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Photographer Personal Commentary
By Kirill Melentiev
Photographer | Moscow | Russia

A Few Words On Photography and the Experience Within the Art Form

What is it to me and why do I do it at all?

Taking snapshots of real life events and people, is to me, an attempt to capture not just what (and how) I see the world daily, but also an attempt to study society, nature and, life in the most objective way I can. It is precisely in our observation of the world around us, which often presents difficulties for many (including myself) to engage in the process of "making art."

Often, we want to convey our perception of the world surrounding our daily lives. And thus, for many, the pursuit of artistic photography is also an attempt to relay one’s perception in a truly unique and so incredibly amazing manor that it sparks the interest of the viewer. However, in the process of creating art, photography and “perception”, I attempt to approach my shorts from another stance. In my photography, I attempt to capture the moment not from the stance of fabricated uniqueness; rather, my main objective is to capture a live environment, while delicately approaching the shot from "real life" angles, perspective, exposure, and color...

My intention is to draw interest not to my works but to what is in the larger picture – because more often than not, I am focusing on the larger picture of life at hand, which most of us often overlook daily. I find great pleasure in sharing these moments of real life with my viewers. With the aforementioned in mind, I believe only photography can capture and relay everyday life moments, as the medium is truly one of the most objective forms of art. Photography, when achieved with no alternations and not "created" from a pre-set, staged, or pre-fabricated environment is truly successful in capturing the real persona of life, which we all experience each day. In our busy lives, we all miss so much happening around us...

Surprisingly enough, when I look at some of my works, I often discover many items that even I did not notice, or overlooked in the moment when I actually took the shot in person. Beyond simply observing life from the perspective of momentary observation, I also approach my work from the stance of "memory." Every photograph I take is truly a moment in time, which the medium captures and preserves, significantly beyond what our minds retain. Despite our best efforts to remember the moments of yesterday, we cannot hold every detail in our minds. With “memory” in mind, I find a great motivation for always attempting to capture real life in its true form… Beyond the viewer’s experience, I believe that in years these shots will hold even greater value for relatives, closest friends, and me.

In essence, when I approach my photography, I attempt to transfer my eyes, and my perception of the moment into the camera. While one might believe such an approach would be reasonably trouble-free, in truth, "capturing life" is actually more difficult than one might think. The larger goal within my work is to capture life as it is happening, not “create life” through a fabricated perception of the moment.

What can I say about photography as form of art today?

Within our technologically savvy world, and with the regular use of photo digital equipment and post-editing software becoming more and more common in photography, I often hear the words regarding a picture that one likes, “What was the camera and was it ‘Photo-Shopped’?” I would like to emphasize on this little question which leads too many people into wrong direction of perception when one looks at a photograph. Interesting is that 2 simultaneous processes are taking place in photography today. First process is the grand transfer from film photography to digital. This process is inevitable but it will not be completed overnight – since a fine digital camera still costs too much for an average photo amateur. However, lower class digital cameras are becoming more and more available to general public. Second is the grand debate that arouses from the transfer process.

The debate is, of course, what is the true art tool for photography – an old school film camera or a modern digital equivalent. As a result of the two processes, a vast amount of people – both photographers and usual observers – tend to pay too much attention to the technical side of a photograph which one observes, sometimes completely disregarding what does the photograph actually show. This fact is not unique to photography and I can only suggest to that if you ever encounter a piece of art that you really appreciate – do not bother with such trivial questions as, "What was the camera and was it Photo-Shopped?" or, "What type of paint was used?" Rather, perhaps just enjoy the piece of art and help the author to complete his mission, transfer to the viewer the happiness of perception and beauty.

Finally, if you are an artist yourself and would like to know how to achieve similar results of a particular photograph you find especially appealing, why not try to contact the author of the work? In today’s interconnected world, contacting the artist is increasingly easy to do, and more often than not, the artist will likely be more than happy to share correspondence on methodology, settings, theory, and of course, personal views and vantage point of the art itself.

Kirill Melentiev is a photographer and professional trader from Moscow, Russia. Kirill's photographic style resembles realist expressionism, capturing more personable moments within his subject's lives.

kirill melentiev's
artist page on markwhistlergallery.com
photographer • moscow • russia