Finally, something I have been waiting for already five months will happen. Tomorrow. I think that introverted people (and I am one of them) need some time to be alone. We can love someone more than ourselves, more than our own life (and it really is, that’s not pathetic words), but we still need some time to be alone. I haven’t had a friend who could understand me as good as I am, and even better at some moments. Until I met my wife. She’s my best and closest friend. And still, I need some time to be alone. (Perhaps, that’s one of the reasons why I love to do landscape photography.) But everything’s good without excessive. Even loneliness. For five months, I’ve discussed things important to me (not vital but important), imagining my wife beside me. Since tomorrow, I won’t be looking crazy. Finally. Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to SUPPORT my YouTube channel or me personally, you can do it here. Or you just...
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Some people are convinced that life is beautiful, that this is a gift full of wonders. I envy you! You either cheat on yourself, trying not to notice what’s happening around you, hiding in your rainbow soap bubble, or you are pretty lucky! Both cases are lovely! And I do envy you! I don’t know; maybe at some moment, I have chosen a red pill. Perhaps, it was just like that. About 15 years ago, I was convinced that truth is better than self-cheating because you can do something with facts. And now it’s impossible to get it all back. Because “it never happens that anything goes back to what it used to be”. And I don’t need that, to be honest. As for me, my life has been getting better over the years. Probably, by the time when I will finally grow my beard (it will be already grey, but that’s just nothing), by that time, it (life, of course, not beard) will become good. But you know what I have realized during the last several months? (Frankly, I noticed it a long time ago but realized it with all its staggering clarity just now.) The sky is the best creation. It’s perfect. It is infinitely and inexpressibly beautiful, just like the ocean. Time shall pass, and not even a trace of us will be left behind, not even dust. But the sky and the ocean will. And they will be still perfect. Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to SUPPORT my YouTube channel or me personally, you can do it here. Or you just...
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I think everybody asks this question to himself sometimes. Those of us who tend to any form of creativity repeat the question multiple times during life. And if most adult persons find some answer convenient to them and keep living and creating without doubts, the rest of creatives are suffering from that annoying uncertainty. If you are interested, I have some thoughts about that. First of all, there’s no talent… Well, actually, it exists, but that does no fundamental matter. What do I mean? If you ask most people to describe the talent, to define what it is, more likely, they will tell you about some universally recognized persons who made (or still making) masterpieces no matter in which sphere. But in fact, they describe the top of the mountain, the visible results of the skill. And don’t consider what is below: years of study, even more years of practice, a rich experience, a sea of mistakes, plenty of fallings and even more risings, lakes of tears, hills of insecurity and rocks of selfless dedication to the deed, and so on, etc. It’s very simple. Talent isn’t some kind of superpower that gives you the possibility to make something outstanding without hard work. It’s just a base. A starting point, if you will. Let’s take an example. There’s some kid; name him kid #1. At some moment, for some reason, he decided to be a photographer. His parents buy him the first camera. He starts to photograph everything he sees around. When someone asks him what genre of photography he prefers, he replies that he doesn’t limit himself to one genre. He likes to photograph everything, from landscapes and street scenes to portraits and architecture. After some time, he suddenly faces some photography masterpiece that strikes him to the core. And he finally realizes that he does poor photography, knows nothing but simultaneously understands which genre in photography he will choose. And he goes to photography courses where he studies the basics. After few months, his photographs look much more harmonic. They become meaningful images, not sudden pictures anymore. They are still far from what could be called masterpieces, but at least they are no more trash. There’s some other kid. Name him kid #2. Once he finds a camera of his mother or father, he goes for a walk and starts taking pictures. Later, his parents see those images and are surprisingly ask: “Did you take these photographs?” Because these images look harmonic and meaningful. They are far from what could be called masterpieces, but this is just his first attempt! So, both kids made their first steps...
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About a month and a half ago, I posted here, on my blog, a short story about my visit to Lisbon and meet the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of that post, I wrote that I got a new dream – to see the ocean closer because, at that time, I saw it from a distance. I didn’t dare to think that this dream may come true so quickly! Yes, several days ago, I came to Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca)! You know, my life experience taught me that you shouldn’t await anything, shouldn’t imagine how wonderful something would be. Ever. Otherwise, you risk being disappointed. But this time, I didn’t even notice that I imagined, that I waited. Luckily, there wasn’t a pale shadow of disillusionment. Frankly, at some moment, I barely held back my tears. That’s how amazing it was. Of course, I shot not only photographs but a short story, a travel film. I hope you enjoy watching it no less than me filming it. (By the way, there’s a moment in the video when inscriptions in Portuguese show in the frame. You can turn on the English subtitles.) By the by, if you want to buy any of the photographs that appear in the video, simply connect me the way that’s the most convenient for you. Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to SUPPORT my YouTube channel or me personally, you can do it here. Or you just...
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Thanks to a happy coincidence, almost two weeks ago, I visited Portugal’s capital, the amazing city of Lisbon. I spent there one day and a couple of hours and about half of the day was my free time. Of course, I took my camera and a tripod and went for a walk. Here I should step away from this story to tell another one, fairly important in this context. Until my 25 I’ve never seen the sea. My classmates in school every autumn told me lots of stories about how they spent their summer vacation in the South at some sea (although for Saint-Petersburg, most of Russia is south, to be honest). And in my child consciousness, “south” became some wonderful but far country, almost fairy tale land. After several years, I started to ask my father why we’ve never been to the sea. But he always gave me some excuses. Much later, I realized that for some reason, he simply never liked south at all with its hot weather, crowds of tourists, and any other unpleasant attributes that appeared in his head. And I suddenly understood that I have a dream – I wished to see the sea. In 2004, together with one wonderful girl who became my wife two years later, two of her friends, a guy and a girl, I finally went to the Black Sea. It is still one of the best vacations in my life. I fell in love with the sea. Perhaps forever. About ten years later, one of my former colleagues (and he is still my good friend; he is also a former submariner) told me about the ocean. Probably, he’s a good storyteller, or maybe I’m a quite impressionable person, or perhaps both, but at that moment, he gifted me a new dream – I wanted to see the ocean. At last, I got to my initial story. Having only half a day and knowing that Lisbon has several spots with a view of the Atlantic ocean, I didn’t doubt a minute where exactly to go. That’s why my new video below was filmed along the embankment of Tagus river from the 25th of April Bridge (which was immensely amazed me) to some pier with the desired view. In a few hours, I walked several km, absorbing emotions, memorizing views, filming footage, and capturing photographs. And I finally saw the ocean… Now, I have a new dream: to visit Lisbon one more time, to walk through another part of this unusual, wonderful city, and to visit the famous, most western point of Europe, Cabo da Roca. Thanks for reading and watching!...
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A couple of weeks ago, I finished my first-ever photography tutorial. That’s not a regular video for such type of content. I mean, in this video, I’m not talking about camera settings for landscape photography, or gear necessary to take a sunset image, or anything other similar, no. (There are tons of such videos on YouTube already.) I decided to focus on what I called “traps for landscape photographers”, some kind of illusions that can take your mind and hold it for quite a long time, pulling you back from progress or at least making you mark time. This very video is the first part of the pre-planned three ones. And it is dedicated to beginners. What are the traps for any beginner in landscape photography? How to escape or get out of them if you are already stuck in? I talk about these things and much more in this video. If this video seemed interesting to you, subscribe to my YouTube channel, not to miss the next parts where I’ll talk about traps for amateur and advanced landscape photographers. By the way, any feedback is more than welcome! So, if you have anything to say, write it down in the comment section on YouTube’s video page. Thanks for watching! By the by, if you want to buy any of the photographs that appear in the video, simply connect me the way that’s the most convenient for you. Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to SUPPORT my YouTube channel or me personally, you can do it here. Or you just...
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