12 questions to Dmitry Kupratsevich – Irix Ambassador
Do you remember taking your first photograph? The first I don’t, but one of the first – yes. I was studying in seventh grade and I went to a photo circle. I took photographs using an old film camera without knowing anything about photography. One of my first photo trips was to Moscow Zoo, and the first photo being of some kind of animal.At what point did you realize that photography would be your passion? Approximately five years ago, when all my trips began to be planned around photography. Why did you choose landscape photography as your main genre? Ten years ago I was engaged in mountain tourism. Seeing all those majestic views, I just wanted to keep that in mind so I started studying digital photography again. But because of my love for the mountains, I chose landscape photography.
What kind of equipment do you use? Since I love the landscape and my trips are often associated with difficult conditions, this is what I find suitable for mountain tourism. My camera is the Canon 6D; Irix 15mm Blackstone, Canon 24-70 2.8 L, Canon 70-200 2.8 L lenses; and the Gitzo tripod with the RRS BH-55 tripod ball head. Plus a MacBook Pro 13”. What places around the world would you personally consider to be the most photogenic and why? I’d consider this to be Russia. I’ve travelled a lot around the country and we’re very beautiful. But there are a lot of hard-to-reach places, so when it comes to Russia, very little is photographic material from there. What kind of photographic technique / trick do you like most and why? Stacking and panorama. Because it’s a method of getting very impressive shots. Which Irix function do you consider most useful in your photo? In general, I’m very pleased with Irix’s picture quality and detail. I am most pleased with the fact that there’s this opportunity to focus on infinity without looking because there’s a click when the focus is in this position. It helps with night shooting and quick working during the day. Do you have your own role models for inspiration in photography? Who inspires you? Of course I do – there are lots of them. I follow modern photography; everything is open and accessible in social networks, photosites, etc. Is there anyone or anything that you would like to take a picture of? I’d like to visit new places for myself, for example, Africa and South America. What are your photographic ambitions for the next three years? I want to further develop my style, be open to new places, attract more people to my tours and win awards in competitions. What advice do you have for those who want to be engaged in photography? Photography is work so don’t think it’s going to be so easy. Therefore, work hard, develop your vision, and your taste. Describe a photo in one word. Life!