Interview

Communications science 2nd year student Jana visited me at the studio. I let her take a look at my creative space, work nuances, photography and also a bit of soul. Here is how much Jana managed to get to know me after a 3 hour conversation:

King Without a Crown

    White. His palace - 90 square meters with an average 5 meter high ceiling - is located in Ķengarags. His power - is the camera. Opening the door, a white wall opens up before you. It turns out it's only a part of the palace - a white background for photography. However, taking a step further, behind it - a lot of various equipment and gear - at your feet, on the sides, above your head, that your eyes flash by. Behind all that there is also a very cozy side, which looks just like a mini-apartment. A large sofa, coffee table, kitchen corner, which is full of household appliances. And all of that, of course, white. Walls, floor, chairs, even music speakers and computer mice. In corners various props and decor for photography. Full. The saying "I like minimalism" doesn't justify what you see, but helps understand the idea. Spacious and bright - such is the king's palace. Such is the photographer's studio.
    And he, the king, dressed all in bright clothes, and sometimes I think he feels like a chameleon in his palace, or perhaps it's simply a certain unwritten law.

He - the Photographer

    Andrejs Zavadskis. 27 years old. Riga native. Studied at Riga Secondary School 25, Riga State 1st Gymnasium, and also graduated from Riga Technical University's Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology. However, already in 11th grade he understood that art - photography - is what attracts him, not exact science, thus studied only to get higher education and earn the first funds to start working in his photo studio. Even in high school he started creating websites, occasionally taking photos, but more for his own pleasure. That's how his photographer career started. With his first win in 2004 at the photo contest "Television in Latvia - 50", where he photographed the best salute at the Latvian Television tower, he understood that you don't need to be a professional to create beautiful photos. He's been involved with photography for about 7 years. Also studied with several photographers. After the study years he rented the first space to fully dedicate himself to photographer work. He photographed both people and events and weddings, but later was involved in various advertising projects.
    The studio Andrejs has is the third and he calls it his "small creative world." The first studio was completely black, but after he started feeling discomfort in dark spaces, therefore switched to another - closer to center. And the third studio was chosen closer to home, and furnished cozy and bright.
    He says that maybe many consider him a "great artist", but he doesn't feel that way. He simply considers himself a person who likes his occupation. Andrejs says that this might be the thing that distinguishes him from others, because at a time when others choose to have fun, he prefers photography.
    Emotional person. That's the impression from just one conversation, but he confirms it. "I am a fairly emotional person. I can get experiences from insignificant things that others don't even notice." This helps him not only in photography but also to see nuances in life and get inspired by small, helpless things. He considers it a lifestyle that is saturated with creativity, which is why it so much attracts him. "I am my own boss, I work for myself." One of the arguments that confirms his independence and free choice to work continuously. Andrejs says that he doesn't have a private life, because all his life is photography, thus he is constantly at work. However with a smile he says that the positive fact is that he can create the necessary working conditions for himself - take time off when needed or just want to rest.

Life on the Internet

    He has his own blog (internet diary), which was originally created to answer people's questions. As Andrejs confessed, he receives questions from people fairly often and very varied, thus, compiling the most popular ones, he created a site where answers are provided for the most popular ones. However, he says he doesn't have much time for writing, therefore prefers to use Twitter. He describes it as a personal diary where anyone can take a peek. There Andrejs writes fairly much about private things, which "really no one understands." About things that happen to him, what he sees or feels, yet doesn't exclude that sometimes he shares interesting information about photography, and that's why several thousand people follow Andrejs. Facebook is more like his communication portal with friends, but Draugiem.lv - "exhibition substitute".

Photography - Around and About

    Looking at the photographer's photos, various emotions arise. Most photographs radiate joy, sadness, freedom, passion, love. Nearly every photo creates associations and leaves no one indifferent. If you look at his photographs as a physical image, often you can't read thoughts in them, but I think that every photo contains a specific thought or emotion. That's what Andrejs thinks and says. Listening to him you can understand that photography is his life, love, passion.
    "I shoot for myself." Sometimes it's hard to draw parallels between "myself" and "because someone needs it", yet in any work he tries to invest part of himself. He draws inspiration for photography from "everywhere" - walking down the street you can see some light and then think about how it could be depicted in a studio or room, also watching movies you can see some interesting moment. "Everything you see in life inspires you - both people, and cinema, and nature." "Photography is the way I express myself. I show my thoughts, experiences, feelings, dreams, fantasies."
    The world of photography from the real world, in his opinion, differs in that in reality we see everything as it is. Photography is an illusion, an eye deception. "Eye deception in the sense that in photography we see the world as the author saw it, and it will never be true, because we only see a piece of the true scene".
    Most have formed the impression that Andrejs is a wedding photographer, but that's not quite so. He explains that due to circumstances he was "pulled into all that." Perhaps it happened because he has participated in wedding photography countless times, and devoted himself to this most touching event from the heart and with huge responsibility. He has been invited to both Asia, Europe and USA as a wedding photographer, however admits that it causes a lot of stress, because he has to bring all the necessary photo equipment, and also there are different traditions, culture, places, climate. Also photographed the "Bridal Parade" in Riga. However he doesn't consider himself a wedding photographer. Mostly he shoots advertising, people and other things.
    One of his most emotional photo sessions could be considered the childbirth photography. About it he speaks very vividly and with emotions. "Since I am a very sensitive person, I felt along with the whole process. I felt along, it was also partially my own experience within the whole event. It was hard, but I didn't mess it up and overcame everything, moreover I photographed it all nicely - the result is positive." (Smiles.)
    "When I photograph, normal people's thinking turns off, but such communication with people and solving photographic problems turns on." Thus saying that he doesn't particularly study people, but more tries to think about purely technical and artistic things and talk to them more to loosen them up.
    The photographer admits that the hardest has been to work with complex people. By that he meant that people tend to have complexes related to their appearance. "For example, if a person told me they don't like their nose, but I, as a photographer and person, see that everything is fine with the nose, then disagreements sometimes happen." Those are the most unpleasant moments during or after shooting, because it's hard to communicate with such people. Because every person looks at themselves quite differently and evaluates themselves completely opposite to how those around do. "That sometimes causes even negative emotions."
    Photo session duration is very varied - "it can be thirty minutes, or six hours". Depends on the goal to be achieved. Wedding photography, of course, takes much more time - up to fifteen hours.
    Also photo processing times are very varied. He explains that processing one photo can take from half a minute to several days. "It all depends on goals - what is photographed, what needs to be fixed, what is the desired final result." Processing is always needed, because all photographs throughout history have required chemical and physical, and now also virtual, manipulations to bring the image to the viewer.
    Mostly he shows his works to people in order to show how he sees, feels and lives through that particular moment or person. He said that when photographing a specific photo, the photographer receives a specific emotional fulfillment, but the viewer sees only the moment depicted in the photograph, which consists only of visual information, therefore the photographer and viewer often look differently at the same photograph.
    To the question whether he plans to make a personal work exhibition, he answers with two reasons. "I am very critical of myself. I think everything I photographed could be better. Half a year, a year passes and I think the previously photographed works are bad, in each work I can find many mistakes." The second reason is financial obstacles, because according to him, quite a lot of funds are needed - financial and free time. "To organize an exhibition, 500 or 1000 lats are needed, and how many people would come within two or three weeks to look at my work?" He makes such arguments after explaining that on the internet in some period his works are viewed tens of thousands of times, moreover it practically costs nothing. "Thus, thanks to social networks, I can get a bigger audience than by making an exhibition." On his blog it's possible to view more than a thousand of his works since 2005. He once invited to view his blog with these words: "Here you can take a look at my soul." Andrejs will organize his exhibition with time, but it will be more an event for himself and an opportunity to meet many friends and acquaintances, which in everyday life happens very rarely.
    How do you see life "through the lens"? "You can see it in my photos." (Smiles.)

Life Outside the Lens

    Since more people started showing interest in Andrejs, following his activities on the internet, he used the opportunity to improve and expand his circle of interests in various other fields not related to photography. Thus creating various surveys and asking other people's opinions to learn about things that interest him. Most memorable are his questions about teas, perfumes and restaurants, but being in the studio, I noticed that his interests also include wines. A small wine rack and a small wine refrigerator. Elegant. These interests together he calls the "private field."
    To the circle of interests definitely can also be added his passion for sports. For two months already Andrejs runs in the evenings and currently has run almost 300 kilometers. Recently showed interest in playing golf. Also swimming and tennis. "Sometimes I want to rest from work. The more I work, the more I want to forget that there's such a thing as a camera. I just want to do something else."
    He is also an avid music listener. Large speakers are in the studio, which he himself painted white. In the car he listens to music continuously, and also at home speakers are placed in all rooms. Andrejs doesn't have a specific music taste. He listens to songs that he accidentally heard somewhere - in a store, in advertisements or songs from movies and games. He discovered that he doesn't pay attention to the authors at all, but more to the melody or words. Some songs he listens to for even a month straight until it gets boring or he hears something new.
    From cinema Andrejs has two films which he likes best. One of them is "City of God." This film also reinforced the idea to devote himself to photographic art. The second film is "Slumdog Millionaire."
    He admits he's not interested in art, because he tries to live in the present and future, thus the past interests him the least.

Words

    Most often Andrejs hears from others compliments about his artistry. However he admits that if people think something negative, they will hide it or not tell him, but to some third person. Thus he has had to hear from third parties not very flattering words. As an example he mentioned the case when a person expressed positive things to Andrejs, but later the photographer heard from other persons that the compliment-giver had actually lied to him. "That has happened often." And yet, what good words do you hear most often? "That there are great photos!" (Laughs.) However he considers the most pleasant words those that are said after people see how he photographs, but haven't yet seen the final result. They see how Andrejs "dedicates himself" to his work. From the photographs available on the internet, one can judge that he does it with full dedication.
    Criticism that the photographer hears is very often subjective, because he believes that rational criticism in Latvia is a rare phenomenon. He cites the fact that in Latvia there are very few people with professional photo education. Often criticism is unreasonable.

Shooting Stars

    What is your biggest achievement so far? "That will be ahead. For now I consider that the biggest hasn't been achieved." (Smiles.) Is there something that you are very proud of now? "No!" Despite that, he has received several awards related to photography, however believes that anyone can get awards. It only depends on how much the person wants to get that award.
    Andrejs plans to create "open door days" in autumn to introduce people both to himself and his work and studio.
    In 2008 he said about himself - "I am a young and little-known photographer." Now he says the same. "When you are a small infant, you can't get further than your crib. Your world is limited. When you grow up, you can't get further than your room. Later - further than the courtyard, district, city, country, continent and globe. It's the same with a photographer. That world expands. At that time I was little-known in Riga. Now maybe I'm somewhat known in Riga, but in the world I'm still little-known. Ahead is still a lot of work."

Jana Magonova
Communications Science 2nd year

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