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Award winning photographer Alexander (Sasha) Vasiljev began studying to be a fine artist but ultimately received his degree in biology with a major in botany. He curated and worked with major tropical orchid collections in Ukraine, Russia and the United States. While living in Moscow, he had the opportunity to study photography under the mentorship of distinguished landscape photographer, Boris Mashkov. Vasiljev’s own photographs soon appeared in various publications worldwide.

Since immigrating to the United States Vasiljev’s work has been exhibited in galleries and is included in many private collections. He is currently represented by MDH Fine Arts (New York, NY); Watergate Gallery (Washington, DC); Detail Gallery (Rehoboth Beach, DE). Several of his photographs are now part of the permanent collection at the Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica in Washington, DC. His work has also been exhibited at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.  

Currently Vasiljev is working on his first book, titled “Rainforest Revered. Wilderness of Costa Rica”. After many visits to Costa Rica, he has amassed a collection of photos that form an intimate portrait of the rainforest.

In addition to photography, Vasiljev is the principal make-up artist for the Washington National Opera.  

 

Q & A

» Describe your style of photography. What do you consider a successful image?

The closest I can describe my style of photography is: artistic, unconventional and sometimes whimsical. To me, if the photo tells a story or stirs imagination - it is a good photo. When it has depth and not just a depth of field.

I tend to experiment and improvise with my subjects. Having an artistic approach, I am not always looking for a completely sharp image, neither am I avoiding naturally occurring white background, or other “unacceptable” artifacts. On the contrary, these can be tools for creating something very unexpected and alluring. I believe there are no standards for a successful image except its effect and appeal to the audience, who is the ultimate judge.

 

» What is your favorite subject to photograph?

I am very passionate about the tropical rainforest. The complexity of this ecosystem and the way it sustains itself is remarkable. Its landscape is considered one of the most difficult to portray. I like the challenge of photographing what at first seems like a tangled mass of greenery. Rainforest landscapes and wildlife are my favorites to work with. I also like to photograph people.

 

» What is your favorite place in the world to photograph?

I photograph everywhere I go and believe that any place is photogenic if you attune to it. But of course I have my favorite places. One of them is Ecuador. The grandeur of the Andes, the diversity of its habitats, the great variety of wildlife and plants is remarkable. However, my favorite of all is Costa Rica. The amazingly abundant wildlife is so accessible to photograph that no other rainforest country can compete. 

 

» What equipment do you use?

Here is what I normally carry with me on the trips: two Canon EOS-1D Mark III bodies, Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM + EF1.4x II extender, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, Canon EF17-40mm f/4L, two Speedlites 580EXII, Gitzo tripod GT3540LS, Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 SP head.

 

» What is your favorite lens and why?

It is hard to tell what is my favorite lens. It’s like deciding between a fork and a spoon, when each has its own purpose.  For photography in the rainforest I like to use Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS USM + EF1.4x II extender, that gives me combined 420 mm reach.  I like this lense for being light and easy to handhold, and with its macro capability it comes very handy. I also use it for landscapes. My favotite lens for portraits is Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L USM. Shallow depth of field and beautiful background blur are the best attributes of this lens, along with being rediculously sharp.

 

» What are your favorite photography gadgets/accessories?

Sekonic Dualmaster light meter • Better Beamer flash extender • Singh-Ray Vari-ND variable neutral density filter • Hyperdrive Colorspace portable hard drive • Led Lenser pocket flashlight P7

 

» What is your position on post-processing? How far will you go in editing an image?

Post-processing is very important as it was in the past with film and now in digital photography. However, it is a broad term and could mean many things. When I post-process my wildlife and landscape images I tend to use mostly what is called “dark room techniques”. Simply put, these adjustments include fine-tuning exposure, color correction, selective dodging and burning, cropping, sharpening, and noise reduction. I often convert color images into black & white.

I almost never use cloning with exception of dust speckles, or adding canvas and reconstructing the image. After post-processing my nature images look more fine-tuned rather than recreated. At times I employ more elaborate post-processing techniques to recover certain areas of an image. But normally, I do not add or remove the subjects or backgrounds from the original. If I do, I call images digitally altered.

 

» Please describe your digital workflow, including the software you use and any third- party plug-ins?

I am fairly versed in many Adobe software programs and have successfully used Photoshop for many years. However, since Adobe released Lightroom my images rarely see Photoshop. Lightroom uses non-destructive adjustments that can be applied to RAW files and are similar to traditional darkroom techniques. This software was developed with photographers in mind and has become my main software for post-processing.

Since my camera bodies are set to ‘no-in-camera-processing’, I start with Lightroom. In its Library module I sort and select the images for processing. Then, I proceed to its Develop module where I fine-tune the images to my standards. I occasionally use third-party plug-ins: Neat Image to reduce the noise and Genuine Fractals PrintPro to resize or change the resolution of the image. Once I am satisfied with the results I copy the images to three hard drives for storing. When I need to print, I use Epson Stylus Photo R2400 printer to produce 13x19 prints or a professional photo lab. My computer and printer are color calibrated to insure correct color rendition.

 

» Do you have any special post-processing tips you’d like to share?

Post-processing is fun and as we develop our own skills and techniques our images much improve. My tips of the day are – experiment and experiment more, learn to keep processing to minimum, and be prudent with sharpening.

 

» What photographers (past and present) inspire you in your own photography?

Photographers with a strong sense of style and depth are my inspiration. I am inspiered by many past and modern photographers. But, I alaways seek my encouragement from: Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Irving Penn. I often give preference to a poignant artistic shot over a technically executed one, whether it is a portrait, landscape or wildlife. 

 

» Are there any trends or tendencies in photography today on which you care to comment?

More and more people are photographing wildlife. Digital cameras and processing, the developing eco-tourism industry, and more willing travelers are the reasons for the growing popularity of wildlife photography. There are less and less secluded places left where photographers don’t visit frequent. Amazing wildlife images are readily available through stock photography and in publications.

The competition between professional photographers is the highest it has ever been. This drives nature photographers to seek more bizarre and more intense shots. Unfortunately, often it means getting the shot at any price, and in some extreme cases resulting in torturing animals or destroying habitats. This is not a good trend and it concerns me. In my nature photography workshops I teach respect of nature and how to gain from it.

A selection of images from my recent trips to Ecuador and Costa Rica can be seen at this GALLERY

 

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Copyright © Alexander Vasiljev 2006