Anna Maslova Biography

Anna Maslova: “A person can be seen through his photo” Full name: Maslova Anna Valerievna Position, Regalia: photographer, member of the Union of Photo -Artists of Russia, Member of the Creative Union “Photography”, founder of the author’s photo school in Novosibirsk Specialization: photography “I had two photo exhibitions on newborns. At first I investigated the question: at what point does the mother’s love for the child are born?

I shot mothers and their babies on the day of birth. It would seem that the baby was just born, because my mother has not even seen him yet! But from the observation of this universal love, my viewfinder stuck - tears from the eyes, so it is not comparable! It all depends on how much the photographer is able to see beauty. By the way, I honed my skill on unprofessional models.

Professional models know how to pose, how to move, how to present themselves. Unprofessional models are more clamped, it is a little more difficult to work with them, but very interesting. It is clear that now, when I need to remove something quickly, I can take a professional model. But basically for my exhibitions, I take pictures of “living”: I just walk the streets and look at people, if I liked the person, I invite him to shoot.

Most likely, in general, I look at the type. Often I think something in advance, for example, to remove a portrait of the 15th century. I have a team: I am voiced by the idea of ​​my hair artist, we discuss what type we will need. Suppose: black eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, brightly defined eyes, or, conversely, a fabulous face. As a result, the “picture” should coincide. And he usually does not work!

Because if there is no good light, then it will not turn out good black and white photography. There is no contrast without light, but a novice photographer does not know about it. I also made these mistakes. I usually send both options to customers at once. Although I really love dogs, I have two Russian black terriers, but what to shoot there? Unless the nose.

It is very expressive with them. Animals generally need to be removed quickly. They are always in dynamics. Multifaceted both outside and inside. Because we, including the result of the influence of the world: any book that we read affects us; Emotions, experiences, films, meetings with people. We always change a little. What vivid impressions did your childhood in your memory leave? I wanted her for a very long time, I asked my parents, and now they bought me a puppy.

One of the vivid impressions of childhood was also the seal of photographs with the dad in the bathroom. Dad was an amateur. I think that many Soviet children had the experience of manifestation and printing of photographs. Later, I graduated from the university in this specialty. Again, this is a story about research: that journalism, that photography is a knowledge of the world, genuine interest in it.

I must say that at the journalism department at Tomsk University there was a photo laboratory, which was very interesting to me - not that I seriously engaged in photography, I rather liked the atmosphere of the laboratory. When I graduated from the university, I went to work as a press attache, an employee of the press center of the exhibition community. At one point, our photographer was late for the event, it was urgent to take off the opening of the exhibition, they handed me the camera with the words: “Go take off”.

I went. Then I took it back, then again. Never "came." It so happened that during maternity leave, I shot my son a lot, and everything that was interesting to me. Over time, I realized that I did not want to return to my previous place of work, although they were waiting for me very much. From that moment on, I realized that I would be a photographer. Already almost 17 years old.

I remember we went to Altai, there were beautiful views, I tried to capture them. Imagine my disappointment when, after printing the photo, I did not see that beauty of nature. Wonderful landscapes turned into a faded uninteresting picture. It hurt me so much! How so? I see my eyes - beautiful, so why in the end it turns out such nonsense? I could not understand how it works?

It was easier for the boys in this sense, and it was difficult for me-the girl-humanitarism-it was difficult to understand the Soviet books on photography, I was shocked by linings and formulas. I approached my husband as a physicist, a university teacher and asked to explain what was written in the book, he began to tell, and I just had “balls for rollers”. For a long time I fought in an attempt to understand the process of photography, I went a difficult path to thoroughly figure out what a diaphragm is, what is an excerpt, etc.

When a certain path was traveled, I was invited to give a lecture on children's shooting. I read. After a while, a friend called me, who said that he wanted to open a photo school, and called me to become a teacher. I wrote a lecture plan, prepared as it should, because I was used to doing everything thoroughly, high -quality. A friend later called and said that the circumstances had changed, and he would not open the school, but I can open it myself.

I came to my husband in confusion, and he gave me a wonderful advice: “You try!Even if it doesn’t work out, you will know that you did everything that you could. ” It helped me a lot! Now I also always advise. You just need to get courage and do what you dream about, what then to regret an unfulfilled dream all your life. Suddenly, my photo school “shot”: first, customers who were photographed earlier came to me, then the “word of mouth” earned, and for more than 11 years I have been training.

I am just an example of an absolutely mediocre person who just loves a photo very much, and has achieved everything himself. You can learn, even if you shoot 5 minutes every day on the phone. They hung up, looked, analyzed - concluded. This is all experience. If there are eyes, then there is an opportunity to take pictures. Technique is only a small part of the process. The newcomer has to learn that the frame is bright, with good sharpness.

But I teach this in a month. Putting the technique is simple, and then the question begins: what do we want to say through our photos? And this is a whole universe. The story of the costume, painting, photography - all these aspects of art are closely interconnected. Recently, my book was published, which unexpectedly turned out to be very popular for me: 2 thousand copies scattered in 3 months.

In the book - we are talking about parameters, about technology, but in pictures and simple language. I always say to photographers: your photo shows what kind of person you are. Even if you try to fraud, nothing will work out. When a person takes pictures, he works with feelings, nuances, emotions, so the photo gives him out. A person can be seen through his photo. My course "Creative School" is a challenge for itself.

There are cyclic courses, when the month of the program has passed, you are recruiting other students, and the course “rides” again. And now my course is not cyclic: every week I write new content. For example, now we are studying the engraving Albrecht Dürer. I must first study this topic myself, miss through myself, tell students, inspire them to shoot. It is difficult, of course, but I still hold on.

This also contributes to my creative development. Journalism gave it to me. If a person is not interested in the world in which he is located, then it is impossible to become a highly paid professional, to reach the tops of the photograph. In addition, the photographer needs perseverance, because it is easy to start doing and quit something. And, of course, as a “photographer of men” I can say that you must love people.

If you do not like people, you cannot show them beautiful. For example, I had two exhibitions on newborns.

The project lasted two years, and after a time when it ended and the exhibition opened, these grown children came with their parents. So much joy: a crowd of children, this peas runs, squeals, and mothers look at the photo and cry.