Oktober 2021

Photo by RUSLAN KIRSANOV

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L y u b o v  M e l n i c k o w a

On October 19-23, the Mercedes – Benz Fashion Week Russia fashion week of the SS 22 season was held in Moscow. PURPLEHAZE magazine used the opportunity and talked to MBFW Russia photographers. Models and guests of the shows usually want to get into their lens and who need to take the best place in front of the podium to capture every moment of the fashion show. We learned what fashion photography is in their eyes and what is its future?

RUSLAN KIRSANOV @ruslankirsanov

What led you to the photo? How did it all start? At what point did you realize that fashion photography is your genre?

Everything is banal.
At some point, I wanted to capture people and animals close to me, but there was no camera and no knowledge. From that moment, I began to give a lot of time to self-education.

I understood that photography is multifaceted, so I tried different genres. But I liked the cards more, which sold what they depicted.

So for myself, I defined the fashion genre, Fashion TV became my favorite channel, and of course I was interested in fashion weeks.

I began to visit them, in different cities, as a photographer. New acquaintances appeared there, so at one of them I met the head of the photo service, Ksenia Krutova, and got into the MBFW Russia team. The fashion world has captured me and will never let me go.

Photo by RUSLAN KIRSANOV

What is fashion photography in your understanding?

For me, fashion photography is a search for beauty in things that are not obvious to other people.

Photography is not about what you can do, it’s about what you feel.

If you remove the task of selling, then this is a way to communicate with the audience. A way to express your position, change opinions and, of course, reflect the state of society. It is inextricably linked with the events taking place in the world, in this period of time. It is a reflection of the social, political and environmental aspects of humanity. This may not be noticed at first glance, but fashion photography is imbued with the values of the time in which we live.

Describe your most memorable moment in your career as a fashion photographer?

I single out two personal projects for myself. Which we did in collaboration with the illustrator and our large team. These projects were exhibited at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art MMOMA and the State Tretyakov Gallery. When your work finds the recognition of the viewer, it gives new strength to move on.

Photo by RUSLAN KIRSANOV

Are there any photographers who inspire you? Whose work are you following?

Not anymore.
I’m looking for inspiration in other fields of art and I’m not limited to that.
In order not to merge with the mass of other representatives of the profession, you need to find your own style and path.
The author’s handwriting should be felt, and for this you need to listen to yourself and only yourself.
Do what works best.
Work at the call of the heart, erasing all the boring prohibitions and patterns.
Breaking the rules – you will find yourself.

Photo by RUSLAN KIRSANOV

What is the future of fashion photography?

Fashion, in any perception of this concept, is inseparable from the consciousness of humanity.
She is moving away more and more from the task of only selling goods.
Will continue to broadcast the zeitgeist.
Whatever metamorphoses take place in fashion photography and fashion itself, it will always influence people’s way of thinking.
To some extent manipulate our taste and dictate new values.
I am glad that she is moving away from rigid manipulation and becoming more stable (Sustainable) tolerant, diverse (Diversity) and this is good.

KSENIYA KRUTOVA @iamkrutova

What led you to the photo? How did it all start? At what point did you realize that fashion photography is your genre?

I started my career during 28th season of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, as an editor. Once just took my old camera, came to backstage, made a few b/w portraits and absolutely fall in love. So, that’s how it all started for me.

It wasn’t easy, and actually it isn’t easy now: every season is a challenge, you have to mobilize all your inner resources. Like always looking around, catching, thinking, analyzing what effect would be nice now, at the moment, and where you just have to slow down and try to find smt new.

What is fashion photography in your understanding?

Smt anti-constant. Everything’s changing all the time: trends, styles, the feeling of the world and the world itself are changing.
So photography follows the vibe.

Now I see the multi-exp comeback and old-school reportage.
Of course there is still b/w, but it’s an eternal classic)

Photo by KSENIYA KRUTOVA

Describe your most memorable moment in the career of a fashion photographer?

Every season is special. Each of them is marked by 2-3 shots, which I absolutely adore.
It was pretty cool when I did street-shooting for Hypebae or Vogue.ru at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. Or when Forbes took MBFW Russia backstage pics for a brand article. It was like “wow, someone noticed what i am doing.. cool!”

Are there any photographers who inspire you? Whose work are you following?

Pinkhasov, Bresson, my mum and Adnrey Berezkin) Love his reportages. 

And Bill Kaningem of coure. I love the idea of ​​an observer photographer that no one sees or hears, who always stays in shadows.
The invisible ghost camera-girl – is that’s my vibe)

Photo by KSENIYA KRUTOVA

What is the future of fashion photography?

Changes and love. Without love, photography is not worth it.
Nothing needs to be done without love.

ANDREY BEREZKIN @andrey_dronski

What led you to the photo? How did it all start? At what point did you realize that fashion photography is your genre?

In the years of my turbulent youth, I went to the annual Kazantip music event. There I started shooting, still on film. I shot a lot and everything in a row. After a couple of years, something started to work out. Thus began the path of a reportage photographer. I remember how I got to the first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. My photographer friend calls me and asks me to go to the rental and bring him lenses) And then I find out that he’s shooting fashion week. I had a free day and I decide to help him. And he offers me to take pictures with him for company, if I have such a desire. Of course, I was glad to have such an opportunity to shoot such an event. I then had a little experience in commercial filming for about 2 years approximately. Of course, the first pictures came out so-so 😂 But a year or two later, and something was already working out, I began to understand what I wanted and how to remove it. That’s how my career as a fashion photographer began.

Photo by ANDREY BEREZKIN

What is fashion photography in your understanding?

In general, I shoot in the genre of fashion reportage. It is important for me to catch the moments in which clothes, details, style will be reflected. So that a person looking at the picture could feel the texture, mood. The transfer of the atmosphere of everything that is happening, the backstage and the podium, that’s what I want to see in the frame. I like to experiment, be it with space, light and geometry. I am often in the flow of what is happening, I make rash shots.

Describe your most memorable moment in the career of a fashion photographer?

I remember being in Bali. It means Ksyusha writes to me, then we were not familiar yet, and says that he works for MBFW Russia. That my pictures have been selected for printing to the input group. As many as two out of five. And she needs permission to print them. Of course I was a little surprised) what kind of pictures, what is going on at all. After all, I didn’t send anything to anyone, no one asked me. It was unexpected and pleasant.

Are there any photographers who inspire you? Whose work are you following?

I’m not following anyone in particular. They are mostly my photographer friends or acquaintances. The ones I follow on Instagram. Maybe it’s not very correct, but this way I can do something of my own without trying to copy much) In fact, I am inspired by everything around me: travel, cinema, nature, everything that surrounds me.

Photo by ANDREY BEREZKIN

What is the future of fashion photography?

Changes and love. Without love, photography is not worth it. Nothing needs to be done without love. Now, as it seems to me, there is a trend towards naturalness, everything is going to this. Naturalness, minimum retouching. The pictures are here and now. Shooting on the phone. The main thing here is creativity, and the essence of the process

KRISTINA REVVA @kristina.revva

What led you to the photo? How did it all start? At what point did you realize that fashion photography is your genre?

I’ve always dreamed to be a photographer, but in the beginning it seemed to me that only really cool and tough people can do that. One fine day i just decided“why not to try?”. Well I’m still trying 🙂

What is fashion photography in your understanding?

For me it’s much more then making pictures to sell clothes or some kind of art work. For me fashion photography it’s also a documenting since fashion is a reflection of humanity as it is at the moment in my view.

Photo by KRISTINA REVVA

Describe your most memorable moment in the career of a fashion photographer?

Oh well it’s pretty hard – there was a lot of this moments. I remember my first day at the backstage of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. All models were so unique, and everyone was constantly in a hurry. I felt like i was in a movie.

Are there any photographers who inspire you? Whose work are you following?

I think I’ll say the same names that many people say 🙂 Ellen von Unwerth, Paolo Roversi, Peter Lindbergh, Deborah Turbeville, Sarah Moon. From modern ones i like works of Benjamin Vnuk, Colin Dodgson, Michal Pudelka

Photo by KRISTINA REVVA

What is the future of fashion photography?

It will evolve simultaneously with the fashion and development of humanity. I think that for some period we will continue the path towards simplification, eco-orientation and minimalism, but somewhere along the way there will be an explosion that will unfold everything that we used to consider fashionable in a very radical way.