This Ukrainian Photographer stuns us with his beautiful compositions from Street genre. Meet Dmitry Stepanenko who lives in London currently, his words sums up his attitude towards arts and photography. Staying amidst the crowd of contemporary street photographers crowd yet voicing out a magnificent portfolio, makes him very special.
More importantly, Dmitry shoots color and is rich in contrast and clarity. Such poignant compositions and a simple elegant style of photography. In this brief interview with 121clicks.com, Dmitry opens up more on photography and lets hear it from him.
Could you please Introduce yourself for our readers?
My name is Dmitry Stepanenko, I am a Ukrainian-born photographer living in London. I do exclusively Street Photography, mostly in colour. Most of my photographs have been taken in London though I try to travel as much as possible and take pictures while abroad as I always feel inspired in unfamiliar places.
What first drew you to photography and how did you discover it?
I guess it was the will to explore the world and also to express myself in some artistic form. I believe street photography provides an excellent tool for meeting both goals.
What makes Street Photography so interesting for Dmitry?
For me primarily it is its unpredictability – the fact that you have no idea when you leave your house about what kind of catch you are going to have by the end of the day (if any). Another thing is that the street community is so large and creative these days which pushes you to experiment and find your own style to stand out, and while you are doing that you discover many things you never expected.
Most of your photographs are fantastic in terms of geometry and composition. How did you develop this style?
Thank you. I think it is important to analyse your photographs and edit really hard. The fact is that most good photographers shoot loads of really rubbish photos but they are able to choose the good ones and only show those to the public. Another important thing is to keep educating yourself, keep developing your vision and your visual experience. And by no means have I said studying photography alone is enough. I draw my inspiration from films, paintings, music, photography, books and most importantly – everyday life. Returning to your question, yes, I prefer “cleaner” images with a limited number of carefully arranged elements. I often look at my photos as if they were abstract paintings and I try to have a good balance of colours and shapes.
According to Dmitry, what makes a good picture?
I believe that a good image should combine a unique moment and unique artistic approach. The mix can be very different. When I started photography I put more emphasis on the first component while now I lean more towards the latter one.
What difference does photography create in your life?
Every minute of my free time I think about or do something related to photography – enough said. Apart from that, one of the greatest things that being an active photographers brought to me was getting to know and meeting many very talented great people from all corners of the world
One thing you always make sure to remember on the streets?
For me it is not to interfere in what happens around you but to observe, however there are different opinions on that matter.
Which photographers inspire you?
Ernst Haas, Alex Webb, Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Saul Leiter, Harry Gruyaert… The list can go on.
Your gear?
Olympus OM-D and 12-40 lens.
Any tips for aspiring street photographers out there?
Kill you babies. Less is more. Be very strict when editing, but not when shooting. Keep a separate folder for your portfolio. Have 20 photos there. Always. Only replace some older photos with better ones, don’t add them. This will teach you a lot.
You can find Dmitry Stepanenko on the Web :
Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Dmitry Stepanenko. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
