A Steemit Exclusive Interview With Russian Photographer, Designer, World Traveller, & Fellow Steemian:— Denis Ulyankin [OC]

Denis Ulyankin, also known as @sharker, is a Russian designer and photographer currently based in Moscow.

Photo above by Lara Makarovskaya

Last week I started the first Steemit Photo Challenge. The theme was “Animal Portrait” and photographers came out in their numbers to showcase their best animal portraits. The turn-out was great, I couldn’t have asked for better. By the way, Steemit Photo Challenge #2 is currently under way!

The winner of the first Steemit Photo Challenge was a new user named @sharker, his monkey portrait was so striking that it has been seared into my memory.

As soon as the challenge was over I got in contact with him, intent on conducting an interview about his photography and whatever else came to mind, and to get to know him a bit better. Reading his responses to my questions showed me that I’d made a good choice, and I think you’ll be very interested in his stories.

Here is the result of that interview. I have made minor edits [with permission] to help bridge the language barrier, although he speaks much better English than I speak Russian!!

All images are copyright Denis Ulyankin
http://shark-er.livejournal.com

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Tell us a little bit about yourself

Hello everybody! My name is Denis Ulyankin, I live in Russia, Moscow. I'm a designer, photographer, tourist and a member of the search party "Soyuz" (Union).

I like to travel. My childhood dream was to travel around the world.

Where did you grow up, and what was it like?

I was born in the Republic of Adygea. It is a region of Russia in the Caucasus, a place where there is very beautiful nature. There are a lot of mountains, rivers and waterfalls. For example, there is a mountain named Fischt, which became more famous after the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The stadium, which is where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games were held, was named after the mountain.

My mother is a teacher and guide. She took me to a lot of the sights of our region and instill a love of nature. During my school and university years I often went off into nature independently, periodically skipping lessons :)

Fischt Mountain

How did growing up there affect your photography style?

Almost all my childhood I have seen mountains on the horizon, was often there and they really influenced me, so every year I go to the mountain hikes. Last year I was in the Himalayas. This year I’m planning a trip to Kamchatka and the ascent of three volcanoes: Avacha, Mutnovsky and Goreliy. In the future I plan to climb Elbrus and Kilimanjaro. And then, we'll see.

Himalayas

Describe a typical day for you

In the morning, before work, I try to stay in the open air. Sometimes it's just a run, sometimes I take the camera and shoot the sunrise.

Dawn in Moscow. Strogino district.

Five days a week I work as a designer in an advertising company, so 8 hours a day I'm in the office. I walk and paint in the evenings.

Since I photograph a lot, often evenings are filled with processing photos and the time flies very fast.

How did you find Steemit?

I have long been interested in cryptocurrency, and found the moment of appearance of bitcoin. I read bitcointalk.org forum and followed the news. Of course, in recent years, there was a huge variety of different cryptocurrencies and it is not possible to watch all, so I watch only for those that have good trading volume on the stock exchange. I noticed the increasing interest in Steemit on the forum, I read and decided to try.

What was your first impression of Steemit?

I have been in touch through social networks for a long time, they have become a part of my life and the first impression of Steemit was ecstatic - I can now upload my photo-work and receive not only reviews, but also cash bonuses. It is always nice!

What did you think of the submissions for the Steemit Photo Challenge, and what did you think of the contest? Which was your favourite image that someone submitted?

Frankly, I expected that there would be more works submitted for the competition, as many people have pets and, of course, the owners take their photos. Apparently, many people believe that they don’t succeed. For me, this is the second competition in my life, in which I tried to take part. And it’s good that I took a chance.

I really liked the picture of a lion by @begstreets

And the portrait in the bush by @pixielolz

When did you get your first camera and what was it?

I was given my first camera when I was a child and lived in Uzbekistan with my grandparents. It was a plastic "Change 35" in a green bag. I still have it, but I only shot one roll of film - in the Tashkent zoo many years ago. Where this film is and what the photo turned out to be, I do not remember. My first camera did not bring me a new hobby.

I began to shoot because of the operational need. I came to Moscow, got a job in an advertising campaign "Mosgorreklama" where we decorated Moscow for the holidays. We drew flags and built large decorative designs, which then decorated the streets. I was given a digital camera-soap-box Olympus and was asked to make a photo report. It was my first professional photography, because, as they say, you're a professional if you get paid for it! Of course they were poor quality pictures, but I liked to photograph. I began to carry a camera with me, trying to get him at every opportunity.

Sunrise in the field of sunflowers. Adygea

Did you go to school for photography or are you self taught?

I'm self-taught. It so happened that in my environment there were no people who were very interested in photography, so I had to practice by myself a lot and find information about shooting on the Internet. Only last year I went on a course of color correction by Andrey Zhuravlev and a course of studio shooting rate by Anton Martynov at the school "Creative laboratory "Sreda"".

Are you a professional photographer or is it a hobby?

Despite the fact that I take pictures at work, still photography is a hobby which I hope will gradually grow into a profession. A professional, in my opinion, is a person who does something qualitatively, because you can get money for your work, but do it carelessly. Now I spend a lot of time on self-improvement, and it is paying off.

Why do you take photos?

For me photos are nodules on memory or a kind of time machine. They allow you to go back to a specific time and see the forgotten items. Of course, snapshots do not record wind noise, heat from the sun and delight, embracing you, but they allow you to share with others at least part of the beauty that you see on your life path.

Small Glacier of mountain Fischt.

What type of photography do you do most? What is your favourite subject?

Landscapes, portraits and reportage.

I like to be away from civilization and crowds of people, perhaps because I live in the densely populated capital. Most weekends I'm in the woods and fields, with my search party. We are looking for the missing soldiers of the Second World War. I often shoot landscapes, portraits of people who are interesting to me, as well as reports on what is happening.

Search party "Soyuz" of the work on the site of a WWII aircraft crash point

Belt Buckle pilot of the aircraft IL-4, shot down in World War II.

How would you describe your style?

I do not have some particular style, rather that I see - that I sing. I don’t do staged shots, but if available, I try in "modal time" to get to the point of a good species. And when taking pictures of people generally I like when they don’t see me and don’t pose - so I get to catch emotions better.

What kind of gear do you use?

I mostly take pictures on the Olympus OMD EM-5. This is not my personal camera, it’s the camera from my job that I'm allowed to take on trips.
Canon 5d is my personal camera and there is only a cheap lens Canon EF 50mm / 1.8. On those lenses, which I like, I have not yet earned.

Which is your favorite lens? Why?

My favorite lens - Olympus Zuiko 45mm f / 1.8 (90 mm in terms of 35 mm of film equivalent)

This is the portrait fixed lens, sharp and nice aperture. My favorite - because I often use it and get the shots that make me happy.

When I was in the Himalayas, I was given to use Canon EF 70-200mm f / 2.8 L IS II. Several portraits made with it I really like.

Portrait of a shop owner in the Indian Himalayas

Do you take lighting equipment out or do you use natural light?

I like natural light, I never take a flash with me on trips. Flash is used only for shooting subjects in dark rooms.

What is your best photography tip?

I try as often as possible to use a tripod, it greatly facilitates shooting landscapes and produces clear images in low light.

I always force myself to calm down and not to hurry, because haste can destroy all the work in general.

Smokestacks in Moscow. Dawn.

What is your best post processing tip?

The most important thing in the processing is not to make things worse than they were.

It is important to always keep an eye on the histogram. I often do worse by trying to draw out the details and lighten shadows, and because of this, the frame becomes flat, but contrast is very important. If the picture appears dark - step away from the computer screen and go back later, maybe everything is fine.

What was your scariest moment as a photographer?

My friends and I climbed to the mount Fischt. We came late and we did not have the necessary equipment (cats, harnesses and ropes), but we were young, stupid and thoughtless and decided anyway to climb the glacier. The ascent took place in heavy fog, and during the descent from the summit we lost direction. I took a few shots and put the camera in the trunk, because I was afraid that I would fall and smash it.

The descent from the mountain Fisht in a fog

We began to descend gently, hoping that everything would be fine. But then one of the guys breaks and flies through the icy crust down into the fog. My friend was with him and he immediately rolled after him, trying to reduce the speed with trekking pole. And I stand far above and can’t breathe - shock and stress. It takes a few minutes and I hear on the radio: “It's okay, I'm here, he's alive and barely injured.” This lesson, which cost the small losses, we will remember for a lifetime.

What has been your favourite trip for photography, which place is was the best?

Strange, but I can’t give the status of the "best" of any trip, where I photographed.

Each trip is unique, I am surrounded by new places and new people. Even if I go to the old place, it is still changing, because the same place even at different times of day looks different. Most memorable trips are those where you keep moving forward, because every turn brings new experience trails.

Tunis. Sunrise over the salt lake

When you go on a trip, what do you take with you?

Camera, two lenses - portrait and wide, memory cards and batteries.
I take a lot of pictures, so it's important to have the stock always.
I plan to purchase the gradient, black-out and polarization filters. Already I feel the need for them.

If you could go anywhere in the world with your camera, where would you go and why?

I really want to go to Mexico, in a Crystal Cave near the town of Nike (Cueva de los Cristales). But I'm afraid that it will never happen, because access to it is restricted to a small number of people, and further they will flood the cave at all.

I really want to see the volcanoes and fjords of Iceland.

Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?

It’s a picture from my trip to the Himalayas. Waterfall, which was turned into a furious stream after rain, and we had to wade it. Everyone was wet and tired, but we were sheltered and warmed in a shepherd's hut, built of stones and sticks. The hut had no chimney and it was almost impossible to be there standing - the head was in the smoke. In the morning the weather became normal, and a flock of sheep was near the waterfall.

Which of your photographs brings up the most emotion for you personally?

This is probably not an art picture. It's like time-frame memory. 130 km trek on the ice of Baikal, the 5th day. We, after ice hummocks, come out on the strip of absolutely pure ice, the sun dazzles my eyes. I walk briskly, and a plastic tub with my things is hanging back, absolutely not interfering. In front is only the road, clean frosty air and tons of happiness. At that moment I realized that I will be definitely back here. I remember this trip with a great warmth, and when I’m sad I look at this photo.

Frozen Lake, Baikal

Are there any classic photographers that have influenced you, like Ansel Adams, etc..

Yes, of course, Aston Ansel Adams (Ansel Easton Adams) - classic landscape photography, who still inspires me. Alexander Rodchenko, Michael Kenna, William Eugene Smith, Fred Herzog.

Devil's Gate Pass (Mount Acheshbok). Adygea

Are there any contemporary photographers that inspire you today?

The list is pretty big.

Steve McCurry, Roger Brendhagen, Steve Bloom, Dan Greenwood, Scott Jon, Will Burrard-Lucas, Manish Mamtani, Christophe Afonso, Michael Shainblum, Albert Dros, Rick Parchen, Daniel Korzhonov, Dmitry Shatrov, Igor Shpilenok, Alexander Semenov, Elena Karneeva.

What do you think of the film vs. digital debate?

I think this is an artificial problem. The world is changing, there are new facilities and all have the right to life. The main argument of opponents of digital photography - no life. But I see a lot of alive and taking the soul digital frames.

Let everyone take photo with what is closer and more convenient to him, the main thing is creativity, and a camera – is just a tool.

What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

I try to show the beauty of the world and I want people to start to travel more.
The best reward for me is if someone sees my pictures and then decides to get off the couch and see the world with his own eyes.

Tunis. Sunset in the Sahara desert.

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