From Ice to Spice

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Wednesday, November 2, 2011 | 5 photos

I was introduced to the world of photography at a very early age. My first camera was a ‘FED’ a Russian copy of the early Leica. My father was a member of a local photography club in Russia. At monthly meetings the emphasis on equipment and gadgets introduced me to a new world, requiring technical knowledge, process, experimentation. I learned how the eye catches a fleeting and universal story.



Today I develop, install and maintain UV data collection Network in Australian capital cities and in 4 locations in Antarctica. I travel regularly lately I’ve been twice to two Antarctic stations Davis and Mawson. With me always is my camera.

Currently I use a Canon Eos 7D with 15-85 lens and the 70-200 lens.



I love freedom of field trips where one goes with a completely open mind, peeled eyes, and all the senses on high alert. My camera ready to capture what moves me, makes me feel alive and one with the world. It would be a dream to be taken on assignment to South Africa, to work with professional photographers and bring my stories, my impressions to a wider audience.



Choosing 5 images out of thousands is a difficult task. The resilience of nature and what makes life precious and meaningful offers many stories. I go with my lens to catch that which the eye and heart connect. I have chosen from times in the Antarctic, from the borders that separate and join Jewish and Arab worlds in Israel, the hill paddys of South East Asia, in the daily lives of people far from the politics of their country. I am fascinated by what often unites and sometimes divides people. Photography distils what I see, catches stories that are surprising, visceral and fragile. It’s about seeing, feeling and thinking.