Professional photographers spoke about the work of Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev D.A. The meaning of photography is in particular sadness about that piece of time that will never return Photographs by Medvedev

Undoubtedly, the main and most famous photographer in our country. The author of the most expensive photograph sold at an auction in Russia. Connoisseur of the most modern and high-quality technology. You can pick up a myriad of epithets, including the word "most", but this person needs no introduction even without them: Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev.

How it all began

I have been interested in photography for a long time. This happened for the first time when I went to the Palace of Pioneers, that is, probably about thirty-five years ago. I then had a wonderful camera, it was called "Change-8M". Those who were engaged in photography at that time know that it was the simplest Soviet camera with the most ordinary optics. It was available to all Soviet citizens, but handling

it required certain skills. There was no automation in the cell, not even a rangefinder; I had to expose everything, even the exposure, to the eye. Perhaps, precisely because it was simple, not fancy, as they say now, with its help it was possible to take thoughtful, emotional and verified pictures. They demanded an investment of effort, they demanded to figure out how to set the exposure, how to focus, evaluate the composition and light. And, of course, the process of developing, fixing, printing, drying photos - all this is a part of life that will never be forgotten. Maybe that's why my interest in photography does not lose its firmness?

Then I did not shoot for a very long time and returned to photography already at a mature age, after thirty years. I had the opportunity to acquire modern technology, and the process turned into a real pleasure.

What to shoot?

This question always stands before any person who picks up a camera. I like to shoot landscapes, architecture and, of course, people. But, to be honest, because of my work, it is very difficult for me to shoot people. Agree, it will look strange if I suddenly run out with a camera and start photographing someone. I'm afraid people won't understand me. And everything else is interesting to shoot. Of course, it turns out differently, like any person who takes pictures. But if I have a free minute, I always try to use it. At home, I rarely shoot, but I take my camera with me on almost any business trip. To be honest, it is not always possible to photograph something interesting. But if good pictures are taken, then there remains a magnificent memory of this or that trip. And I travel a lot. Basically, however, it is possible to shoot either in residences or in hotels, and sometimes even directly from the car. It's difficult otherwise.

About technology

Another topic that is often discussed on blogs is what do I shoot with? Now, thank God, a lot of excellent equipment is being sold. About ten years ago I bought some decent Canon film cameras. Of course, today I shoot mostly digital, but sometimes I also dabble in film. Shooting on film is more difficult, but, as you know, it has its own special flavor. Therefore, the cameras can be completely different. One of them is Leica, and the classic, new digital modification of the M9. It's no secret that I also use the Leica S2 - this is a new serious camera with a high resolution matrix. I also have other cameras: Canon and Nikon, good digital cameras with high-quality fast lenses.

Photography as art

Photography is a rather young art. If you recall the historical retrospective, it turns out that she is only 160 years old. Each art has one common function - it helps to display the world around us in its own way; helps to see in him something that we have not seen before, did not notice; Think about things you haven't thought about before. But photography has its own special function, its own mission. Photography, by virtue of its sufficient simplicity of creation (it doesn’t matter whether it is a daguerreotype or a digital photograph), is the most massive form of art. And over the years, each negative or digital file acquires a special meaning: it remains an exact copy of a moment of life and therefore creates a certain mood, both for the photographer and those caught in the lens, and, of course, for those who simply look at the picture.

This, in my opinion, is the main meaning of photography itself as an art. It lies in a special sadness about that piece of time that will never return.
That, perhaps, is all that I would like to tell about my passion for photography. I hope that this art will develop further. I wish you all good pictures!

The text was prepared on the basis of public speeches by D. A. Medvedev

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev: "The meaning of photography is in a special sadness about that piece of time that will never return."

It is known that the former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, among other things, is fond of photography. His photographs were shown to professional photographers, and without naming their author, they were asked to comment on the work of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

But before we move on to the assessments of the "experts", I would like to recall the most "modest" photograph of Dmitry Anatolyevich, which was included in the rating of the most expensive photographs of the country.

Dmitry Medvedev: "Tobolsk Kremlin" ($1.7 million)

Photo "Tobolsk Kremlin" went under the hammer at the auction "Christmas alphabet", dedicated to charity. 2010

The cost of work by Russian standards is impressive - 51 million rubles. ($1.7 million at the rate of 2009) The uniqueness of the picture is due to the uniqueness of the author. It was made in 2009 by the now ex-president of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev from a bird's eye view during an excursion.

In general, Dmitry Anatolyevich has long been known as an avid amateur photographer. The personal website of the third president of Russia even has a separate page dedicated to his photographs.

“In addition to Apple products and social networks, Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev has another obsession: photography”

In his video blog, he once admitted that he began taking pictures as a child with the Smena-8M camera. Today Medvedev shoots with Leica, Nikon and Canon.

“I also like to shoot landscapes, I like to shoot architecture and, of course, I like to shoot people,” says the Russian prime minister. - But, to be honest, it’s very difficult for me to photograph people because, due to my work, it will look strange if I run out with a camera at some point and start photographing someone. I'm afraid people just won't understand me."

photo: blogs.voanews.com

Already as president, in March 2010, Medvedev participated in the Moscow open-air photography exhibition "The World Through the Eyes of Russians."

Editorial bird in flight showed his photographs to photographers Oleg Klimov, Dmitry Kostyukov, Donald Weber, Tarcisio Sanudo Suarez, curator Katya Zueva, photo editor Iren Mayorova and, without naming the author, asked to evaluate these works.

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Donald Weber
Photographer, two-time winner of World Press Photo

I see an inquisitive photographer who uses the camera to explore the world. Pictures are picturesque - this means that in the first place he has the aesthetics and composition of the work itself. The one with the meandering river and the one with the bridge seemed to be the strongest for me.

The photographer showed an interest in "visuality".

The austerity of the landscape is revealed through these sinuous lines, which contrast with the clarity of the trees. A classic example of negative and positive, black and white, the attraction of opposites. Other images do not appeal to me, because they do not take into account the space of the environment.

If you want to shoot landscapes and architecture, you must feel the place you are shooting in order to reveal it not only graphically, but also spatially. How does the world around you influence what you do? How can he fill a compositional space, and how do buildings and landscape interact to fill a photograph? For starters, trust your visual instincts, don't let obvious compositional gestures dictate the frame.

(On learning that these are photographs of Medvedev.) - It's funny. If I knew, I would be tougher! I thought it was the work of a high school student.

Photo: AP/East News.

Dmitry Kostyukov
Collaborates with The New York Times, Liberation, Russian Reporter, GEO, GQ, Vokrug Sveta. Former AFP photojournalist.

It is difficult to perceive such photographs out of context. Naturally, I immediately recognized that these were photographs of Medvedev. There is no need to talk about any creative delights here either. But documentary photography is not only composition, colors and light, but also a document (sorry for the tautology).

Most of the photos look like they were taken by an ordinary tourist on an ordinary group tour.

But there are exceptions, for example, a photo of the Kremlin from a helicopter, a sea pier with a coast guard ship on the horizon. In these photographs it is noticeable that there are no people around, that this is a reality that is inaccessible to others.

My students at Moscow State University often ask what they should shoot. And in recent years, it has been possible to find a good formula: if there is no topic that is wildly mesmerizing, then it is better to shoot your own subculture - what surrounds you, what is available to you, what you know best. In this regard, Dmitry Anatolyevich is in an excellent situation - he can shoot what is inaccessible to many. Moreover, these photographs are important for society, because they will help to show what no one sees and has not seen. And here the artistic side is not so valuable.

photo: ria news

Katya Zueva
Photo exhibition curator

Photos could be in demand as illustrations for a guide to tourist places, if they were a little more juicy. As for the top shooting point, I can’t say that the author successfully used its capabilities.

Tarcisio Sanudo Suarez
Photographer, winner of the International Drone Photography Awards

In the picture with the mountains - a cool location, but a horizontal composition would have looked better. Almost all photos need color correction. The shot with the bridge looks like an amateur photo on an iPhone. I liked the shot of the city at night, especially the movement - as if this picture was taken from a drone that flies out of the window, although the reflection says that it is not. The composition of the rest of the photographs is well built.

Iren Mayorova
Photo editor of the Kommersant newspaper

The shot with the tower is an interesting geometric photo. It will look good in b/w. I will not consider in any way whether there is a cross there. If there is, then the photo acquires a plot, additional meanings, religious overtones. The top of this building falls into the sunbeam. But everything needs to be processed and correctly shot so that these details are visible. A lot was cut off on the right - the frame turned out to be elongated, I want to crop it more. In the picture of the city at night, it was possible to convey a sense of movement. Buildings do not stand still, they move towards the viewer. Interesting, unusual. This is due to the blockages of buildings on the sides and perspectives. The frame also needs to be processed and made more contrast. This is a film frame, not a photograph. I need to make a series, I want to continue.

The rest are amateur, passing shots. What did the author see in them, besides the beauty of nature? And if this is about the beauty of nature, you need to wait for such lighting or the season for this beauty to capture us. Separately, there is nothing to say about each.

Oleg Klimov
Documentary photographer, photographed for Time, Elsevier, Stern, Le Monde, Magazine-M, Izvestia, Komsomolskaya Pravda, The Independent, The Guardian, The Washington Post

If this is a series of one photographer, then I can’t say anything about his photographs, but I can say about the author’s personality: a rather lonely and notorious person with a claim to observe the world from a bird’s eye view. It is not clear to me why the Motherland is removed from the navel. Should he take up photography? Why not, photography carries not only creative functions, but also psychotherapeutic ones. She heals. Sorry if I offended you, but at least be honest.

September 14, Dmitry Medvedev celebrated his birthday. The prime minister is known not only for being loud, but also for his love of gadgets and social networks. Among other things, Dmitry Medvedev is also. Let's see what the head of the Russian government publishes on social networks.

Dmitry Medvedev during a visit to the cruiser St. George the Victorious. September 25, 2008.

Medvedev walks through the woods with Raul Castro.