reportage is not like that.

The main task of a photojournalist is the objectivity and truthfulness of the work. Taking pictures of the president's visit to or his meeting with the people in the provincial outback, taking pictures at the scene of another accident or from the opposition protest rally, the reporter creates the chronicle of the country, writes its history. Reportage shooting is done impromptu, on the go, and the photographer must have time to guess the desired angle, choose the most successful shooting point, its moment. You need to act quickly so as not to miss a special gesture or movement, a "speaking" background and such details that will turn the picture into a photographic document. Thus, a kind of photo-story is obtained, which should be presented in an interesting, exciting, bright, lively manner. Often, for the sake of one correct shot, the reporter presses the "start" button dozens of times, and then selects several of the most successful ones. He is an eyewitness, and through his pictures the viewer becomes involved in what was happening, plunges into the thick of events, becomes a participant in them, feels the intensity of passions and drama, experiences unique moments of history.

It is clear that reportage shooting is a difficult business, it requires high professional excellence... It is not possible to learn how to present material “simply but with taste” in one day or a month. The hand and eye are "stuffed" for years. After all, the selected pictures should be vital and convey the spirit of the events. Therefore, we can say: reportage shooting is a story in "pictures" about their contemporaries and their era.

Often, a series of photographs accompany the text of a newspaper article or blog post. Consequently, the content of the photo report must correspond to the text, and often without prior agreement. This consistency is also one of the hallmarks of professionalism.

We are shooting a holiday!

One of the types of photo reportage is shooting holidays. As well as reportage, it includes almost all genres and types of landscape, "from nature", interior, ie. household, static and mobile. Photographing holidays should convey the appropriate atmosphere, mood, emotions. And then the photographer turns into an artist. It captures the brightest and most colorful moments, the most touching and happy, funny and interesting. After all, such a report helps to preserve the memory of solemn events for many years.

The profession of a photographer is a profession by vocation. She must be loved, she must be lived, she must strive for perfection. Only then can you become a real master photo reporter.

A section in which we publish useful materials and collections related to all wedding subtleties, and introduce you to the work of wedding photographers who have their own special and individual style of work.

One of the leading qualities of reportage photography is honesty. Probably, this is what determines the interest and respect for the genre on the part of both professionals in the wedding industry and newlyweds.

Today we want to tell our readers about people who know how to shoot a reportage very well and know how to catch the most bright emotions... Someone's names have long been among the experts in wedding and reportage photography, someone has just started their professional career and has already achieved success in this genre. The main thing here is that photography is a story, and our heroes have a story to tell.

Is talkingthat reporting is always a powerful charge of energy and emotions
Can not fall asleep before 4am after the wedding
I'm surethat the main thing in the photo is people. They inspire all creative and labor exploits.

I have shot in California (Los Angeles, San Diego) and the Dominican Republic, France, Switzerland, and of course Italy! In Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Georgia. Last year's opening - Baku, unexpectedly futuristic and modern capital of Azerbaijan. I probably dream of Portugal and New York - I am actively discussing filming there this season.

Some time ago I had a period when I tried my hand everywhere, including in many international associations and competitions - it really stimulates me to develop, helps to prove something to myself, to find my place among all the variety of photographers ...

Most of all I am proud of my title “Photographer of the Year” according to My W ed Award 2015. There is, of course, a history of prizes in American associations and international competitions, publications in Western blogs, victories in nominations, the final of the Wedding magazine awards and other competitions. But I have said more than once: in my opinion, it is the series from the wedding (for which, in fact, the title "Photographer of the Year" is awarded in the My W ed Award) - and there is "aerobatics" for the photographer. One shot, a moment is always a certain amount of luck, but a whole, interesting and unexpectedly told story is a unique statement, position and subtle, multifaceted work.

Specifically, now it is no longer so important for me to chase victories, I want to do things that are important for people more quickly and listen more to my inner voice, my goals "here and now." And I myself am interested to see where this will lead me next.

As a photographer, I started by working in a photography studio, shooting portraits. Sometimes I managed to try myself at shooting fashion shows. The aesthetics of the backstage and the ability to tell a story from behind the curtains was much more appealing to me. So I started filming more and more reports.

Reporting for me is history, like a movie. Dynamics, atmosphere, details, relationships between people are what I pay attention to. I feel comfortable in the role of an observer. I enjoy finding and interpreting plots, not creating artificial footage.

A reportage always pays a lot of attention to an alternative view of events. Different optics, unusual angles. Show the event in a way that none of the guests saw it. I like to dilute the result by shooting with different types cameras (disposable soap dishes, polaroid, goupro, film).

I am glad to represent Russia in the Wedding Photojournalist Association, there are now only three photographers from our country. This is the only international association that cannot be entered simply by paying money. When I applied for the first time, in 2011, they turned me down: I wasn't cool enough for them. It was very offensive, but made me move more actively. In 2013 I was accepted, and now I am already taking prizes. It is important that “wedding experts” are not selected as the jury. For example, the last competition was judged by two Pulitzer Prize winners and a professor of photojournalism at the University of Kentucky.

I am also the founder of Magritte agency, my colleagues and I are developing the direction of reportage photography for business. We remove image stories from events, shows, exhibitions.

It is important for me to look into the portfolio in 3-4 years and understand that the pictures are still relevant. That they weren't influenced by trends or by peers.

Yuri Gusev

Finalist of MyWed Awards 2016 in the nomination "Fees"
Finalist of MyWed Awards 2015 in the "Banquet" nomination
TOP-20 photographers of St. Petersburg according to the portal Gorko.ru
TOP-50 of the best photographers according to MyWed

Is talkingthat reportage is born when something goes wrong
Published in leading bridal magazines
Loves before the wedding season take a tour by car to get inspired on the trip

Why reportage? This is a direction of photography that will never lose its relevance, its main advantage is to show people natural, as they really are.

Reportage is, first of all, the sincerity and naturalness of the guys themselves. When you become a guest at their celebration and easily fit into their environment, and they simply forget that you are, then they manage to catch those very valuable moments that my newlyweds want to see, in a year, five or ten years.

I think that when shooting a wedding, one should always remember that our task is to constantly peer, notice, search, catch, move in search of the best moment.

Photography for me is a craft for art's sake. We look at a photograph and think about what impression it makes on us. And we don’t think about how it was filmed. It takes a long way to learn the technical side of this craft to get a good shot.

I always happily agree to shoot weddings in other countries. My first foreign filming was in Germany, then I filmed in Finland, Italy and France. My dream is to visit Iceland and China, to shoot something like that there. I think this will be a great adventure.

Artem Pitkevich

Member of the International Wedding Photojournalism Association WPJA

Proud recognition of colleagues and the fact that 6 photos at once won prizes in the prestigious photo competition of the International Association of Wedding Photojournalism
Countsthat photography is a craft
Takes off in Kazakhstan, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Thailand, Turkey, Holland, France, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Belgium

I love to shoot. I love the feeling of the flow, when there are many events, when you feel what is happening, the blood boils, and time simply disappears. But the real satisfaction comes when the shooting has already been done, and I am putting together the final episode or book. The process of collecting a story, when several pictures are put together and successfully convey some kind of plot twist, it turns out to be a joke or to put together a particularly touching spread is the main joy.

There are two for me key points at work. First, do not interfere with what is happening. When you are a photographer, you have power. They listen to you. There is a great temptation to intervene and make yourself beautiful: “Oh, it was so great, guys, repeat it again, but near the window”, “To make it beautiful, we will gather not at home, but in a hotel”, “Make up here. Dress to wear here. Kissing is here. Go here, don't go here. Breath! Do not breath". Of course, you are a professional, you have great experience, you constantly see what needs to be corrected. Here are just a beautiful picture - not the goal of the wedding, but rather a consequence. And the people who are commanded lose their will. As a result, the pictures are not about the newlyweds, but about the ideal wedding in the mind of the photographer.

The second point is to shoot something that really conveys the essence of the event. Often a photographer sees his task as shooting something amazing: a very beautiful photograph, a rare moment, to find an unexpected angle. But the task of reporting is not to surprise the viewer, but to tell about what happened. And for this, it is necessary to shoot not something that no one has seen and not something that almost did not exist, but quite the opposite. And the main task is to show ordinary things in such a way that it is interesting and valuable to the viewer.

Today in the genre there is such a tendency: to call anything horrible a reportage. The boundaries are blurring, the reportage merges with the art. On the one hand, “realness” is more and more in demand, on the other, the idea that even the most documentary photography is extremely subjective and has no relation to reality.

Who will need your reportage if you do not have the required portraits with relatives or a portrait of the bride? A wedding is a very ancient and conservative ritual. Weddings are alike and that's okay. The “checklist” of photographs is in plots, not in compositional templates.

For me, a cool picture has never been the goal of my work. A firm position is something that commands respect, it is like a flag that one wants to stand under. In 2002, the Wedding Photojournalism Association - WPJA was formed. In 2012, I went to their website and read: “We offer a different look at wedding photography - calmly capture the real moments as they happen for the bride and groom. Our goal is to take photos that tell the story of your wedding day, not dictate it for you. " And I realized that I was here. This is the "community" with which I want to associate myself. We share the same values, and therefore their opinion about my work is important to me.

Anatoly Bityukov

TOP-50 member of the American Association Fearless Photographers, 2014
Best Photographer 2015 by SPBWEDAWARDS
The 150 best international wedding photographers for 2016
Multiple MyWed Award Finalist, WPPI, WPJI, WPS, ISPWP

I am surethat a photographer is not just a person who knows how to press a button
Tries maintain a competitive spirit with colleagues
Participates in professional exhibitions and competitions

My career as a photographer began in school, or rather, from graduation, when the question arose of what was next. The prospects were different, but I did not miss and entered the technical school at LOMO, specializing in “photographer”. 3 years of study, 3 more years of practice in sports photography, and hello to the wedding industry. This year will be 10 years since I became a wedding photographer.

Photography is 50% art and 50% craft. I love everything that is real, so I chose the reportage. In this genre of shooting, you can convey the fullness of the emotions experienced by people, and translate them into frames.

A reportage for me is, first of all, a mood, an atmosphere and a moment, because the atmosphere of a holiday is born from the mood of my people and those around me, and moments of amazing beauty happen in it. It remains only to catch them.

Before going to shoot, the photographer must remember that we are all mortal, and do not go where it is not necessary. But I still climb.

Dimm Grand

MyWed Award 2016 Finalist for Incredible Place
2015 MyWed Award Finalist, The Wrong Side of a Wedding
TOP-10 of the best reporters in Moscow according to the International magazine "Zankyou", 2016.
TOP-30 best photographers according to the Wedisson Award, 2015
Winner of the contest "Bride of Moscow-2012" in the category "Best wedding reportage"
Personal exhibition "Connecting hearts", 2017

Countsthat the most necessary thing in shooting is a photographer, an event and a camera
Came into a photo by accident, but stayed forever
Refers to self-critical to work, titles and awards

Each wedding has its own personality, character, color, light and mood. You need to be able to convey all its subtleties in the smallest detail, while maintaining individuality. Create a story that will be preserved and passed down through the generations.

Reporting is a kind of kung fu in which there is no limit to perfection. The ability to show an event in the frame so that it touches the most intimate notes of the soul. To awaken the senses. Energy stored in the frame, living for centuries.

I didn't choose this genre. This is my physiology! It is interesting for me to be in the thick of things, and from this I am charged myself. The brain constantly starts to produce a variety of pictures that need to be done in time. I always try to convey the mood and energy of what is happening with the highest quality. Photography is an art. If it turns into a craft, I will give up this business.

At the moment I have shot about 300 weddings in 16 countries of the world, such as Cyprus, Turkey, Czech Republic, Austria, Spain, Italy, France, Ireland, USA, Cuba, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Seychelles. Couples from 9 countries became my clients, including media personalities and famous athletes. I filmed weddings from 2 to 1115 people. But at the same time I am very self-critical. All that I have achieved so far, I consider only the beginning of my path.

My father was a photographer, he worked for various news outlets, and we always had photographic equipment, film development equipment and other paraphernalia of the photographer at home. At that time I myself was studying at an art school and thought that painting and drawing were my vocation. But, in the end, I chose a photo.

Reporting is an opportunity to follow the beauty of the moment. The genre chose me. I always say that if you shoot ten weddings in a staged manner, it will be ten identical weddings. If you shoot ten weddings in a report, it will be ten unique events. It's cool, that's what I'm aiming for. Good reporting is a trained flair for the moment.

I am very glad that, finally, a story about two people, a bride and a groom, is in fashion, but a story about a wedding as a kaleidoscope of moments of one day, about an atmosphere. There is attention to guests, to their emotions, to their crazy dances, there is sincerity.

For me, shooting is working with people. In this process, I feel as comfortable as possible. I know that many photographers avoid some kind of interaction with guests at large events, but I can easily organize a large number of guests for a particular shot.

In terms of inspiration, I'm a fan of cool cinematography. For example, I really like to watch films by Georgy Rerberg and Alexander Knyazhinsky. In general, cinema is one of the most accessible sources of inspiration for a photographer; it is such an incredible synthesis of arts, working with light, composition, movement. The other day I hooked on a small fragment of Stalker, and once again admired how solid and atmospheric it was filmed.

On purpose, I did not choose the reporting genre. There was a time when I worked as a staff photographer for a newspaper and very often filmed meetings and planning meetings in the city administration. This had to be done quietly, without disturbing anyone's work. Most likely, it was this moment that determined the point of no return. It turned out to be good to shoot, then good. And so it dragged on.

If we talk about "true-reportage", then for me this is shooting without interfering in the process, or with a minimum that people will not notice. This is such a complex fixation of the moments when you are looking for a shot all the time, while you do not interfere with people to relax and communicate.

The most favorite moment during shooting is when, in spite of the small screen, you already understand that you have shot something worthy and strong. Often these are not directorially created scenes, but spontaneously captured moments.

As such, there is no ritual before shooting. Everything is already fixated on ironing a shirt, collecting equipment and getting enough sleep.When you have already learned how to shoot well, only one super task arises, to do it not just well, but interesting and jump over your head. This is the setting every night before shooting.

Arthur Poghosyan

Finalist My W ed Award 2016 in the category "Magic Light"
Shortlisted for Wedding Awards in the Best Wedding Shot category
National Geographic 2015 Editors' Choice People

Works in Moscow and St. Petersburg, travels to southeast Asia and sometimes takes pictures there
Participates in competitions to develop professionally
Beret two cameras for the wedding, several lenses and additional light

I always envied talented musicians and wanted to be in the Moscow rock party, but I could not play the instruments, and with a camera I was already familiar, so I started filming concerts. It was with concerts that my development as a reportage photographer began.

Reportage shooting is a special genre in which it is necessary to show events, tell a story and do it in the most interesting and beautiful way. Many people mistakenly think that we, the reporters, are filming a black and white emotional daub, and this is where our work is over. Any wedding photographer should be able to shoot a reportage, staging, good portraits, group shots and so on. I do all this, only the emphasis is on lively, emotional shots.


There are canons in wedding photography that, in my opinion, cannot be violated. It is imperative to take good portraits of the bride and groom, joint photos with parents, friends and relatives, decor elements, details and everything important events... Most of all I like the process of filming, especially at the training camps and at the banquet.

We are experiencing thousands of events at a time. Every moment of life simply cannot fit into the field of our attention. For me, reportage shooting is an opportunity to capture something that does not always catch our eye, something that we don’t think about until we are pointed out. I am pleased to think that a person, looking at my work, can learn something new about his wedding, about himself and about his family, see what passed by him.

It seems to me that reporting is something that lives outside of time. We can say that a number of photographers have their own specific shooting style. But by and large, everyone uses the same techniques. The popularity of reporting as an element of wedding photography has grown tremendously in recent years. It becomes very important for clients, they realize the value of these frames.

At work, I always think about three things:

A photographer with all his behavior and appearance should be pleasant not only to the newlyweds, but also to the guests. You cannot even imagine how many boundaries are erased if you have established yourself as “your” person.

Smile. Nobody will like it if a frowning photographer is staring at you with a lens.

Life goes on here and now, and if at this moment you did not have time to capture the event, there will be no second chance. The photographer should always be as focused as possible and observe what is happening around him in order to react in time, and more often to predict certain situations.

Now I try to empty my head before each shoot so that I start work devoid of any worries or patterns. Although not so long ago, my ritual was a methodical review of my favorite works of photographers I respect.

I see no reason for myself to talk about achievements or regalia. Even if I strive for them, this is not the only thing that can characterize a photographer. But I am proud that parents of young people often call me and say words of gratitude, tell how they cried or laughed at this or that photo, some even invite us to visit a year or two after the wedding. And for me this is the greatest praise.

Liza Karazhova

Photographer of the Year 2016 Winner Wedding Spb Awards
Entered the top three in the nomination " Reportage photographer of the year »Wedding Awards-2015
Reflection Winner My W ed Awards 2015
TOP-10 photographers of St. Petersburg according to MyWed.

Teaches other photos in their master classes
Photographs a lot and with pleasure
Countsthat the best reporters in the Magnum photo agency are equal to their work

In short, a reportage is a story about an event through photography. I believe that an absolute, one hundred percent wedding report is impossible. Firstly, people still behave a little differently in the presence of a photographer than in reality, and secondly, portraits are no less important than reporting. Nevertheless, a wedding is always a very eventful event and emotions. It is very interesting for me to observe all this. I use many different techniques in my photography to make the shots interesting not only in terms of the moment, but also the decoration.

Photography is my cure for depression. At the moment of creating a frame, I forget about everything. Fatigue, hunger, cold - all this for me ceases to exist, I completely and completely concentrate on harmony, and still can not achieve it. Probably, it takes decades to comprehend all the wisdom and nuances, and most importantly, to learn how to fill the frame. Yes, filling is the most difficult part, only this makes our work at least somewhat valuable!

I cannot say that I am very proud of some awards, of course, it is nice to receive them, but still there is an element of the lottery. The best part for me is that many of the couples I have filmed weddings with already have two children. I know for sure that the reportage photographs that I took so diligently would be more and more valuable to them every year!

I really love international weddings, I had several shootings like this, and it was enchanting. And in work, I probably like the moment of hunting behind the scenes the most.

 

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