Good day fellow photographers!
Finally the day has come where I proudly present to you our new weekly PhotoFeed format:
"10 Quick Questions with -"
This format is some kind of an "reader friendly" interview series where we ask a mix of 10 questions to all kind of photographers here on the Hive blockchain. I think it will be a great way to give you some insides and also to bring back some attention to all the amazing photographers on this platform.
Our first episode starts with one of my favourite photogaphers here on Hive - @sharker
He is pretty well known for breathtaking landscape photos around the globe, especially from central Asia.
Let's start with a short introduction
Hello! My name is Denis Ulyankin,
DU: I was born in Russia in the city of Maykop ó the capital of the Republic of Adygea. The city is located in the foothills of the North Caucasus. My mother is a teacher and guide, she took me a lot to the sights of our region and instilled a love of nature. I try to travel the world as often as possible. Now I live in the Moscow region.
I spend many weekends in forests, fields and swamps with my search party. We are looking for soldiers who went missing during the Second World War.
In Indonesia, on the wonderful island of Bali, I became a certified diver and now I travel not only by land, but also under water!
I photograph a lot on my travels. I cannot call myself a professional, since I do not work as a photographer, but many people like my photos :)
1.) What does photography mean to you?
DU: For me, photos are some kind of time machine. They allow you to return to a specific moment, remember and make out forgotten details. Yes, the pictures do not transmit the sound of wind, heat from the sun and delight, covering you, but allow you to share with others at least part of the beauty that you see on your life path. I have been to many places, I made a lot of shots, but I saw some of my pictures only once when I took them. So there are still many discoveries for me and for you :)
2.) What is your favorite subject to photograph?
DU: Most of all I like shooting landscapes, especially at dawn and dusk, I think this can be seen from my blog.
3.) How would you describe your photography style?
DU: It seems to me that I do not have any particular style I travel and shoot what I see. But I try to shoot in such a way that I would like to hang this photo on the wall.
4.) What inspires you?
DU: I am inspired by nature and travel.
With my photos and stories, I try to show the beauty around us and I want people to travel more. The best reward for me will be if someone, after seeing my photos, decides to get off the couch and see the world.
5.) What is the most difficult part of being a photographer for you?
DU: Probably the hardest part is getting up before dawn. Sometimes, especially in summer, when the nights are short, after shooting the sunset there are only a few hours left until dawn, and I have to get up an hour and a half earlier in order to have time to pack up and get to the intended shooting point in the dark. And only willpower and hope for a miracle make me get out of a warm bed and go into a cold night.
6.) How do you educate yourself to get better photos?
DU: I'm self-taught. It so happened that when I started photographing, there were no familiar photographers around who were ready to help me, but I read books on photography and, first of all, tried to understand the theory of photography. I was constantly carrying a camera with me and was taking pictures all the time. I love photography and constantly look at the work of other photographers, think about how they took this or that picture. Last year, in the midst of a pandemic, when we had a lockdown, I bought a training course from a photographer that I really like (Daniel Kordan), from there I learned a lot of interesting things.
7.) What kind of gear do you use?
Mirrorless Camera:
Olympus Om-d E-m1 Mark II
Lenses:
-OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm F2.8
-OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO
-OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm F2
-OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm F1.8
-Laowa C-Dreamer 7.5mm F2.0
Tripod: QZSD Q666C
Drone: DJI MAVIC 2 PRO
And also darkening and polarizing filters of different diameters.
8.) What is your favourite lens and why?
DU: OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm F2.8. It is rather the most commonly used, as it is quite light and sharp, and also has a good focal length range. I rarely change it and I am very pleased with it.
And the one that I like the most is probably the OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm F1.8. I mainly use it in theaters where there is very often little light. I really like the portraits that I get with it.
9.) What is your suggestion for beginner photographers?
DU: The most important thing in photography is practice. My father loved to photograph when he was young. Then he had a film camera "Zenith" and he printed photographs on his own, in the kitchen, under the light of a red lamp. Recently he shared with me his emotions about my first photos: "It was awful!" But then he was silent, and just let me evolve, without killing my enthusiasm. Now he is proud of my photos and looks at them with pleasure.
You have to shoot and shoot. Sleep less, move more! From my own experience, I know that the most beautiful time for photography is sunrise and sunset. Usually people sleep in the morning, but you can and should take pictures and not be afraid to wake up early in the morning. I made all the most beautiful and favourite shots at the "regime" time.
It is important to read a lot, there are many good books. And you need to read what the photographers you like write and try to repeat something. There is nothing wrong with copying especially when you are learning. And nature is always different. It seems to me that it is quite difficult to make the same shots even in the same place.
A very important thing for photography is a tripod. Yes, sometimes it is inconvenient to drag around with it, but it allows you to calmly approach the comprehension of the shot, to make it right, so that there is no perspective distortion and a very high ISO. Now there is bracketing technology or HDR, they allow you to show all the details in a complex light scheme, without leaving absolutely dark or burnt out parts. It is quite difficult to do this without a tripod.
And don't forget the interesting foreground! Although I myself forget about it from time to time)
10.) Do you think Hive is a good platform for photographers?
DU: I think yes. I really believe in this project. I really like Hive. Of course, I use other social networks so that my friends there do not forget that I still exist :) But I write the most interesting things here first of all.
PF: Thank you so much @sharker for taking the time and also for giving us a lot of insides of your journey as a photographer. What an interesting first Episode!
For all our readers - If you have any suggestions / critique / feedback for us - Let us know in the comments or on our discord server - Thanks!
Beneficaries for this post:
50% - Sharker
40% - PhotoFeed
5% - PeakD
5% - Photofeedcuration
©Denis Ulyankin (@sharker) holds all rights on the images used in this post
