Photographer is a fairly common profession among our immigrants to the USA. We decided to find out how they live in America and talked to three girls from different parts countries that have personal experience work

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Alina Ryabinina: I don't think that the presence higher education photography is a must, but you need to learn and develop. To reach a certain level, you must invest time and effort into studying what you do. You can watch training videos for hours if you don't want to go to college, and then put them into practice. And hone, hone your skills. I completed an online photography course in 2011 at the Photography Institute (London), and participated in many workshops with other photographers. And upon arriving in America, I went to Santa Monica College for 2 years to get an AA Degree in photography.

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“ZagraNitsa”: Photography is often considered more of a hobby than a job. Is it possible to make money from this and live on this money in America?

A.R.: You can live on a photographer’s income if you are ready to shoot everything and invest enough effort, energy and time in searching for orders. If you moved not long ago and no one knows about you yet, orders will not appear by themselves. At first, you will most likely have to take on filming for $50 dollars, which you yourself will find on craigslist and similar sites, in order to earn client base. The photography market in California is super saturated, but there are also a lot of clients. At first, with 3-4 shoots a month, you, of course, will have to work somewhere else or live from savings, because you certainly can’t live here on $500 a month! Periodically (if you good photographer) you will come across orders like a wedding for $2000 with partial prepayment or a portrait shoot for 30 minutes for $450. But it is important to remember that water does not flow under a lying stone, and in Los Angeles it is instantly “covered with sand.”

A.R.: The most unusual one was probably in Greece. I lived on a boat for a week, taking photos and videos for a company that deals with regattas and yacht trips. Unforgettable feelings! Once they lifted me to the very top of the mast so that I could remove the yacht from there. This is exactly the case when fear is mixed with happiness!

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“ZagraNitsa”: Do you think it is necessary for a photographer to have a special education? Where and how did you learn to take photographs?

Galina Plevako: Photography appeared in my life about 10 years ago. At that time, like many beginners, it was more like a pleasant hobby, but every day I became more and more imbued with the process. A hobby has turned into a profession! I gained experience, experimented, and came to the conclusion that my areas of focus are weddings, family photo sessions and love stories, as well as portfolio photography. Why? Probably because in this particular work there is no room for falsehood, and your task is to convey emotions and reveal a person.

Professional education for a photographer is extremely important, but in practice it happens that gifted self-taught photographers take better pictures than those who have graduated special school. I started as a practitioner, and then decided to expand my knowledge at the Lotus photography school in Dubai, which I graduated in 2010.

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G.P.: As long as photography is just a hobby for you, you won’t make money. If you engage in photography professionally, working, for example, for publications, advertising campaigns, magazines, etc., then you can earn very decent money and live in any country in the world. However, you should understand that when photography becomes your business, the degree of responsibility for the result increases in proportion to your earnings. There is always a need to constantly improve and “be on trend”. The size of the fee will depend on the level of the photographer and his experience, as well as on the portfolio and recommendations.

“ZagraNitsa”: Tell us about your most unusual or memorable photo shoot.

G.P.: The most memorable shoot was at the Parus Hotel in Dubai, where the wedding of an Arab sheikh took place in the presidential suite. The unique palette of national traditions of an Arab wedding, luxury and pathos - a truly grandiose spectacle! You discover this unknown world and at the same time become a part of it. Through the prism of rituals and religion, living emotions appear, and this is powerful. The atmosphere of the action itself is unforgettable. I would wish every photographer to experience this.

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“ZagraNitsa”: Do you think it is necessary for a photographer to have a special education? Where and how did you learn to take photographs?

Maria Boguslavskaya: If you have a crazy desire to take photographs, then I am absolutely sure that you don’t have to study. Everything I know was read on the Internet or discovered through trial and error.

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“ZagraNitsa”: Photography is often considered more of a hobby than a job. Is it possible to make money from this and live on this money in America?

M.B.: Many people think so, but for me back in Ukraine it became extra work which brought more money than the main one. I haven’t been in the USA for very long, and it’s hard for me to judge from my own experience; I started filming here literally a month ago, it wasn’t possible before. In a year, I think I’ll be able to answer for sure. But I’m sure that in the USA you can live on a photographer’s salary.

“ZagraNitsa”: Tell us about your most unusual or memorable photo shoot.

M.B.: When I am asked this question, I immediately remember one photo shoot. She was there two or three years ago, it was about minus ten outside. I took a photo of my classmate in a long red dress in the park. There were even goosebumps on my cheeks! It's hard to choose just one; there are so many wonderful people who helped make their photo shoots memorable for me.

Let's look at the job search process of our compatriots in Los Angeles. What is the Work and Travel program? What vacancies can Ukrainians and Russians count on without knowledge in English in 2019.
The United States of America remains the promised land for many people. 2018 was not an easy year for Russian economy, so our compatriots, hoping for the best, set off to look for themselves on foreign shores. Many Russians willingly choose the East Coast for themselves. California is famous for its beautiful weather, beaches and one of the largest entertainment industries in the world.

Evening panorama of Los Angeles

This looks so tempting that, according to statistics, about 30% of all Russian immigrants come to Los Angeles and its suburbs.

The two most important tasks when moving to the United States are finding housing and work. There are no problems with accommodation in Los Angeles. There are many relatively inexpensive hostels, the opportunity to rent an apartment or room, and when the main flow of tourists subsides, you can even find a hotel room at quite reasonable prices. Those who want to save on housing and can drive a car can always find a place to live in nearby cities. There will be no problems solving this problem, but the work will be more difficult.

Most often people from creative professions come to Los Angeles. There is no mystery in this. Many film studios, galleries, performance venues, dance and theater schools are scattered throughout the City of Angels.

Walk of Stars in Los Angeles

It is possible to find yourself in this field, but it is difficult, and it will take a long time, but you need money right away. If you came here with a classical education, then things are different. But more on that below.

Trips under the Work and Travel program in 2018 often ended in failure, and no one provides you with the promised job. Then there are only two logical options left: go home or look for a job yourself.

More often, people choose the second because they feel sorry for the money spent, and America promises mountains of gold to those who conquer it. Plus, the people who came under this program have a work permit, and in principle they can contact any recruiting company, fill out applications and resumes, and then wait. And, of course, pay. For non-residents, such services are paid.


You will have to wait a long time, because in accordance with US laws workplace goes to the visitor if no suitable candidates with American citizenship, residence permit or Green Card have been found within 3 months. The chances of luck here are slim.

Most likely, you will get a job that is not very well paid, hard or dirty, which the locals refuse. But it's better than nothing.

If you are looking for a job without documents confirming your right to work in the United States, things are more difficult, but there is a way out. Job advertisements can often be found on the very popular site craigslist.com. Websites of Russian communities and organizations also periodically publish available vacancies on their Internet portals and Facebook pages. On the same craigslist there are advertisements about seasonal work, part-time and part-time jobs.

Example of a work visa for a trip to Los Angeles and other US cities

During the warmest season in Los Angeles, you can get a job as an assistant to a wedding photographer, and there are a lot of them in the city. Also, the fashion for on-site registrations has swept the metropolis to such an extent that places on the coasts and restaurants nearby are booked for years to come. Therefore, during the wedding season you can always find a part-time job.

Professional workers

If you are a master in any form of creativity: drawing, singing, sewing or making arrangements from dried flowers, you can find yourself a small income by selling your work. To do this, you can register on etsy.com. If you truly do something better than others, you will be noticed quickly.


Exclusive and unique items are extremely popular in Los Angeles and other states.

Difficulty getting a job

For Russians who come to America, there are three situations: when they know English well, when they know English at a basic level, and when they can speak only a couple of sentences in it, and only with the help of a translator and a dictionary. It's good that now there are many mobile applications who can communicate on everyday topics, but this is unlikely to help when applying for a job.

How to find a job with low English proficiency

Perhaps one of the most current issues For those who come, the main challenge is to find a job with a low level of language proficiency. If you have at least a small supply of money, and your intentions for the USA are serious, then it is better to take language courses. They won't ask what you're doing in the country, so it's safe way learn at least the basics of English.

You can also try to find free courses. They are found at churches, charitable foundations and evening schools. Addresses and telephone numbers can always be found on the Internet or in local directories. For example, such courses are offered by LAUSD Adult Schools.

Usually, without knowing the language, you can find a job as a loader, cleaner or dishwasher. For waiters, they recruit those who can at least competently take orders.


For such work, payment occurs once a week; it is also possible to agree on daily payments in accordance with the number of hours worked. The main thing is to cope well with your responsibilities, then you are guaranteed a stable salary.

How to find a job with a high level of English proficiency

Very often, Russians who come here with knowledge of English are confident that America will fall at their feet. Usually this illusion disappears after a couple of days. The California dialect, especially in everyday communication, is different from New York or the one you learn in language courses, at school, university.

In Los Angeles there are many people from Latin countries who speak an unknown language called Spanglish, which is a cross between English and Spanish. In addition, here you can hear:

• Mexican English;
• "language of the streets";
• Afro-English;
• and many other languages ​​for which they do not sell tutorials.

One lesson from the English language tutorial

All these features will make any certified linguist just a silent listener. The advantage is that they adapt faster, and within a week they will be able to find a job with higher pay. Although you shouldn’t expect that you will be able to find your dream job right away.

You can search for it in the same way as people with a low level of English: through websites, recruiting agencies, advertisements. But unlike them, you can still go to cafes, restaurants and shops, talk to sellers and owners, perhaps they will like you and hire you. In the job search process, the main thing is to be realistic or lucky, but more on them later.

Successful profession

Cooks, hairdressers, nurses and caregivers - all these professions will always be in demand, especially in a city like Los Angeles. People here live at a fairly fast pace.

Dine in a cafe is faster and sometimes cheaper, so the number of seats Catering in the city there are more than one thousand. In a city where everyone wants to be a media person, professions in the beauty sector are in demand: makeup artists, stylists, fitness trainers, nutritionists, image makers and others who somehow fall into this list.

What will be tested here is not your diploma, but your skills. For many professions here, even the coolest Russian certificate will not mean anything. You will still have to obtain all sanitary and other work permits on site.

Work in Los Angeles in 2019, in the very big city the third largest American state of California, will allow you to immigrate to the USA for permanent residence, earn good money and plunge into the unforgettable atmosphere of modern Western culture. It is one of the world's main centers of entertainment, tourism, science, education, information technologies and medicine.

The city's economy includes highly developed military, aerospace, oil refining, electrical and automotive industries. Practically in each of the listed areas, experienced foreign specialists are required, including from the CIS countries.

Work in Los Angeles for Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and other foreigners in 2019 is available for both highly qualified workers and applicants without special qualifications. A large number of Migrant workers find vacancies in California as nannies, caregivers, waitresses, drivers, au pairs, and so on.

A sunny Californian city with a comfortable climate, many trendy cafes, bars and restaurants, quality medical care and the opportunity to study at the most prestigious American universities, attracts foreigners from different corners planets. However, it is worth taking into account the fact that the cost of living in Los Angeles is very high. For example, real estate prices are 15-20% higher than the national average.

Other negative aspects include significant air pollution, crime rates and poor (by American standards) transport system. The most popular method of transportation local residents- this is car. Next, we will consider the specifics of employment, job search options, current vacancies and salaries in Los Angeles in 2019.

In the minds of most foreigners, Los Angeles is associated with the famous California beaches, stormy nightlife, glamorous stars of show business and cinema, expensive areas like Hollywood And Beverly Hills. In fact, this is far from the case. In terms of population density, the City of Angels ranks second in the country after New York. This is a powerful economic and industrial center where concentrated great amount"whales" of US big business.

The population of Los Angeles in 2019 is over 3.9 million people. The city is divided into more than 100 districts and quarters. Some of them are compactly populated by individual ethnic groups- Mexicans, Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans, Iranians, Armenians and many other nationalities. The Russian-speaking community numbers tens of thousands of representatives, which also greatly simplifies the process of labor migration to Los Angeles from Russia or Ukraine.

Ethnic and cultural diversity allows specialists from abroad to adapt as quickly as possible to new environment and not feel like a stranger. Los Angeles is home to people from at least 180 countries who speak 140 different languages. About 40% local population are Latinos, and Spanish second most popular after English. This is also something to consider when looking for a job in Los Angeles.

Whatever region of the United States of America labor migration is planned to, a foreigner must understand that he will end up in a country with the largest economy in the world. Especially if we're talking about about this big state like California. Decent wages and career prospects directly depend on competition in the local labor market. In Los Angeles, the “battle” for vacancies is very tough. If an immigrant does not have a US green card, which allows him to freely live and work in the country, then he must prepare in advance for the long journey of preparing permits for relocation.

Let us immediately note that it is not worth the risk of finding employment in the United States on an illegal basis. American laws allow special services to deal very effectively with such workers and deportation to their homeland will be guaranteed. Although, many migrants have been working illegally in Los Angeles for years and are quite happy with their status. In any case, it's better in advance find an employer and get one of the many work visas, which will allow the official implementation professional activity in California.

California State Labor Department - dir.ca.gov

Popular job search sites in Los Angeles

Famous Los Angeles Newspapers

If you can’t find a job in Los Angeles without intermediaries, contact a local recruiting agency. Scroll official companies look .

Jobs and salaries in Los Angeles in 2019

According to some reports, every sixth worker in Los Angeles is employed in the entertainment industry and related fields - cinema, television, music, art, design. More than 500 thousand people work in the manufacturing industry. Huge numbers of professionals work at the port, which is the busiest in the United States and a true hub for global trade. Foreigners should pay attention to searching for vacancies in Los Angeles in these areas.

From January 1, 2019, the minimum wage in Los Angeles (California) is set at 12 dollars per hour for companies with more than 25 people And 11 dollars at one o'clock for companies with less than 25 employees. At the national level in the United States, the rate $7.25. Average wage in Los Angeles in 2019 reaches 5 thousand dollars per month. Much depends on the profession and workplace. For example, company managers, experienced financiers and programmers receive up to 10 thousand and more.

Jobs in Los Angeles for Russians and Ukrainians in 2019 are available in the field of entertainment, biotechnology, construction, engineering, tourism, fashion, trade, information technology, and the oil industry. There are more chances to find work with qualified technical specialists in large international corporations. Work in Los Angeles is often offered to Russians as nannies, caregivers, maids, salespeople, and makeup artists. Men can find vacancies as drivers and laborers. Pay for labor here in the area 2-3 thousand dollars per month.

In conclusion, I would like to note that every year thousands of young girls and boys go to the “City of Angels” in the hope of realizing themselves in the film industry, modeling business and other creative professions. Everyone in Los Angeles is made for this the necessary conditions. Unfortunately, only a few achieve success. Take care of yourself and remember that working illegally in a foreign country is very dangerous.

Los Angeles is a rather attractive place, not only for many young Americans, but also for Russians who are just planning to settle in the United States. However, this city has one significant drawback - it is very expensive to live. And if you don’t know where and how to find work in Los Angeles, you won’t last long here, even if you have savings.

However, there is no need to despair. In addition to expensive housing, southern California has one important advantage - it’s really much easier to find a job in Los Angeles than in some crowded province where renting an apartment costs pennies.

How to quickly find a job in Los Angeles

So, you just flew into LAX, stayed with friends, or found yourself a room online for $800-$1,000 a month. We will assume that you are in America legally - which means a green card and a social insurance you have. If not, and you find yourself in Los Angeles on a tourist visa, then finding a job becomes more difficult. The only exception would be if you have a friend who has already given you some kind of vacancy that pays cash. As in Russia, an employer who uses the labor of illegal workers in America faces big trouble. Therefore, few people will want to hire a Russian with an expired tourist visa.

Illegal work in Los Angeles

Is it possible to find a job in Los Angeles without a green card? Actually yes. A common illegal employment scheme is the work of a nurse/housekeeper/babysitter for women. For example, a married couple interested in a permanent home helper is willing to pay her approximately $1,500 per month with room and board. For an illegal immigrant from Russia or Ukraine, this is very decent money. A woman arrives on a tourist visa, works for 2 years in a family, usually to care for elderly relatives or a child, and then returns back to her place in Smolensk or Zhitomir with $25-30 thousand. Of course, upon departure she will be officially deported with a ban on entry into the United States in the future, but this does not change the essence. The main thing in this scheme is to obtain a visa to come to America.

For men, the search for illegal work becomes somewhat more complicated, since no one will hire a guy to live with him or to look after a child. Accordingly, you will have to spend money on renting a room. And in L.A. this is difficult. Even if you find her without documents (which is unlikely), then considering low level paying illegal immigrants, you won’t get very rich. In the best case, you will be able to save $500 a month, if you don’t put on too much fat.

You shouldn’t really forget that upon entering the United States, you have the opportunity to legalize your stay by applying for political asylum or applying for a work visa. But this is not as easy as it seems. At a minimum, you need an experienced lawyer.

Where to look for work in Los Angeles

The easiest place to find a job is on Craiglist.com. Every day a bunch of vacancies in Los Angeles are published there, you can even choose in the area where it is more convenient for you, so as not to be stuck in traffic jams and not spend money on gas.

Craigslist is a very convenient job search service, but it has some peculiarities. Basically there are vacancies for unskilled and semi-skilled work force. If you are looking for a job as a programmer or, for example, a Russian language teacher at an educational institution, then in addition to Craigslist, you should pay attention to specialized job search sites in California and the USA in general. Among them the most famous are:

The Russian-speaking community in Los Angeles is special topic. There are a great many Russians in this city, in any case, no less than 100 thousand people. However, unlike New York, where there are several times more of them, and, moreover, there is an entire territorial community for Russian speakers - Brighton Beach, there are no Russian neighborhoods in Los Angeles, unfortunately or fortunately. And the community itself is not as close-knit as in New York. If you are looking for a job with Russians, I advise you to pay attention to forums and specialized VKontakte groups where Russian-speaking Californians communicate. You can also leave a message about your job search there. Perhaps someone can help.

What is the salary level in Los Angeles

It is a myth that salaries are high in Los Angeles. That is, they are, of course, high relative to Florida or Nebraska, but the cost of living eats up everything. To start, expect to earn $13-15 per hour or $100-130 per day. It seems that this is very good by Russian standards, but most You will have to pay what you earn for room, gas and food. If you rent an apartment, then get ready to live from hand to mouth. Apartment rental prices in Los Angeles have now increased significantly. Now it is almost impossible to find anything decent for less than $1500-1600 per month.

A salary of $100 a day is the rock bottom. Dishwashers, extras in movies, mowing lawns, cleaning swimming pools. If you want to make ends meet, look for a job delivering something with your car. There are many job openings in Los Angeles. If you look hard enough, you can earn $150-200 for a full day of 8-10 hours. Well, if you have a local license for something (hairdresser, taxi driver, truck driver), then you can not only rent a normal apartment, but even save for a rainy day or improve your credit history.

How to become a successful photographer and move to the USA: interview with Kirill Karetin

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Kemerovo resident Kirill Karetin, having been engaged in wedding photography for almost eight years, managed to travel to a dozen European cities, live in Thailand and the USA, enter the local market and photograph hundreds of different young people married couples. He is sure that the main thing in his work is to give himself completely to it, otherwise the pictures turn out “without a soul,” and people feel it. Not long ago, Kirill returned to the capital of Kuzbass, gave a master class for Kemerovo photographers, and also talked with the site’s correspondent about everything that is somehow related to photography.

– Let’s start in order: when did you take up photography? After all, as far as I know, you did not graduate from these universities of yours. I mean profile ones.

– Well, the hobby probably began in 2008. I was working at a Honda dealership then, it took a high position in the ranking of car dealerships, and we were given trips to Japan. I took my sister’s camera, she is my photographer, and went. And I really enjoyed filming during the trip! I thought it was very interesting and I needed to delve into it all. Coincidentally, with the then crisis, the salon’s activity had greatly declined, and I had to think about whether to stay in this business or do something else. I chose the second one. And somehow I managed to quickly change my profile, enter the market, and then photography grew from a hobby into a job.

I didn't study this anywhere specifically. It seems to me that we don't have any smart educational institutions. The vast majority of photographers I know who are good at something are self-taught. Anyone who wants to learn it himself. But this does not mean at all that, for example, I sat at home and studied books and articles non-stop. No, I constantly corresponded with someone, someone wrote to me, I went to all sorts of photographers’ parties. When I moved to St. Petersburg, it all became much more active. Constant communication, exchange of experience. In a highly competitive environment, you always learn quickly and adopt new practices.

Plus the internet is abundantly filled educational materials. There are courses on everything! If you want to study strobe - please, if you want to understand the basics of exposure - study it, if you want studio shooting - and this is there. Some are paid, some are free, but there is a lot of material. In general, the main rule: to learn to photograph, you need to take photographs. Of course, it seems that everything is very simple: here is the camera, here are the buttons. But photography is not only about the ability to press a button at the right moment. This is the totality of the qualities of the person behind this camera: how educated he is, how well-read he is, what images and ideas he has in his head. And this spills over into his work.

– Perhaps you, how to put it correctly, just have a feeling of photography or something. Besides, your sister is a photographer, as you said yourself. Can you say that you are lucky?

- Of course, I was lucky. But my sister never messed with me. She helped me get involved, gave me some basic concepts, and then took me with her to two shoots. I looked, tried, Masha said that I could do everything myself. And she let me go in peace. Then I started filming completely independently.

Regarding the feeling of photography. I have friends who graduated from art school, and there they were told that all the images that we draw, that we recreate, were shown earlier or we saw it somewhere. Maybe in early childhood in the form of some scraps from films, magazines. And this is etched into our memory. But there is also some completely cosmic version that this is initially inherent in the life of every person. Everything we reproduce is what we have in our heads. I don’t presume to judge whether this is actually so, but there is some truth in it.

– Why did you start photographing weddings? It seemed to me that without experience there was nothing to do there.

– It’s simple here: money. Everything is trivial, I wanted to quickly decide where I would earn money, because in the spring of 2009 I saw how in a couple of months I would lose my job. And so it happened. And I had to understand how I would earn money and where to direct all my strength. Well, weddings are a promising direction on all fronts. Of course, on the one hand, it’s difficult to start without much experience. It depends on your luck though. Some people wedge in easily, others not so much.

In general, this is not difficult to do, but now it’s even easier. Only the entry into our business in terms of technology has become much higher due to the increase in the exchange rate. If earlier it was possible to assemble a nice set for 100-150 thousand and work with it, now this figure needs to be multiplied by two. And a retired office worker will not always have such an amount. At one time, I saved up some money and sold my car. A certain amount of capital appeared: not significant enough to start a business, but I didn’t want to just waste this money. That's why I immediately bought the equipment.

In general, it turns out that I have always been wedding photographer. I actually initially started photographing weddings, and only after that I diversified into families and children. Now we are actively moving into the corporate sector and offering photo services for any needs of any company. From shooting business portraits and corporate events to exteriors, interiors and some goods.

- But let's go back to the beginning of your creative path. It turns out that after Kemerovo you will immediately go to St. Petersburg?

– I first went to Thailand. I got a work visa, opened a company, and received a work permit. Well, I prepared in advance, of course, I found people who would help me. I lived there for three months and somehow... I didn’t want to stay there. Initially, the idea was to take a one-way ticket, live there, take photographs, develop the direction of weddings in the tropics, do photography on the beaches, and get involved in the local community. In general, to provide all photographic services that are only possible in the warm conditions of Phuket. But in reality, completely different aspects of life emerge. It just became clear to me that I didn’t want to live there. I collected my thoughts, returned to Kemerovo, saved up some money and, as I remember now, on May 20, 2010, I flew to St. Petersburg. And I already lived there until the beginning of 2015.

– And yet, what were the reasons that prompted you to leave Thailand?

– Exclusively some kind of internal discomfort. Looking ahead, I will say that this is what happened with the States. I lived there for a year and a half. At first it seemed to me that it was Thailand that I didn’t like, because Asia is a completely different world. That is, when you live there, you don’t just sunbathe and swim, but you think about socialization, you think about the future, about children, about family, about friends, about life. And somehow I didn’t see my life there. I thought it was a matter of country, but in the West peace is closer to us. This captivated me, just as I was captivated by the fact that many acquaintances live in the States. And I went to Los Angeles. Having lived there, I realized that the essence of the difference in mentalities is the same: even in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, even in the USA. And I realized that I didn’t want to live anywhere except Russia. It turns out that I was in America from February 2015 to the end of May 2016. 16 months. I just recently returned and am planning to settle in Moscow.

When filming in other cities, I don’t rest at all; it’s not a vacation, as many might think. There is enough time to arrive, inspect the place, spend the night, shoot and fly back. This takes three to four days. Moreover, such filming, as a rule, does not generate income: it’s good if you break even, because often foreign weddings generally go into the red, since people go to shoot them for the sake of their portfolio. Sometimes you manage to see a little of the city you are going to, and that’s all.

– How did you actually get into the European market?

– Partly – dating, partly – websites. There is such a site – WedGo – where they look for “travelling” photographers. When a photographer travels to another city or country, on this website he indicates where and on what dates he will be. And those tourists or those couples who want a love story or a wedding somehow manage not to pay him for tickets, but pay for the standard amount of work. And it turns out that he is in the black and they are in the black. I had the same experience with Prague. I then planned to go and film at zero, and at the same time relax there for a week. After registering on the site, I got another pair, and I was even in the black.

Well, for example, Belgium and Holland turned out to be through different contacts. This is about how social networks, recommendations and word of mouth work. I was noticed by some bridesmaids long ago, and when the opportunity arose, they recommended me to the newlyweds. They were just looking for a European photographer and were faced with prices and quality of work there. Probably due to the fact that there is much less demand there, and therefore there are fewer photographers, the level of work is much lower than in Russia. This is objective. Here, a completely average photographer in St. Petersburg or Moscow shoots much cooler than a very good and expensive photographer in Europe. They film in a boring way. Those photographs that give Russian photographers, immediately stand out on the market, I personally quickly noticed this in the States. At that time, few people knew me there; I simply registered in the general catalog of photographers. And they chose me from it based on my portfolio, paid me money and highlighted my shooting style.

In the West, on all the film sets I encountered, they are surprised at the amount of work that we are used to doing. That is, I want to photograph the couple so much, but she literally needs half an hour for a short photo shoot. IN full height, waist-deep, hugged, kissed, turned around, walked around. All. Half an hour to shoot, an hour maximum, and that’s if you go somewhere far away. As a rule, filming takes place in one place, without traveling. Because people care about the event itself, the report from it, and not about the huge amount of production. And they under no circumstances shift this responsibility to the photographer. You can really feel it. No one looks at you and asks you what to do or how to plan your day. There are coordinators for this. Our market is slowly moving in this direction, but, of course, very slowly.

– People there are more open, even judging by your photographs.

– That’s right, they are easier to climb. And there are no hosts at weddings, for them it’s kitsch. For example, an acquaintance of mine went to Italy, where a Russian-Italian wedding took place. And he was the host rather for the Russian guests, but also for the Italian ones. And it was completely incomprehensible to them why someone should tell them what to do and somehow entertain them. They themselves have a great time and communicate. The newlyweds walk from one guest to another, everyone dances a lot, and no one is bored.

– By the way, have you ever had situations when clients didn’t like your photos?

- Were. Photographers I know say that this is about one dissatisfied client out of 40-50 weddings a year. The most interesting thing is that this is often due to the fact that, for example, I was overworked, did not give the clients pictures on time, everything overlapped, and the bride is pregnant. Like a snowball, in general. But a year later they write to me, apologize and say what magical pictures they turned out to be! This, of course, makes me happy. It happened that the bride was dissatisfied, and the groom called back and said that she was simply breakdown, and they really liked everything, they are incredibly happy. I constantly ask everyone how they like the photographs, what they think. Feedback It's always there, it's important. There were a few neutral answers, but there was no specific negativity.

- Let's talk a little about your small homeland. You recently returned to Kemerovo, can you tell me how things are with photography here?

– Yes, I was here in the summer and gave a master class. I listened to people's moods. There is, of course, some uncertainty due to the drop in demand and changes in the market. But we can fix everything. And here there are examples of people who do everything right, promote competently and shoot well at the same time. Everything works for them, everything is great.

But in general, I attribute this solely to the fact that people do not quite understand how photographers should promote themselves. And those simple tips that I gave worked literally during the master class. In the morning, a person does a series of actions, writes something, tags people on Instagram, and by the evening he already receives orders. This is a banal SMM. You have to flash, you have to be on topic. You need to let people see that you are a photographer, and not sit and wait for work to appear.

“But sometimes it happens that work is work, but you just give up.” Maybe something happened, there is no inspiration at all, no mood to shoot something. What to do in such situations?

– We must be stable. That's why we get paid, that's why we're professionals. There's an unspoken rule in wedding planner circles that when they're looking for photographers to partner with on a regular basis, they want them to be less creative. Because here you need to perform specific tasks, know how to get out of situations when, for example, there is no ceiling in the room and you need to place flashes around the room, solve something with the light. And that includes maintaining strict timing and taking the necessary pictures. There is very little creativity here, as well as a personal relationship: rather, the experience gained and the ability to work with people, the ability to see beyond as soon as possible his necessary sides, angles, find contact with him. Personally, I don’t have time for creativity. Well, you should always be a professional, and the most important thing is not to interfere with your life and work. And then everything will work out.

Journalist: Maxim Polyudov
Photo: Kirill Karetin