Honesty, the photographer’s key virtue

The 19th photo exhibit is in full swing, with photos being contributed en masse. For the first time in the past 18 years the organizers have visited 11 cities, traveling thousands of kilometers to stage the photo exhibit. Tentative estimates show that the displays have been visited by some 40,000 individuals across Ukraine this year – in Kyiv, Sumy, Pryluky, Dnipro, Sloviansk, Mariupol, Lviv, Lutsk, Izmail, and Olhopil. Each photo exhibit has been held according to the traditional standard, with the best photos displayed, encouraging the beginners, and with an emphasis on conceptual, deep-reaching photography. Small wonder that most visitors left the exhibit with teary eyes and smiling, but trembling lips. The guest book is filled with warm comments.

The main thing for a professional or amateur photographer is to capture a moment, at the right time and place. This is something Natalia KRAVCHUK, staff photographer with the magazine Novoye vremia [The New Times], winner of Den’s Golden Day top photo award (2013), has achieved unfalteringly for a number of years. She was awarded the prize for a series of photos entitled “YES, Yalta 2013.” More than 14 years ago, she took part in our photo exhibit. Only one of her photos was accepted and put on display. This encouraged, rather than discouraged, Natalia and she became a regular contributor, eventually winning the main award. She kindly agreed to an interview prior to the new photo exhibit (for more information visit https://day.kyiv.ua/uk/ content/hvii-mizhnarodnyy-fotokonkurs-gazety-den and our social sites). All are invited to take part, professional as well as amateur photographers, with quality being the only criterion. As Den’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna pointed out, “competition photographs should contain something more than just photography.”

Natalia, have you decided what photos to submit to this year’s exhibit?

“I happen to lack responsibility in the photography domain; I keep selecting and discarding photos until the last moment. There are lots of interesting pictures, so choosing the best is easier said than done, but this is why I love photography. I fell in love with it as a kid. I have a degree as a camera-person (by correspondence), but photography has turned out to be my forte...”

Photography appears to have gained unprecedented popularity over the past three years, with pictures capturing human emotions, being posted all over social sites. Do you think that this imposes a special responsibility on the photographer?

“Not just now. It always has. Photographers and journalists are fated to bear a social responsibility. They work to keep the public informed, their products are both read and viewed by many people, so any falsehood, any biased approach is as bad as committing a crime. Honesty is the main thing in photography – as in any other profession.”

You boast a long record of photo exhibit participation with Den. Traditionally, after selecting and awarding the best pictures, the very best ones are put on display in the regions. This time we have beaten our own year’s record in terms of geography. Do you think that staging such itinerant photo exhibits is really important?

“Cultural programs are a big problem in Ukraine. Of course, most such projects – art exhibits, concerts, and drama performances – are carried out in Kyiv. Yet even here finding something really special can be a problem. We lack the capacities and facilities you find in most European capitals, so Den’s photo exhibits in the regions are extremely important as enlightening projects. They are very good and badly needed. Also, each such photo exhibit is a launch pad for beginners. There are three such photo exhibits in Ukraine, but yours is the best, so I can only thank Ms. Ivshyna and her team for keeping up the good work. I wish your annual photo exhibit the best of luck and that each time it attracts a larger number of photographers, so they won’t have to look for jobs abroad (where they are held in esteem).”