Photographers on ISOLATION/LONELINESS= (N 2) Photographers in Isolation: A visual diary of moments frozen in time

https://www.russh.com/photographers-in-isolation/ = Photographers in Isolation: A visual diary of moments frozen in time Photographer friends of RUSSH share what moments they've been capturing and what they've been looking back on during times of isolation. Adrian Meško Miami, Florida What first drew you to photography? How did this come about for you? I got into photography through stepfather, who was an amateur photographer in Czechoslovakia, sometimes we’d set up a dark room in the bathroom and print at home. I never really saw it as a career until I moved to London in the late 90’s. Do you agree with the statement that creativity thrives within restriction? Isolation in theory is quite beneficial for a creative mind, but in the context of covid it’s likely that most creatives are consumed by the challenge of paying rent tbh. I think the most important thing right now is to maintain a positive outlook, healthy body and mind. The world may never be the same after all this, but there will be many opportunities if you’re open to see them. What moments or places do you most love to capture? I’ve been lucky to get stuck in Miami with my old friend Katherine Hucket from London and her family. It’s a beautiful place with direct access to nature which has made me realize how much I missed that in New York. She is a painter and she let me work in her studio. Two weeks into this situation I had a friend post my cameras down to me and started shooting some personal work as well as the new Pamela Love jewellery collection. We were due to shoot it on a model but as corona took hold it became a still life project. Beyond the reportage personal work I was making I then started shooting some old cosmetics packages as the subject matter is limited at a time like this. Are you working on anything outside of photography during isolation? I try keep a few projects on the burn at all times. Besides photo projects I’m currently developing a few new silk pieces for my Temps Des Reves project with a friend designer that worked for The Row & also a capsule collection for the downtown yoga studio Sky Ting. Is there anything you’ve grown to cherish or appreciate during this time? I also became runner while here, my friends husband takes it quite seriously and the whole science of it captivated me. I also learned how to make bread. I found a 140 year old starter online, developed my own mother using that and have been making some really tasty sourdough. What advice would you give to aspiring photographers and creatives? Keep making things, keep a positive mindset thats my mantra these days. Don’t worry about the news cycle. Daniel Goode Sydney, Australia What first drew you to photography? How did this come about for you? I grew up skateboarding with friends who where always taking pictures and working with video, and it was being round that enough times I just built a curiosity. I understood it was the sub culture I connected to, being a skateboarder provides such a prolific platform to be creative with. You can sometimes find yourself in an interesting location and the aesthetics of skateboarding fashion and personalities was something I always responded to and that partnered well with photography. From that the cursory just built and it was something I carried on through high school with and I have always had an interest in the medium, naturally that just became part of my life. What other artists/photographers/ creatives inspire you? It’s actually incredible how in depth this question could go, but to name a few: Rineke dijkstra, Mark Steinmetz, Nigel Shafran, Yoshinori Mizutani, Harmony Korine, Philip Lorca Dicorcia, William Eggleston, Dave Chami, Justine Kurland, Paul Graham, David Ligare. If I kept going the page would be full. What do you think makes a great image? I think any image that provides a sense of tension, something you need to return to and ask questions but leaves you thinking about although you can’t see it. I’m still trying to work that one out myself, but there have been good text’s written on the subject by people more qualified than I, like Susan Sontag’s “On photography” or in Luigi Ghirri’s “The complete essays”. How has isolation impacted your creativity? Do you agree with the statement that creativity thrives within restriction? I think the current restrictions has definitely channelled the scope as to what is available within my available resources and has challenged my creative process but also made me realise the parts I lean on to make work, for example working wth a stylist, the benefits of being in studio, the descriptive qualities from an AD etc. A lot of the work I put into photography is mostly independent and I’m familiar with spending time by myself working on things. Photography can at times be a lonely process which consequently makes days on set much more enjoyable. Do I think creativity thrives within restriction? I think creativity is always thriving but I think the limited options available has defiantly shown heights of resourcefulness form artist’s work and that has been inspiring to see. What helps to get you in a creative state of mind? Often I just respond to things I see, it could be the texture of a road, the way someone is dressed, the colour of someones car. I’ve really tried to learn how to understand that language and I guess it's within this process it promotes some kind of conceptual thinking. I also understand that this process comes in waves, and I don’t try to push myself to hard through those moments. What moments or places do you most love to capture? Any type of interior space that has an atmosphere where the lighting feels unique. For example a train carriage, waiting rooms, restaurants, tiled bathrooms, peoples living rooms. Theres so much the can be said about a space, it can define a decade, a personality, a mood etc.. I find that so interesting. Are you working on anything outside of photography during isolation? Heaps of cycling… But I’m also using this time to edit my recent work for when everything returns to normal. Curating and editing work is one of my favourite things to do, and often allows me to see what’s missing, what’s working, what I could focus more on etc.. Is there anything you’ve grown to cherish or appreciate during this time? Probably not going to be taken seriously, but Nescafe Blend 43… What is a time or project that you look back on fondly? Definitely the “Adorn you” project for the 90th Russh Issue with Ellen Presbury, it was so enjoyable to take the team through the suburb where I live and make photographs. The on site security was pretty spectacular to… All the guys got along so well together and had such a great sense of humour. What advice would you give to aspiring photographers and creatives? The book “Light, science & Magic”, I think it’s up to it’s 5th edition originally made in 1990. For anyone interested in the principles of light and how it works, it could be a useful piece of learning material for someone out there. What has been the hardest part about isolation for you? Loosing the working momentum has been the hardest part to untether from, I like to be on set and photography has a physical tangibility to it I have missed working with, and just catching up and having a laugh with my regular crew of people I work with. Put it out there. What is a dream project or concept you would like to work on once this is all over? I’m not sure just yet, but instinctively I’d love to be on location with a big crew to collaborate with. It’s such a great time of year to be working outside making photographs. Masha Demianova Moscow, Russia What first drew you to photography? How did this come about for you? I was capturing things around me from the very begging, as far as i remember, first with my parents' point-and-shoot simple camera. At the age of 16, I got myself Canon AE-1 and found out that images can also be a form of art. What other artists/photographers/ creatives inspire you? Vivian Sassen, Lena C. Emery, my friends Tanya Leshkina & Eric Hart, Torbjorn Rodland and many more What do you think makes a great image? I don’t thing there is a formula for it. Every image might be great for somebody. How has isolation impacted your creativity? Do you agree with the statement that creativity thrives within restriction? I don’t think restrictions are exactly useful, but it’s definitely not a reason to do nothing. What helps to get you in a creative state of mind? Seeing something I find beautiful. What moments or places do you most love to capture? I’m an old lady, love to take pictures of my cat and my plants. Are you working on anything outside of photography during isolation? Creating a blueprint of the future book that i was working on all last year. The name of the project is ‘Hometown’ and it’s kind of travel almanac of my model-girlfriends hometowns and villages all over Russia and Ukraine. Is there anything you’ve grown to cherish or appreciate during this time? I fucking miss walking in the park! In Moscow we have a ban for hanging out on the streets, you can go to the groceries or around the neighbourhood but not further. What is a time or project that you look back on fondly? Fashion campaign for 'Cyrille Gassiline’, wonderful clothing brand that unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore. We did it with my teammate stylist Stacey Batashova, it was beautiful spring flood and all trees on the shore were growing from the water What advice would you give to aspiring photographers and creatives? What technical (or practical) aspects can they be reading up on or practising during this time? Watch movies, go trough your archives, draw future ideas, try to put together old series etc, make selfies if you want to shoot somebody and you alone. What has been the hardest part about isolation for you? Not being able to be in nature. Put it out there. What is a dream project or concept you would like to work on once this is all over? I wanna finish the book come back to NYC (I miss like crazy) for a while and collaborate with creatives.