#haruhisacamera
Look at the picture below. We'll come back to it later, but for now, just take a look.
This is the work of Elena Novikova, creative pseudonym Lena Nova.
Elena describes herself as an amateur photographer. But I'm afraid that my keyboard keys will stick if I present her in this way.
I propose to look at Elena's work from the point of view of the perfection of the art form (for those who do not know yet, I will tell you that the art form in photography is a complete composition), the skill of using visual means, and the ideas in her photographs. By clicking on this link, you can see that she masterfully possess all three components of professional fine art photography. Therefore, I present to you the photoartist Elena Novikova.
But let's start to gradually return to Elena's work. Why did I start the article with this photo?
The fact is that I have been watching Elena's work for more than three years. Her photographs have always impressed me with their depth, which is inspired by the mystery of the artist, forcing your imagination to work.
Frankly, when analyzing the style of Elena Novikova's works, I was sure that this was the result of a special, author's way of post-processing the material in the editor. And in some cases, perhaps it is. But, a few days ago, I accidentally got to the discussion of this particular work, on Elena's personal profile.
In the comments, friends was asked her about the depth of processing of this photo. Elena's answer was extremely concise and exhaustive. And, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, this exhaustive answer gave rise to even more questions.
She showed the image from the camera, the source of the photo. Here it is:
Of the obvious changes, in my opinion, cropping, light exposure correction, development of details in the shadows and a little color correction were applied to the final image. I can't say for sure, but it seems that such changes are allowed even on reportage photography contests, that is, they are not considered changes at all. And if so, what kind of camera Lena used?
This question required an immediate answer. And Lena answered. And, as you probably already guessed, the answer was extremely concise, exhaustive, and gave rise to a new series of questions, even more than the first two put together.
It turned out that the shooting was carried out using a device called Haruhisa Camera, named after the Japanese master Haruhisa Terasaki, who invented this device.
You must have heard of Haruhisa Camera. Not? That's the first time I heard about it as well. What am I?! Even Google knows nothing about it, you can check for yourself.
I want to tell you that today, reading correspondence with Lena, the story of her acquaintance with Haruhisa Terasaki, looking at her work, and the work of other photographers who were lucky enough to become owners of Haruhisa Camera, I understand that I have encountered with incredible phenomenon, so rare in our life, and so pure in its noble majesty, that it is breathtaking! And I'm not wasting words now. I really think so.
But let's go ahead step by step.
So Haruhisa Terasaki. Japanese photographer, inventor of the device, called Haruhisacamera. By clicking on the link, you can see the photographer's portfolio on his website, look at the results of usage of the invention, and on his Facebook page, you can see the work of photographers who own Haruhisa Camera.
This device cannot be purchased. The master does not sell his invention. But he can give it as a gift. Elena Novikova said that it is known about at least 30 devices that Haruhisa Terasaki sent as a gift to photographers in different countries. In Japan, the master rents out the device.
What do you need to get such a camera as a gift? For starters, at least try to write Haruhisa Terasaki. But no one knows what criteria the master is guided by when deciding to make a gift or not. From a conversation with Elena, I realized that there are two such criteria - firstly, the desire to get a camera must be true, caused by the desire for creativity, and not curiosity or whim; second, the photographer's work must meet the high standards of Haruhisa Terasaki as a viewer.
The soul of the camera is a plate that is placed inside the box. For almost two years that I shoot with this camera, the master sent me 30 plates. Each has its own texture, its own pattern. On the master's website, the title is: "A photograph that aspires to be a painting."
I hesitated to write for a whole year. Literally. A whole year! Couldn't find the words. It seemed to me that it was somehow awkward: look at me and I want your camera. But the desire (thank God!) turned out to be stronger than awkwardness, and so I wrote: Hello! I saw the work done by your camera. And here is a link to my work (like this). Two days later the master answered me. He asked different questions about my interest, do I really want this camera or is it a whim, curiosity. I said that I have been "sick" of this for a year now. And two days later he sent me a camera. She got to me in 83 days. The only condition of the master is to add the hashtag #haruhisacamera to all published works.
I had time to think about the first shot I would take with the Haruhisa Terasaki camera, but it turned out differently).
I'll make it, that one, later. and now I share the first uninvented
The Second First Shot
4789 days, or 13 years, 1 month and 11 days elapsed between the first shot I took with a Sony camera and the shot that should have happened the first: shot with the #haruhisa camera . The shot I was thinking about -- for all 83 days that I was waiting for it. After the long and difficult trip, having got lost, (when it turned to get to Irkutsk), but yet got to me safe and sound. I took it with my hands, felt a pleasant weight and looked ... right into it’s soul?
Then, 4789 days ago, my life changed, dividing into pre-photography and photography one.
Then, 13 years, 1 month and 11 days ago, I pressed a shutter button and saw something incredibly beautiful on the screen!) absolutely, I could say that this was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen!
Today's common sense convinces me that this is not the most beautiful thing I have seen, but it is one of the top-three).
For 83 days I thought about the second “First shot”, remembering the path I had gone through. Various thoughts came to my mind until this ‘half of a kiwi, cut” appeared. And I wanted to repeat that my first picture. I wondered what it would be like now, after "eternity", which was great and so small there!
I didn't look at the 2008 picture. No remember it’s details. Took the
#haruhisa camera
. Cut the kiwi and looked through the viewfinder.
I've never seen anything more beautiful!
Here are some more works by Elena Novikova with the result "straight from the camera", and the processed options. Please note that the camera pattern is different for each image - this is the effect of different plates.
Look at these works. Well, isn't that a miracle?
The invention of the master, opening up new possibilities for conveying an artistic image, giving rise to a special style in photography. An artist who devoted himself to art and contributed to its development. A person who values his creation, and does not want to devalue it by exchanging it for money, but also not hiding it from everyone, but giving the opportunity to try others, whom he considered worthy, or close in spirit. Is this not noble majesty in all its purity?!
Just think about the gap between THIS and what this world around us is filled with. And how can it not be breathtaking to jump across the abyss, when, having overcome it, you are faced with the truth, and not with cheap hype, with what really matters and is filled with meaning, and not with shit abundantly sprinkled with cheap rhinestones of meaningless illusions. And as long as there are people like Haruhisa Terasaki on earth, all is not lost for this world.
May inspiration come for all of us to create and change the picture of the world around us!
Continue reading in the article: The soul of Haruhisa Camera