Gyngazov Nikolay Ivanovich
Nikolai Gyngazov has been writing a photo chronicle of our region since the early 70s. His works include the history of oil exploration, the life of the indigenous peoples of the North and the everyday life of ordinary people. Nikolay Ivanovich is a multiple winner of international and All-Russian photo contests. He is also a master of photography of Ugra. In 2010, Nikolai Gyngazov hosted an unusual exhibition for northerners "Under the wing — Yugra". A bird’s-eye view of the county. He considers shooting from an airplane the most successful point for photography. This is the desire of the photographer to rise above the hustle and bustle and look at the world from the sky.
— Nikolay Ivanovich, when did you begin doing photography?— In 1970, after graduating from the aviation technical school, I came to Khanty-Mansiysk and met flight mechanic Anatoly Lakhtin. He shot just great. I went into his room and "died" because of the photos I saw. He already had a "Tair-3" lens, that is, a photo weapon. In his photos there were squirrels, snow, sunrises, sunsets. I asked: "Can I?" He replied: "Buy a camera." And I bought a "Sharp-eyed-4". I made the first cards, printed them, came to him and showed him. I did it so well that he said, "Well done, come on, go ahead." Since then, everything has started.
— What is photography for you?— Now the attitude to photography is somewhat different, and before I lived only because of phography. I remember when I was still working at the newspaper "Neftyanik" in Nizhnevartovsk, guys from the photo club and just amateurs came to my laboratory. Then I singled out Saturday for myself and photography and I called it "God's day." On Saturdays I was doing creative work. It was an amazing hobby, for which you could still get money.
— Who is the best hero for photography for you?— For me, the best hero is not a hero at all, but a person who "catches" from the crowd with something special. For example, if he has a textured, interesting face. And it’s better to take a picture of someone who is an artist in his own way.
— By what criteria do you choose a successful photograph?— While still working in the photo club, I entered two ratings. The first is "Wow!" and the second is "So what?" A photo can impress with its novelty, composition, unusual moment, dynamics. There can be a subtle mood in the landscape, an unusual color and light, something that you have not met before.
— Surely you have a strong belief that you follow?— Yes, but this is not a photographer’s belief, but a person’s. Now I walk five kilometers every day. Whether I need it or not — I get up and go. On the one hand, it’s just such a mechanism, and on the other hand, I try to drive the lazy person out of myself, remaining not so much in the physical as in the spiritual-human form.
— What is new in your plans?— I have an amazing idea. I fly a motorcycle paraglider. But it’s not quite working right now — firstly, and we have a lot of winds — secondly. Flying for me is an opportunity to have a normal shooting point. And now my friend, the director of the Russian View photo bank, has bought a helicopter of a special design. It’s about the size of a large model, but it’s a very professional "toy" with four screws, to which the camera equipment is attached. This is a very new direction. Imagine: a swamp, fog. How are you going to jump? And with a laptop, you can control this technique far enough. And I’m thinking more and more about this new way of shooting.
— How do you understand the phrase "The world through the lens"?— In my opinion, "the world" is said too generally, I would say not "the world", but the surrounding world. I can understand this, and I even do it. Everyone does it, especially the photographer. You go without a camera and see the frame, you instantly evaluate it, define the boundaries and take a picture. That is, you are not just walking, but as if you are taking pictures all the time. Here is an interesting face, here is an aunt’s something fell, here is an unusual landscape, the tree is beautifully curved, and so on. Constantly searching, constantly training your eyes.