Oleksandr Himanov recently became a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers. He is an Odessa photojournalist who not only films events, but also writes texts, talks about his journey in photography, professional challenges and the value of each frame in wartime.
Which came first: photography or text?
“I came to journalism because of photography. Writing is always more difficult for me, but photography is my love and passion,” Oleksandr says. He initially worked as a videographer, but eventually realized that sometimes photography was capable of capturing moments faster and deeper than text or video. “Photography gives a quick response, and that's its power,” says Gimanov.
Over time, the photographer began to shoot not only news, but also develop his own reports on a variety of topics. Some projects were deeper, like his historical photographic explorations, or moments of urban life: “I would call it projects, but rather sketches. I just went out to any area of Odessa, took pictures and talked with local residents about their lives.”
With the development of socio-political events in the country, his photographic style gradually evolved into complex photo reports.
The War Changed the View of Photography
Himanov shares that his view of photography has changed over time, especially after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, and later — with a full-scale invasion in 2022. He says that now the focus of his attention is on the most important events that mainly relate to the war: “After 2022, the emphasis has changed and I am no longer interested in many topics that were interesting before, such as cultural events.”
Changes also affected the style of his photos. He says he began taking portraits of people, realizing how important it was to capture personal stories that could break at any moment: “Before that, I didn't do portraits, let's say so. And now I catch myself thinking that I want to capture a person, because, unfortunately, the times are such that a person may not become.”
“Photojournalism has a beginning and an end.”
Alexander says that most of his work is now reportage, and it is this genre that allows him to best convey reality. In his approach to reportorial photography, he pays great attention to the integrity of the story. Every story for a photographer is not just a set of frames, but a visual narrative with a beginning, development and completion. At the same time, it is important that the frames are in harmony with each other: “I like to rhyme photos in a photo report. When you scroll, the next photo should echo the previous one — by color, by composition, by rhythm.”
With experience, Alexander learned to limit the number of photos in his reports, concentrating only on the most important: “Initially, the reports had 70 photos... But now I understand better that not everything is needed. As a result, I leave a maximum of 10-15 photos.”
Each report of Gimanov must have its own dynamics and a bright final photo. “The first photo should touch, and the last one should be the exclamation point of history,” he adds.
War
Photography for Alexander Gimanov has already become part of his routine and personal responsibility. He believes that even in difficult conditions, it is important to continue documenting events, especially when it comes to tragedies and the aftermath of war: “Documenting the consequences of Russian shelling has unfortunately become routine. You come to a place, you capture this reality, this tragedy.”
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Alexander documented the consequences of the war in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. He recalls how he was struck by the scale of the destruction the war left behind.
“It was terrible that some beautiful wealthy village was torn to shreds. Just to the ground, and somewhere a thin dog, who does not let anyone in, continues to sit on a chain, - says the photographer. - Scenes such as the flooding of Kherson and the destruction of the Kakhovskaya dam, deeply impressed with their absurdity and cruelty, which had to be recorded for history, of course, simply letting through itself.”
.jpeg)
The unexpected power of photography
Himanov warmly recalls one of the reports of 2020, which became special for him. It was a story not about military action or extreme events, but about an ordinary event for homeless people in Odessa, which ended in a happy end.
“We have one of the Christian missions in Odessa for the homeless. She pitched a tent and there fed and warmed people who had fallen into difficult life circumstances. A lot of homeless people came there. Among them was a drunk woman with a five-year-old boy. It was too light for such a place. It was a striking contrast. This child should not be in such a place,” recalls the photographer.
The picture of the boy among the homeless touched not only the photographer, but also his journalist colleague so much that later she, together with her husband, adopted this child. “This is a story about the power of photography. You really don't know how the event will end where you came to work,” says Oleksandr.
The sea as a symbol and a challenge
Before the war, Himanov often photographed the sea, finding in it an endless source of inspiration. But during the war, his view of the sea changed. “Photographing the sea has become difficult for me. It seemed inappropriate when there was so much pain and tragedy around. But over time, I realized that the sea is a part of us. Although it is associated with the holiday.”
Alexander hopes that someday he will be able to take pictures of the sea and people near it as carefree as possible.
“The sea is never the same. This is probably the most difficult object to photograph, because its constant movement requires attention and patience. Well, photographing the sea, you stuff your hand.”
What is important to you
Himanov considers his work more than a profession — in his opinion, it is primarily a responsibility to the country. Therefore, his photo is not only a means of bringing information to the world, but also a way to preserve history. At the same time, the photographer recognizes that it is impossible to remain completely objective in this matter.
“Reportation will never be objective, because every photographer builds a frame through his own perception. But this is the magic of photography — it conveys what is important to you,” says Alexander.
An important role in the shooting, in his opinion, is played by the emotions of the photographer towards what he shoots, because “what you like, you photograph better... and convey that story more strongly.” However, Alexander Gimanov is skeptical about the idea that photography can change the world, although he recognizes its influence: “It's nice if someone sees my photo somewhere and changes himself, and decides something for himself.”
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vera Labych
Bildeditor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
.png)
