The end of the year is a time to take stock. So I decided not to stay away. Hence, I have picked my best nine photographs of those I posted on Instagram this year. Note: 1) these photos are the best according to my own opinion; 2) not all of them are new, some were taken even a few years ago but they all were posted exactly during 2019. Now then, the results of the year. First of all, in commercial photography (art ones will be in a couple of days). P.S.: Follow me on Instagram –...
Read More
You may probably know such an international photo community called Viewbug. If not, I will explain it in a few words. That’s a huge community which unites a whole bunch of photographers of different level from around the World. They constantly run photo contests on various themes. Prizes vary as well. From time to time, these are very valuable items such as, for instance, Canon 5D Mark III camera. I can say that it’s quite cool to win any of these contests. A few days ago, I became a finalist of the “Interior Design” photo contest on this website. Yes, the finale isn’t a win, but still, I’m glad! For me, that’s another step further up on the road. P.S.: Follow me on Instagram –...
Read More
Any real professional, a self-respecting specialist no matter his field of activity besides continuous developing, increasing of qualification, from time to time, takes a look back on his previous works. That’s the easiest and simultaneously the most visual way to estimate a self-progress, to inspect a direction of moving. So and I do it periodically. Another such verification wondered me a lot. The case is that I occasionally found the photo from my very first interior photo shooting which was 3.5 years ago. And since I just a couple of days ago shot a similar plot − a kitchen with its main object, a table − so the comparison appeared maximally objective. Here’s my first interior photo: And that’s my most recent one: Frankly, I’m proud of my progress! 🙂 P.S.: Follow me on Instagram –...
Read More
Recently, I have passing by the Stroganov Palace which is on the Nevsky Prospekt in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Just three years ago, I photographed facades and interiors of several State Russian Museum’s branches including the mentioned palace. At that moment, I’ve noticed that my photos of this palace’s interiors are in its showcases. Of course, not as just printed photographs but as advertising posters which show the beauty of the palace’s halls. Nevertheless, at least 90% of the poster’s square is exactly my photos! So, if you passing by, take notice! And don’t pass away, come in, this museum is worth of visit! P.S.: Follow me on Instagram –...
Read More
I am periodically asked how much differs a raw file from my camera from the final image I send to a customer? And how much time I spend on post-processing? (The second question often appears when an interested person knows with wonder that shooting itself isn’t even a half of an interior photographer’s work.) First of all, I’ll reply to the second question: about 60-70% of the total time spent. Why so? There are many reasons. One of them is the task to show the light drawing of interior truly as much as possible simultaneously not sacrificing the beauty of colors especially in cases when the daylight from windows is mixed up with the lights of different artificial light sources such as tungsten or fluorescent lamps, LED-lights of different color temperature and so on. And as an illustration, the photo below which is straight out of the camera, without any processing: Well, what turns out after the thoughtful and laborious processing of the photo? That’s what: P.S.: Follow me on Instagram –...
Read More
That’s what one of my regular customers told me about my work a couple of days ago. Only without interrogative and exclamatory intonations. Just affirmative. From surprise, I was just taken aback. Because I used to think that there’s always someone better than you in any activity. But here it is… The point is that this client have launched the new web site of his company. My photos of company’s products he collected and scrupulously selected during all our cooperation, and that’s more than half a year already. His web designer selected from the gotten bunch of images the most appropriate ones for site design (because, the photo can be even ideal at all, but inappropriate for the specific site). And he did it no less thoroughly. The same was about my photos which must present to the visitor samples of the company’s products. And suddenly, like snow on the head, the responses of the first two customers who entered to the site and then phoned and asked where they can see the photos of finished products! One of them, a professional interior designer (as she introduced herself) to their reply “You can see the photos on our web site”, she just refused to believe saying: “I know perfectly well what photographs look like, do not fool me! I make 3D-visualizations by myself and I do can distinguish them from photos!” As the saying goes: Curtain! Just don’t misunderstand me. I do not cherish the illusions about my level as a photographer. This level is quite high but I’m still very far from the leading masters. I know it because I study on their videos and courses. Furthermore, I follow the current trends and know the standards of the industry. Accordingly, an obvious explanation is that by 2018, in my country, the interior photography customers in general still have no idea about which photo is good and how much it should cost. And that’s sad. Therefore, I hope you, the visitors of my site, do not belong to the above. And if you’ve never asked before which interior photography truly good, you can read my articles about it here: “A few words about interior photography” and “Another few words about interior...
Read More
What do I mean by this title? The fact that a photographer is not an artist who makes on his canvas the unreal world or the world quite far from the reality. Photographer is not also a magician who can change the reality itself. The photographer only captures the reality. Yes, a good specialist in photography can embellish it. To remove on a photo a wire protruding from the wall, for a example. Or to correct the curved curtain, or to shade in the smoke detector which looks not aesthetically pleasing, or to correct the colors at all and so on. But photographer can’t make the image of your building ideally clean from the extra items in case he have to photograph the facade, entirely crowded with, say, the parked cars. (The photo below as an example made not by me). Of course, even in this case he can fill up the cars with the pieces of facade and asphalt. But believe me: it will be looking blatantly unnatural and terribly ugly. Even if only because it’s unreal to make it the way not only the asphalt in front will look naturally darker than under the lights, but also the road at all will keep its geometrical and textural perspective. Yes, such a trick can also be done in theory, but it still won’t be looking completely natural. Moreover, no photographer will not spend the whole working day just for retouching a single photo. Well, only if you as a customer agree to pay him for this day separately, beyond the main order. That means you will pay for this single photo several times as much as for the whole rest images. And you will get a photo still far from the ideal! As they say: not worth powder and shot. In a word, I just want to say that if you heard from someone the thing like “The Photoshop makes wonders!” – do not take it too literally. This program hasn’t the magic button called “correct everything”. The quality image processing in it is a painstaking work demanding patience, experience and knowledge. I can say the one thing which is trivial and obvious for someone but probably unexpected for many others: absolutely any human activity making on the highly professional level is the serious labor and many years of studying. No matter what exactly this activity is be it the bridge design, biathlon, surgery or juggling with burning torches on monocycle. (This photo below made by...
Read More
I’m glad to present you my new album of interior photography. At this time, it’s the Mikhailovsky (Engineer’s) castle in Saint-Petersburg (Russia). Apart from the fact that the museum’s halls are very beautiful itself, I also have tried a slightly different way of adding sharpness to the image comparing to how I did it before. As you can see for yourself the photographs are look perfectly 🙂 – Mikhailovsky...
Read More
After I finished the previous article (“A few words about interior photography“) and during my work with another order, I had a few more thoughts. Besides, I got the feedback on previous article. As a result, I decided to write some sort of addition with more detailed explanations and examples of good and bad interior photographs (according to readers wishes). First of all, I have to say that interior photography isn’t such an easy thing as many people think, including some professionals in other photography spheres (wedding pro, for instance). I do not mean that wedding photography is easier than interior one. Furthermore, I think that any activity performed at a high professional level is complicated itself and demands not only rich experience and different (often very expensive) tools, but also high working capacity, dedication and even intelligence. I just want to say that each field of applied photography has its own peculiarities and subtleties. And if you don’t know them, you won’t get the good result. For example, the wedding photographer automatically takes his flash when he comes into a room. But that’s good only for wedding shots. For interior photography, it’s a real evil and unprofessionalism (clarification: I mean the on-camera flashes, not the impulse light sources with diffusers and other caps). Why I think this way? Because in wedding photography, the people, and their relationships, and emotions are the objects. We can see them during just a moment. After a second, anything changes and we cannot restore the lost moment. And interiors, even the most beautiful ones, are just a background. So, we have to use a flash. In interior photography, on-camera flash is contraindicated, because firstly, it damages the light pattern and balance which were conceived by a designer to emphasize some room’s advantages and interior details. Second, flash will never give the equal amount of light for the all room: objects in front will be overexposed and, in distance, opposite – underexposed. Third, the flash always gives sharp, almost black shadows. Fourth, it makes too bright glares on glass and polished surfaces that are disadvantages too. Finally, fifth, the flash often spoils the colors of close objects and even, if the object is curtain, for instance, shines it through destroying the tissue density on the photo. Thus, there’s the opposite approach in the interior photography: even in the dark room, they don’t use a flash, and do use the long shutter speed (sometimes, more than 20 seconds) and it demands the tripod. I told enough about falling verticals in previous article. The only thing I can add is that the wedding photographer may not...
Read More
For those 8 months since I’ve quit from my job and became a self-employed photographer (most of all, interior photographer), that means I don’t spray myself for any other activities besides of photography – since then, I face very often with the fact that every person makes his own sense in the meaning of quality photography. No, I don’t mind at all that all the people are different and everyone has own possibilities (first of all, financial one), every person earns his money the way he can, and so on, and on, etc. But… how could I put it mildly? I am dejected by the very low bar of inquiries from the vast majority of potential customers and, at the same time, blatant illiteracy of so many competitors. I will explain. Nobody doubts that advertisement is the engine of the trade. In the case of real estate, restaurants, hotels, bars, cafes, country clubs, camp sites and others, i.e. all those who meet clients with the interiors – obviously that interior photography is that “locomotive of the trade”. The same about construction companies, real estate agencies, and ordinary people who decided to rent or sell their apartments. So, why most of them are satisfied with frankly lousy pictures? Photos made with a phone, with falling verticals and angled horizon, with unpleasant yellowish, greenish or violet shades of artificial light? For instance, nobody will appear on business meeting dressed in a crumpled, dirty and foul-smelling suit even it has a Hugo Boss label! Honestly, I’m at a loss! Now, about the competitors. A huge bunch of them appeared lately. The proudly screaming on their websites that you’re really lucky to meet them because only they can make high quality photos of your property. They’re a team of real professionals! Moreover, they are quite earnestly (and right I should admit) describing all the cons of your own attempts of interior photography and the pros of referring to a specialist. But the problem is that they have images in their portfolio that I can only call as a frank hackwork. Especially considering the money their customers pay them. (By the way, one of them is the very respectable hotel in the center of Saint-Petersburg! But be quiet, do not tell anyone! 🙂 ). I don’t mean that I’m a mentor who wants to teach anyone, no. I’m just a conscientious and responsible professional interior photographer, in love with his work. Michael Bulgakov wrote great words: “My dear heart, that is nonsense! Second freshness – that’s what is nonsense! There is only one freshness – the first – and it also the last. And...
Read More