REVEALED: ETHEREAL MYSTERY OF RUSSIA'S NORTH - Flat marshland esthetics in Dr.Turchin's sharp eye - How high is the chance for you and me to get to the remote north places in Russia in early May or January? Places which even on the detailed maps get designated as "misterious place with no name"? Mushy marshlands of … Read more

REVEALED: ETHEREAL MYSTERY OF RUSSIA'S NORTH - Flat marshland esthetics in Dr.Turchin's sharp eye - How high is the chance for you and me to get to the remote north places in Russia in early May or January? Places which even on the detailed maps get designated as "misterious place with no name"? Mushy marshlands of Archangelsk with no place to stay or buy food? Further away from Moscow than St. Petersburg and a climate harsher than both of them? Pretty low, honestly. Far-fetched for me at least. So there you go, grab the unique chance to see this area in Alexey Turchin's stream. Moreover - see them more delightful way than most of us would be able to record ourselves. For a dozen of reasons. Alexey's stills perform a slow (and low...) glide close to the ground. At the altitude of a tripod. The images boast width, depth, height and movement. Tangible if your visit is relaxed. Don't rush. Having seen Alexey's complete portfolio (no, the term "stream" is not doing right to Alex's collection), I can testify that it felt like a thousand; while there are only hundred-and-something. I think this says much. Many times I was coming back to an image for 3, 4, 5 or more times. Alexey's insight in Russia is the one of an born-into insider, the indigenous one. But he knows to communicate it with the others who aren't. His vistas begin at his feet and probe deep into the distance invoking the collective as well as the personal spirit. He is carefully forwarding to you the authentic forest & lake whisper but sells you his author's original stamp at the same time. Alexey's images strike the famous volatile steppe ether. Which is a rooted poetry. In my opinion more inaccessible to the photographic medium than to the paintings, verses and other literature. The potentially monotonous flatlands open up to those who cherish Europe's Russia at its' extremes, strive to get to know it better, and try hard. Alex does (try hard), but the result is light footed. Flatland landscape is mighty difficult to compose. Add to that the far north, the freezing cold and the loneliness of the snowy Russian woods. Alex's feel however produces the warmest images I have seen on that rough area. Especially the night ones! As to technique. He uses two formats, two camera brands and models: a micro-four-thirds and an APS-C; but the result is quite indistinguishable. I guess this is due to his overriding individual approach, developed style and established course line. In other words: due to his artistic statement, which he let lead and shape the making; and not vice versa, to let the intermediate result shape his secondary vision (like I often do, sadly). Alex's vision plays the main roll, not his gear or the means he employs. He stays in controle of the means. It's not easy, but he knows how to do it. He creates an identical color gamma and expression for his landscapes, achieving consistency with the two different camera standards and instruments. The result is remarkable. His older work is done with the pocket camera format, but already of high level and recognizable. A feat on his own, but we are happy he upgraded. Some of his landscapes profit from the full screen presentation. But they all begin to show only over a large monitor. And they much enjoy Flickr's dark grey frame and zoom-in functionality. Use them! The only thing that I often miss with Alex's images is a title and/or a caption. He would do good to put down a few words under many a magnificent photo, after all the trouble he took in creating them. Having taken, neatly processed and shared an image, add a modest caption and it completes the package and serves as the icing on the cake. Some of the images are downright intriguing, be it from geographical or historical point of view. But the only thing you can see is something like: "IMG_8209". No title, no caption, no location. While the scene is pregnant with the history that left visible traces. Take for instance flic.kr/p/TN9pmN and the adjacent shots made at the riverbank. Finally, Alexey Turchin made me realize I don't have to buy a new camera. I actually thought that such pin-sharp, natural color images like his were not feasible with the model and the glass we both happen to use. Surely not if they are stopped down to f/11 or even f/22 sometimes. Alex manages to completely remove the noise and diffraction when sharpening, thus transforming his 16 megapixel mft-sensor image (taken with a less expensive kit lens!) into a a full frame lookalike of more pixels and an expensive zoom lens. He'll save me money and time this way, and make me concentrate on the essence: my own (and not camera's!) shortcomings in using it. This is a push in the right direction - to explore and learn what I can do with the camera, and not what the camera can do without me. This path leads closer to the ends most of us let slip through our fingers: the content production. Even if I don't reach his level of perfection, I know at least I'll be on the right track. And that's a great thing in itself, don't you think? I dedicated a gallery to Alex (»G80 higlights«) and gave him the honorable place in it. I kindly ask the other owners of the G80 to present me their work they think deserves merit. Admittedly, the same lesson I've already got recently from the insightful, authoritative Andres Bertens (www.flickr.com/photos/abert...). He is a guy who tops the result of pro body and a pro lens with the cheapest mft body and the cheapest small kit zoom. But then again he comes from the Olympus campus, and that's talking apart sides of the mft-world. Like Santiago and Moscow on the globe. Alexey Turchin, my another big discovery on Flickr. Highly recommended!