Part 2 of SnappedAway In Depth Series with Serge Poliakov. We talk about geometry, learning by doing and a natural progression of things .
Can you briefly introduce yourself and your photography style to our readers?
My name is Serge Poliakov, I was born in Odessa in 1974, which was part of the Soviet Union at that time and now it is Ukraine.
I think most of my work could be defined as documentary/art photography.
I could also say, to me photography means a blend of Literature and Geometry. I’d also add it’s a good workout – you really have to walk a lot. I really feel there is a lot of similarity between photography and poetry. In both cases one is working with rhythmically and semantically connected images, be they visual or verbal.
How did you get interested in photography? And why did you pick photography as a medium and a form of expression?
I do not think there was a specific moment when I decided to become a photographer, rather it was a step-by-step process. I always had an imaginative mind but no ability to write, play music or paint. But with photography I somehow felt putting and combining objects inside a frame I could add or express some personal impressions, feelings, thoughts and therefore the camera could be a simple and effective instrument of art. I was about 25 years old, working at a beer factory when I felt the possibility was there and started to practice.
How did you learn how to shoot? And what did you find the most helpful source of information along this way?
Do you remember your first most inspiring photographer/ photo book/ exhibition in your life? And how about other photography masters? How do they inspire you and how do they influence your photography style?
I have not graduated from any photo-school or faculty, there simply wasn’t any at that time in my city, but I did study a lot of photography on the web, mostly Magnum photographers, then I started meeting photographers from other countries, sometimes just bumping into them on the streets. Some young European photographers lived in my house while travelling through Ukraine and we would walk, talk and take photos together, a lot. After a while, from time to time I started working as an assistant and fixer with professional media and art photographers. I worked a lot with George Georgiou and Vanessa Winship from England, Tayo Onorato and Nico Crebs from Switzerland and others and that was a really good experience for me.
What is your favourite or memorable project/ photo you have worked on. Why? And also what is the project you will share with us?
Usually I do not work with a project in mind. I prefer a more spontaneous creative process in photography. But there was one exception when I was taking a series of images on the city beach called Luzanovka in Odessa over the space of a year. It is a rather melancholic series of images, part of which was shown during Arles photo festival in 2008.
How do you work? Are you after a specific project or a single frame? Do you come with idea first or the idea finds you when you are shooting? How do you find your project ideas? Please share your work flow with us.
As I mentioned, usually I’m not working with a specific project in mind but after a while some part of the work could be put together into a series or a project based on for example subject, place, colours and so on. Travelling is what inspires me the most; it gives me new ideas and feelings.
Do you have your favourite lens? Why this specific one? Favourite camera?
Most of the time for my art photos I work with film cameras, I like Nikon f80 with the 24-50 lens for its optimum function and size, also I’m using old soviet panorama camera called Horizon. I think it’s important that while working with film you don’t see the result immediately which pushes you to concentrate more at the things around you. Taking an image and watching it are two very different states of mind and I don’t think they should be mixed.
What do you personally find challenging as a photographer?
I think my aim in photography, and for me that’s what any accomplished photographer does, is to create a personal narrative of the world, a kind of a mythical space, built on symbolic images, connected to reality but having their own specific consistent qualities.
My advice to beginners: you need to dive into photography, be ready to take a photo anytime, always think about photography, read, discuss, and digest only good work.
Walk alone when taking photos. Go travelling, go to another city, countryside, change your surroundings from time to time.
Don’t try to photograph something extraordinary, try to find special moment in everyday life.
If you enjoyed reading this post stay with us for more of Serge Poliakov’s photography. Also you might want to check his website to find out more about his work.
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