Today Dmitry Medvedev celebrates his 52nd birthday. Dmitry Anatolyevich will go down in history both as the youngest Russian president (if anyone has forgotten, at one time Medvedev spent one term as head of state), and as a lover of gadgets, social networks and photography. ELLE - about the brightest passions of Dmitry Medvedev.
Dmitry Medvedev is very fond of fashionable gadgets. He is one of the first - rather, even definitely the first - Russian political "VIPs" who actively promoted new technologies, as they say, in everyday life. A hit that went down in history was Medvedev’s meeting with Steve Jobs. This epoch-making meeting took place in June 2010, when Dmitry Medvedev, at that time the president of the country, was visiting Silicon Valley. What Medvedev and Jobs talked about is unknown, but it’s a bonus business negotiations- according to the principle of useful with pleasant - was the presentation of the head of Apple to the Russian president. Steve Jobs gave Dmitry Medvedev a fourth iPhone, and gave it a day before the start of official sales. The photo in which Medvedev examines (one might say admires) a smartphone left no doubt that Dmitry Anatolyevich really liked it.
It was this model that was spotted with Medvedev in May 2015. The prime minister appeared at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin wearing an Apple Watch - and immediately went viral. “And #Medvedev came to a meeting with Putin today on Apple Watch. He sat modestly and didn’t tell anyone!” - an observant journalist from one of the federal media wrote on Twitter. At that time, smart Apple watches had just gone on sale and were a hot new product, so it is not surprising that Dmitry Anatolyevich and his gadget spread across social networks and blogs. Although, knowing the prime minister’s love for technology, what’s surprising here.
Another passion of the Russian prime minister is sneakers. However, the sneakers favored by Dmitry Medvedev can easily be called gadgets too, the prime minister’s favorite models are so cool and technologically advanced. Nike Flyknit Max is the pinnacle of those same technologies, Adidas x Raf Simons Formula One is a triumph of design, ASICS Onitsuka Tiger X-Caliber Pennant is a masterpiece of Japanese minimalism. Judging by the available photos and comments from experts, Dmitry Anatolyevich still chooses Nike. And what? Excellent choice. Comfortable, stylish and not that expensive, to be honest.
Dmitry Medvedev has been interested in photography since childhood. Then, according to his confessions, there was a forced break, but already in adulthood, Dmitry Anatolyevich returned to his hobby (or passion - it is difficult to define this activity). He returned and achieved considerable success. In China, Medvedev hosted an exhibition, and at an auction in St. Petersburg in 2010, a photograph of the Tobolsk Kremlin was sold for an impressive amount of 51 million rubles. It is difficult to say what attracted the buyer to this photo: either the artistic merits of the photo, or the status of the author. Or maybe both. The auction from which Medvedev's work was sold was a charity auction, so the photographer did not receive a fee. However, the prime minister’s salary deservedly allows him to buy good equipment for filming - the tools that Medvedev uses are quite decent, including a Leica S2-P and a Canon. Dmitry Anatolyevich himself takes photography seriously and at one time spoke in detail about this topic with journalists. And he even shared the difficulties that arise in the creative process. “To be honest, my job makes it very difficult for me to photograph people. Agree, it will look strange if I suddenly run out with a camera and start taking pictures of someone. I'm afraid people won't understand me... I rarely take pictures at home, but on almost any business trip I take a camera with me. I’ll be honest: it’s not always possible to photograph something interesting. But if good pictures are taken, then there remains an excellent memory of a particular trip. And I travel a lot. Basically, however, we manage to film either in residences or in hotels, and sometimes directly from the car,” the prime minister admitted.
Brioni suits
Medvedev - if we are talking about formal suits - we must give him credit, he knows how to dress with taste. And in this sense, Brioni (and sometimes Kiton) has no competitors. Dark blue or black suits, usually single-breasted, are very becoming to the head of government. Brioni generally gathered a good group of “VIPs”: among the brand’s fans were and are George Bush, Robert Kennedy, Pierce Brosnan, Al Pacino and, of course, James Bond.
Undoubtedly, the main and most famous photographer in our country. Author of the most expensive photograph sold at auction in Russia. Connoisseur of the most modern and high-quality technology. You can choose a myriad of epithets that include the word “most,” but this person needs no introduction even without them: Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev.
How it all started
I became interested in photography quite a long time ago. The first time this happened was when I went to the Palace of Pioneers, that is, probably thirty-five years ago. I had a wonderful camera then, it was called “Smena-8M”. Anyone who was involved in photography at that time knows that it was the simplest soviet camera with the most ordinary optics. It was available to all Soviet citizens, but the treatment
it required certain skills. There was no automation in the camera, not even a rangefinder; Everything, even the exposure, had to be exposed by eye. Perhaps precisely because it was simple, not fancy, as they say now, it was possible to take thoughtful, emotional and precise photographs with its help. They required an investment of effort, required to figure out how to set the exposure, how to focus, evaluate the composition and light. And, of course, the process of developing, fixing, printing, drying photographs - all this is a part of life that will never be forgotten. Maybe that’s why my interest in photography continues to persist?
Then I didn’t take pictures for a very long time and returned to photography in adulthood, after thirty years. I had the opportunity to purchase modern equipment, and the process turned into sheer pleasure.
What to shoot?
This question always faces any person who picks up a camera. I like to photograph landscapes, architecture, and, of course, people. But to be honest, my job makes it very difficult for me to photograph people. Agree, it will look strange if I suddenly run out with a camera and start taking pictures of someone. I'm afraid people won't understand me. Everything else is interesting to shoot. Of course, it turns out differently, like any person who takes photographs. But if I have a free minute, I always try to use it. I rarely take pictures at home, but I take a camera with me on almost any business trip. I’ll be honest: it’s not always possible to photograph something interesting. But if good pictures are taken, then there remains an excellent memory of a particular trip. And I travel a lot. Basically, however, it is possible to film either in residences or in hotels, and sometimes directly from the car. It's difficult otherwise.
About technology
Another topic that is often discussed on blogs is: what do I shoot with? Now, thank God, a lot of excellent equipment is being sold. About ten years ago I bought several decent film Canon cameras. Of course, today I shoot mostly digital, but sometimes I dabble in film too. Shooting on film is more difficult, but, as you know, it has its own special aroma. Therefore, cameras can be completely different. One of them is Leica, and the classic, new digital modification of the M9. It's no secret that I also use the Leica S2 - this is a new serious camera with a high-resolution matrix. I have other cameras: Canon and Nikon, good ones digital cameras with high-quality fast lenses.
Photography as art
Photography is a fairly young art. If we recall the historical retrospective, it turns out that it is only 160 years old. Every art has one general function- helps to reflect the world around us in its own way; helps us to see in it something that we have not seen or noticed before; think about things you haven't thought about before. But photography also has its own special function, its own mission. Photography, due to its fairly simple creation (no matter whether it is a daguerreotype or a digital photograph), is the most popular form of art. And years later, each negative or digital file acquires a special meaning: it remains an exact copy of a moment of life and therefore creates a certain mood, both for the photographer and those caught in the lens, and, of course, for those who simply look at the photograph.
This, in my opinion, is the main meaning of photography itself as art. It lies in a special sadness for that piece of time that will never return.
That's probably all I would like to tell you about my passion for photography. I hope this art will continue to develop. I wish everyone successful photography!
The text was prepared based on public speeches by D. A. Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev: “The meaning of photography is a special sadness about that piece of time that will never return.”
It is known that former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, among other things, is interested in photography. His photographs were shown to professional photographers, and, without naming their author, they were asked to comment on the work of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
But before we move on to the assessments of the “experts,” I would like to recall the most “modest” photograph of Dmitry Anatolyevich, which was included in the ranking of the most expensive photographs in the country.
The photograph “Tobolsk Kremlin” went under the hammer at the “Christmas ABC” auction dedicated to charity. 2010
The cost of the work is impressive by Russian standards - 51 million rubles. ($1.7 million at the 2009 exchange rate) The uniqueness of the photograph is due to the uniqueness of the author. It was taken in 2009 by now ex-President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev from a bird's eye view during an excursion.
In general, Dmitry Anatolyevich has long been known as an avid amateur photographer. The personal website of the third president of Russia even has a separate page dedicated to his photographic works.
“Besides Apple products and social networks, Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev has another obsession: photography.”
In his video blog, he once admitted that he began taking photographs as a child with a Smena-8M camera. Today Medvedev shoots with Leica, Nikon and Canon.
“I like to photograph landscapes, I like to photograph architecture and, of course, I like to photograph people,” says the Russian Prime Minister. - But, to be honest, it’s very difficult for me to photograph people because, due to my work, it will look strange if at some point I run out with a camera and start photographing someone. I’m afraid people just won’t understand me.”
photo: blogs.voanews.com Already being president, in March 2010 Medvedev participated in a Moscow photography exhibition under open air"The world through the eyes of Russians."
Editorial Bird In Flight showed his photographs to photographers Oleg Klimov, Dmitry Kostyukov, Donald Weber, Tarcisio Sanudo Suarez, curator Katya Zueva, photo editor Irene Mayorova and, without naming the author, asked to evaluate these works.
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Donald Weber
Photographer, two-time World Press Photo winner
I see an inquisitive photographer who uses his camera to explore the world. The photographs are picturesque - this means that the aesthetics and composition of the work itself come first. The one with the winding river and the one with the bridge seemed the most powerful to me.
The photographer showed an interest in “visuality.”
The severity of the landscape is revealed through these sinuous lines, which contrast with the clarity of the trees. A classic example of negative and positive, black and white, the attraction of opposites. Other images don't appeal to me because they don't take into account the space of the environment.
If you want to shoot landscapes and architecture, you have to get into the place you're shooting in order to reveal it not only graphically, but also spatially. How does the world around you influence what you do? How can it fill a compositional space and how do buildings and landscape interact to inform the photograph? To start, trust your visual instincts and don't let obvious compositional gestures dictate the shot.
(Having learned that these are photographs of Medvedev.) - Funny. If I had known, I would have been tougher! I thought these were the works of a high school student.
Photo: AP/East News. Dmitry Kostyukov
Collaborates with The New York Times, Liberation, Russian Reporter, GEO, GQ, Around the World. Former AFP photojournalist.
It is difficult to take such photographs out of context. Naturally, I immediately recognized that these were photographs of Medvedev. There is no need to talk about any creative delights here either. But documentary photography is not only composition, colors and light, but also a document (sorry for the tautology).
Most of the photos look like they were taken by a regular tourist on a regular group tour.
But there are exceptions, for example, a photo of the Kremlin from a helicopter, a sea pier with a coast guard ship on the horizon. In these photographs it is noticeable that there are no people around, that this is a reality that is inaccessible to others.
My students at Moscow State University often ask what they should film. And in recent years, we have found a good formula: if there is no topic that is wildly fascinating, then it is better to film your subculture - what surrounds you, what is accessible to you, what you know best. In this regard, Dmitry Anatolyevich is in an excellent situation - he can film what is inaccessible to many. Moreover, these photographs are important for society because they will help show what no one sees or has seen. And here the artistic side is not so valuable.
photo: RIA Novosti Katya Zueva
Curator of photo exhibitions
The photographs could be in demand as illustrations for a guide to tourist places, if they were a little more juicy. Regarding the top shooting point, I can’t say that the author successfully used its capabilities.
Tarcisio Sanudo Suarez
Photographer, winner of the International Drone Photography Awards
The photo with the mountains is a cool location, but a horizontal composition would look better. Almost all photos need color correction. The photo with the bridge looks like an amateur iPhone photo. I liked the shot of the city at night, especially the movement - as if this picture was taken from a drone that flies out of the window, although the reflection says that this is not the case. The rest of the photographs have a well-constructed composition.
Irene Mayorova
Photo editor of the Kommersant newspaper
The tower shot is an interesting geometric photo. It will look good in b/w. I will not consider in any way whether there is a cross there. If there is, then the photograph acquires a plot, additional meanings, and religious overtones. The top of this building falls into a ray of sunshine. But everything needs to be processed and shot correctly so that these details are visible. They cut off a lot on the right - the frame turned out elongated, I want to crop it more. The photograph of the city at night managed to convey a sense of movement. Buildings do not stand still, they move towards the viewer. Interesting, unusual. This is due to the rubble of buildings on the sides and the perspective. The frame also needs to be processed and made more contrast. This is a film frame - this is not a photograph. We need to make a series, I want a continuation.
The rest are amateur, passing shots. What did the author see in them, besides the beauty of nature? And if it’s about the beauty of nature, we need to wait for such lighting or a season for this beauty to capture us. There is nothing to say about each separately.
Oleg Klimov
Documentary photographer, shot for Time, Elsevier, Stern, Le Monde, Magazine-M, Izvestia, Komsomolskaya Pravda, The Independent, The Guardian, The Washington Post
If this is a series by one photographer, then I can’t say anything about his photographs, but I can say about the author’s personality: a rather lonely and complex person with a pretension to observe the world from a bird’s eye view. I don’t understand why the Motherland was removed from the navel. Should he take up photography? Why not, photography carries not only creative functions, but also psychotherapeutic ones. She heals. Sorry if I offended you, but at least be honest.
Rock albums and stylish imported clothes were a normal area of interest for a proper teenager in the early 80s. Judging by his clothing style, Dmitry Medvedev has remained faithful to the image of the right guy to this day. It seems that the president feels most natural in a casual format - jeans, Pink Floyd, you know - and boldly appears in public in cardigans, sweaters and blazers. Immediately after his election as president, Medvedev appeared in public, walking around Red Square in a knitted sweater, leather jacket and blue jeans. For most world leaders, such an outfit would be an unusual choice. But on Medvedev all this looked quite natural and appropriate.
Contrary to accusations of lack of independence, Medvedev is clearly not afraid of rumors and makes his choice contrary to established canons - for example, he wears mysterious talismans around his neck. Medvedev first appeared wearing a rubber necklace with a metal plate during a trip to the Krasnodar region in July 2009, and later in Mongolia. The public is still wondering: what is this? A gift given during the visit? Some have suggested that it is an amulet. In this case, the Russian President has a spiritual ally - Barack Obama, who, while still a presidential candidate, wore Indian, Christian and Hindu talismans, including a silver chain with two medallions and an amulet in the form of the US symbol - a bald eagle.
Medvedev loves the same photo Sports, but without fanaticism. In any case, Medvedev has not yet created the kind of fashion that arose among government officials for tennis and alpine skiing. Although it is known that from his youth he was fond of weightlifting and rowing. My latest hobby is yoga. One of the first new items in the presidential offices was the treadmill. The exercises have a good effect on Medvedev’s appearance - despite his short stature, he is harmoniously built.
His suits fit perfectly. It is known from reliable sources that all the president’s suits are made to order. The brands are not disclosed, although the inclination towards Italians is obvious - Brioni, Kiton. It is generally accepted that Berluti shoes, Brioni suits and Patek Philippe watches have become business card if not the president himself, then his staff. Speaking of watches. The most elite brands have been spotted in Medvedev’s collection. There is, for example, the Breguet Classique Simple with a white gold case. Another Breguet model from the same series features a smaller yellow gold case. There is also the Franck Muller Mariner 8080, the cost of the original model ranges from $12,000 to $20,000. The Russian Prime Minister respects sophisticated new technologies: his Mobile Phone Watch - mobile phone in a watch case, a multifunctional device with a media player, FM radio, headphone jack and Bluetooth support. So, in more detail about the image: 1. Suit A double-breasted suit for the president is rather an exception: Medvedev prefers single-breasted, dark ones. They are sewn to order, judging by the style - by Italian craftsmen. Valentin Yudashkin also participated in the formation of the highest wardrobe - his clothes were seen on the first lady.
2. Tie Medvedev has an inexplicable craving for wide ties with contrasting stripes, and sometimes even checkered and polka dots. True, lately plain ties have become increasingly common in his wardrobe. 3. Watches Even among elite Swiss watch brands, the president tends to choose models in a casual spirit, slightly reminiscent of futurism, like the Frank Vila sports chronograph on a rubber bracelet priced at about €25,000.
4. Camera Previously, the president was seen with a huge Canon DSLR, but now he has replaced it with a medium format Leica S2-P camera
5. Vinyl collection Medvedev's choice - Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and, of course, Pink Floyd.
6. Amulet The playful “bauble” on the presidential neck caused a big stir on teenage forums: wow, how indecent! Life is not easy for an innovator in a conservative country - even if he is its president.
P.S. Text - GQ magazine, photos - from various sources
Besides Apple products and social networks, Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev has another obsession: photography. In his video blog, he once admitted that he began taking photographs as a child with a Smena-8M camera. Today Medvedev shoots with Leica, Nikon and Canon. “I like to photograph landscapes, I like to photograph architecture and, of course, I like to photograph people,” says the Russian Prime Minister. - But, to be honest, it’s very difficult for me to photograph people because, due to my work, it will look strange if at some point I run out with a camera and start photographing someone. I’m afraid people just won’t understand me.” Already as president, in March 2010 Medvedev participated in the Moscow open-air photography exhibition “The World through the Eyes of Russians.”
Bird In Flight showed his photographs to photographers Oleg Klimov, Dmitry Kostyukov, Donald Weber, Tarcisio Sanudo Suarez, curator Katya Zueva, photo editor Irene Mayorova and, without naming the author, asked for an assessment of these works.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_02.jpg")
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_03.jpg")
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_07.jpg")
I see an inquisitive photographer who uses his camera to explore the world. The photographs are picturesque - this means that the aesthetics and composition of the work itself come first. The one with the winding river and the one with the bridge seemed the most powerful to me. The photographer showed an interest in “visuality.” The severity of the landscape is revealed through these sinuous lines, which contrast with the clarity of the trees. A classic example of negative and positive, black and white, the attraction of opposites. The Indian temple shot worked because the photographer used the foreground and background to create depth. Other images don't appeal to me because they don't take into account the space of the environment.
The photo with the Indian temple was a success. Other images don't appeal to me.
If you want to shoot landscapes and architecture, you have to get into the place you're shooting in order to reveal it not only graphically, but also spatially. How does the world around you influence what you do? How can it fill a compositional space and how do buildings and landscape interact to inform the photograph? To start, trust your visual instincts and don't let obvious compositional gestures dictate the shot.
(After learning that these are photographs of Medvedev.) It's funny. If I had known, I would have been tougher! I thought these were the works of a high school student.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_04.jpg")
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_05.jpg")
It is difficult to take such photographs out of context. Naturally, I immediately recognized that these were photographs of Medvedev. There is no need to talk about any creative delights here either. But documentary photography is not only composition, colors and light, but also a document (sorry for the tautology). Most of the photos look like they were taken by an ordinary tourist on a regular group tour, but there are exceptions, such as a photo of the Kremlin from a helicopter, a sea pier with a coast guard ship on the horizon.
Most of the photos look like they were taken by a regular tourist on a regular group tour.
In these photographs it is noticeable that there are no people around, that this is a reality that is inaccessible to others. My students at Moscow State University often ask what they should film. And in recent years, we have found a good formula: if there is no topic that is wildly fascinating, then it is better to film your subculture - what surrounds you, what is accessible to you, what you know best. In this regard, Dmitry Anatolyevich is in an excellent situation - he can film what is inaccessible to many. Moreover, these photographs are important for society because they will help show what no one sees or has seen. And here the artistic side is not so valuable.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_06.jpg")
The photographs could be in demand as illustrations for a guide to tourist places, if they were a little more juicy. Regarding the top shooting point, I can’t say that the author successfully used its capabilities.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_09.jpg")
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_08.jpg")
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_01.jpg")
The photo with the mountains is a cool location, but a horizontal composition would look better. Almost all photos need color correction. The photo with the bridge looks like an amateur iPhone photo. I liked the shot of the city at night, especially the movement - as if this picture was taken from a drone that flies out of the window, although the reflection says that this is not the case. The rest of the photographs have a well-constructed composition.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_11.jpg")
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_10.jpg")
The tower shot is an interesting geometric photo. It will look good in b/w. I will not consider in any way whether there is a cross there. If there is, then the photograph acquires a plot, additional meanings, and religious overtones. The top of this building falls into a ray of sunshine. But everything needs to be processed and shot correctly so that these details are visible. They cut off a lot on the right - the frame turned out elongated, I want to crop it more. The photograph of the city at night managed to convey a sense of movement. Buildings do not stand still, they move towards the viewer. Interesting, unusual. This is due to the rubble of buildings on the sides and the perspective. The frame also needs to be processed and made more contrast. This is a film frame - this is not a photograph. We need to make a series, I want a continuation.
The rest are amateur, passing shots. What did the author see in them, besides the beauty of nature? And if it’s about the beauty of nature, we need to wait for such lighting or a season for this beauty to capture us. There is nothing to say about each separately.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_12.jpg")
If this is a series by one photographer, then I can’t say anything about his photographs, but I can say about the author’s personality: a rather lonely and complex person with a pretension to observe the world from a bird’s eye view. I don’t understand why the Motherland was removed from the navel. Should he take up photography? Why not, photography carries not only creative functions, but also psychotherapeutic ones. She heals. Sorry if I offended you, but at least be honest.
("img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/medvedev_13.jpg")
Cover photo: AP/East News. Other photos: Dmitry Medvedev.
