Realizing whole life’s dream in one photo!

The Day’s readers first became familiarized with the work of the photographer Kostiantyn Bobryshchev during the mini photo exhibit “Spring On-line” from the series “The Day’s Photo Seasons.” His picture Get Down to Work, Friend!, which is extremely moving, was one of the leader’s in the public vote. Since then Bobryshchev has been an active participant of “Photo Seasons.” But it is especially pleasant to see his works at the 12th International Photo Exhibit “The Day-2010.” The jury recognized them to be the best of the best. As it is known, Bobryshchev received awards from our sponsors (the TBi company and Knauf) for the photo On the Guard. But for Kostiantyn the victory in the reader’s vote (at the display of our exhibit in Chernivtsi) is more important: the work A Forgotten Tune — won first place there. This photo, as it turned out, has a special story. The Day asked Kostiantyn BOBRYSHCHEV, photographer, reporter of the newspaper Vechirnia Poltava, and author of 13 journalistic books, why the readers liked his photos and what inspires him.

Mr. Bobryshchev, your photos are stories taken from life, they are not invented, they are real and genuine. How do you manage to take such pictures?

“Most of all I like to take pictures of elderly people, I bow low before them because they are unique. For example, the following story was connected with the photo A Forgotten Tune. Once I agreed with a veteran that I would take a picture of him. I was about to be late and decided to go straight through small streets. I passed one street and saw a man and a woman sitting on a bench near a house, and she was holding a guitar. I made a few steps and said to her on the go: ‘Can you play it?’ I thought she would not hear me and continued rushing to the veteran. But she replied: ‘Come in and listen.’ It turned out she was 94 years old, like her husband. During the war he was injured and cannot see for over 50 years. The old man at that moment was doing the chores and the old woman entertained him by playing the guitar. She played the songs from her youth. At this moment I automatically took out my camera from the bag and took a few shots. After this I came to her again. And when I came home and downloaded the pictures on the computer, I looked at them and couldn’t believe it: there was an absolute truth of life. I posted it on the Internet website ‘Photolife — Artistic Photography.’ Until today (since March this year) this picture’s rating remains unsurpassed. It turned out that this old woman dreamt of becoming an actress all her life, but it happened so that there was hunger, war, post-war devastation, and therefore she worked all her life in a collective farm. By the way, my participation in your contest was spontaneous. I was invited by your editor-in-chief and almost missed the deadline for works submission, and I received awards. When I brought the newspaper where the photo A Forgotten Tune was published to her, this old woman simply covered me with kisses and said: ‘So I became an actress, now everyone looks at me.’”

Do you still communicate with this family, maintain ties?

“Even more. Some television journalists saw this picture. And for this year they made four television reportages about this old couple. In fact, each photo has its story. It can’t be any other way. Lately I’ve been riding my bicycle and once I saw a man leaning on a gate. Intuitively, I felt this person could do wonders. His face was speaking and I did not say a word to him. He invited me to a dialog speechlessly. I called on him, it turned out that on December 2 this year he would be 98 years old. You will not believe me, but we were socializing for at least five hours. I said I wanted to take a picture of him very much. He replied: ‘Wait, I’m not ready yet.’ But after all I took such great pictures that I’m extremely happy.”

How often do you happen to take such pictures from life, with unique stories, for one should also feel them intuitively?

“This year was lucky for me, I had three personal exhibits in Kyiv, and there I understood the main thing: I must take pictures of people. I have a feeling that I see their soul when I start taking pictures of them, a person reveals oneself so much in the process of a conversation that is seems God helps me push the camera’s button at that moment. By the way, I am preparing another exhibit, and after that I have an invitation to Germany.”

By the way, what is the reaction of your friends, relatives, and acquaintances to your active participation in exhibits and frequent victories?

“My wife is a poetess and the author of several books, a laureate of two literary awards, in a word — a creative person. In my work she tells me whether a picture is good or not. My daughter and son also work as photo correspondents. Obviously, they saw me doing it and grew interested in it as well. So the support of my family is strong and reliable.”

How did you grow to love photography?

“Everything was very simple. My daughter was born and, of course, I wanted to take pictures to remember those moments. I found a photographer, but the photos were artificial, as if made of ‘reinforced concrete.’ Then I bought a camera, and my daughter Ivanna and my wife were the first subjects I photographed. Photos are just amazing from the viewpoint of time. I’ve been doing it for 30 years already. There was no trip to a city or country when I didn’t take a camera with me.”