Artem Lida Danilov: skin and leather
CALEB SCHAFTLEIN,
Can you tell us about how you got started in photography? It all started at the moment when I gave up music, and I had nowhere to put my creative energy. Did some drawing, but later I got my hands on an old DSLR camera and that's where it all started. When I started to study it myself, I realized that I couldn't get the pictures I wanted. So I went to learn and I'm still learning to this day
What was your passion driving you during your journey? Who or what prompted you to begin? I guess it's the desire to see beauty in everything. Even in places where it doesn't seem to exist. Plus I want to show every woman that she is beautiful. Beautiful photos help in this endeavor like nothing else
Could you walk us through your photoshoot planning process? This is a labor intensive process and the key to the success of any good shoot. 60% of the shoot is the preparation stage. We thoroughly prepare a reference, look for a location if necessary (although most often we shoot in a studio), think over the posing, choose an outfit. For this purpose we always have help in the form of a stylist, makeup artist
As a photography expert, what sets your work apart from other photographers? I think what sets us apart is our lack of desire to be different. We try not to compare ourselves with our colleagues. We just do what we like (especially if it's a creative shoot, not a commercial one).
Where do you get your ideas for photoshoots? We are usually inspired by people, movies and most importantly music. Sometimes an idea for a shoot can come from a song you've just heard Can you tell us about the most memorable moment you've had as a photographer and what experience you gained from that? The first positive feedback and customer delight. The thought that you made it with your own hands is a thrill. And seeing your pictures printed out and hanging in frames in people's homes is an incredible feeling
What are the most important components of an extraordinary photograph, in your opinion? Psychological comfort of the model. When a model is not cramped, when real emotions are felt. When a person opens up in front of your lens and you can see something more than just poses and smiles. How do you strike a balance between your artistic expression and your client's expectations during a shoot? Often we have to meet the client's needs. But we always try to offer something interesting and show that it is not a problem to experiment a little. It is very important to feel what kind of client comes to you and offer something appropriate to him, but also interesting for you. But we also often organize free creative shoots, where we can realize everything we have in mind.
How do other artists influence your work? Are there any other photographers you look up to? Who? Certainly other photographers are a huge inspiration to us. We especially love Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Mario Testino How do you enhance your vision after a session by post-processing your photos? Do you have a best-kept secret for editing processing that you'd like to share? Since I work a lot with light, I don't change colors much in Photoshop. But I work with the model's skin, applying frequency decomposition. There are no secrets, just meticulous careful monotonous work))) Can you tell us about the most difficult photographic challenge you've ever had, including lighting, unexpected situations, and how you managed the issues on set? One day an angry, jealous husband burst into our shoot, cursing and shouting. But I was able to calmly explain to him that there was nothing to harm his marriage.We also had a kangaroo on the shoot once. You can't explain the secrets of posing to him, so we just tried to get one good shot. That was the first and last time we shot animals. Animals are supposed to live in the wild, not be on camera.
What are your top tips for aspiring photographers on skill development and finding their own creative voice? How did you develop yours? Try, try and try again. We shot weddings, newborns, tried our hand at food photography. And after all these attempts, we found what we like and what is close to us. It's also important to be observant. A lot of looking at world recognized photographers, artists, going to museums. It seems to me that your voice is hidden somewhere deep inside and the more you nourish it, the louder it will be heard later on What is your favorite piece of work you've ever shot? (Include links) It's hard to say. We like photos that have a story behind them. For example, this shot right here has become one of my favorites. Now it's a poster. We were shooting a well-known poetess in Russia who writes subtle, soulful poems about love. And the idea of duct tape was born to emphasize her fragility instagram.com/p/CzvpTrGsSMu/?igsh=MTNxdjFrOWUwNnpveQ==
Can you tell me about an upcoming project you're working on and the idea behind it? Nowadays we often shoot pregnant women. We really want to show women the beauty of this period. Pregnancy is a difficult period of time, often women face unexpected problems and discoveries. So, we try to show every future mom that she is beautiful! And we hope that this will help women, who are already imposed so many stereotypes, at least not to feel complexes about the look during pregnancy Where can we view more of your work and connect with you? Instagram: Instagraminstagram.comФОТОГРАФ | СТУДИЙНАЯ ФОТОСЕССИЯ | МОСКВА @artem8lida Website: artem8lida.ru
