Well, it’s time to take stock of the year. For me, this year became unbelievably intense and changing. Precisely 365 days ago, I was only hoping to get the approval of my startup project to develop it in Portugal. Today, I live in this beautiful country. For me, this year consisted of: getting a startup visa, moving to Portugal, starting to learn the second foreign language (Portuguese), 5-months apart from my best friend, reunification with her, meeting the ocean for the first time in my life, my first photography masterclass, deletion by the Instagram Company and recovery by myself of my account, restarting my Facebook account from scratch, opening my online store on Etsy, and many less important and noticeable events. Unfortunately, I can’t tell that this year was full of photography accomplishments. (In fact, I only got to the final of one little known and insignificant photo contest.) On the one hand, it was expected and natural because I had to focus on many different things. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t take landscape photographs (and if you follow my Instagram, you perfectly know it). Moreover, I can see a clear improvement in the level of my works. Furthermore, I have two ongoing projects now: an unusual eco-photobook (consisting of my photographs and little stories and wonderful illustrations by Polina Kudelkina) and a top-secret-yet project. At the same time, I almost gave up my YouTube channel. I will explain all the reasons later, in a separate post. In a couple of words, I can tell that it takes too much effort and time and gives back a tiny feedback. Now, it has no sense to run it at the same pace. I have many plans for the following year. And high hopes, of course! To conclude, let me show two nines of the best photographs on my Instagram account during the year. As usual, the first nine is according to my followers’ opinion: The second one is my favourites among not as popular as previous: Well! Thank you very much to everyone who follows me anywhere. The special and warmest gratitude goes to those who liked and commented on my posts. I very much appreciate it! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Stay safe and healthy! See you next year! 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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If you follow my blog here or are subscribed to my YouTube channel, you may know that I made a tutorial video some time ago. (If not and you are interested, you can watch it by clicking this link.) I thought that if I ever started to teach photography to someone, it would be a landscape one for people who love nature and are eager to take good photographs. I should admit that my first attempt in this field has failed. That photography talk hasn’t interested anyone. But I am going by bus from Lisbon at the moment. Today, I gave a photography and video masterclass to real estate agents. And unlike the video on my channel, today, it was paid work. Whether I become a real estate agent tutor or do something else in photography, I have no idea. I only know that the best way to fill your life with impressions is not refusing the opportunities, it doesn’t matter how fearful they can look at first glance. As it said in one of my favourite movies, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”: “You don’t have to be afraid!” 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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Today, on 24th August, I published on my YouTube channel the result of my 4.5-months-long work. That’s a dedication to my passed away cat Odysseus. He died this day two years ago. It was and still one of my heaviest losses. Many people, I think, may say that this is nonsense to suffer about a cat. But to my mind, it doesn’t matter who is this soul which has connected to your one… Well, enough about that. I already told it all in my video by the visual language. And, of course, with the great help of music which I thoroughly selected for several days. Now, I want to talk about the artistic edge of this video. In fact, it was made according to all art laws of movies: it has a prologue with its musical theme (amazing “Filaments” by wonderfully talented Scott Buckley) which are simultaneously a counterpoint; it also has a fun main part with its joyful mood introducing a smart and cute cat to the viewers; it has a dramatic climax which is concurrent by its mood to the music; finally, it has a catharsis including acceptance and a logical completion with the suitable musical theme, again (great “Jamtastic” by no less wonderfully talented Alexander Nakarada). Further, I used color and monochrome parts to explain the mood: how pale and grey becomes life after a heavy loss; how still bright the recollections are in our memory and how color slightly returns to our life after we accept what’s happened. I also say with this video that nature is probably the greatest healer. Not time but nature. It doesn’t mean that pain is getting lighter. But it’s much easier to get used to the loss with the help of nature. Moreover, this film contains an interesting intersection: my figure looks at the completely white window in the prologue and climax and it turns clear why when we see a final photograph where the cat looks at the viewer from the similar white light surrounding him. That’s a visual hint about the place where all great creatures come after death. It’s like in Eric Clapton’s “Tears In Heaven”: Would you know my name If I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same If I saw you in heaven? I must be strong and carry on ‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven. YouTube, Instagram, and...
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