Alexander Tarasenkov
The newspaper "Southern Horizons" about Alexander Tarasenkov solo exhibition "Equinox".
The newspaper "Southern Horizons" wrote about the exhibition "Equinox".
(the author's text of the journalist of the newspaper is quoted verbatim): 
"A vernissage of Alexander Tarasenkov, a member of the Union of Photographers of Russia, an honorary member of the International Academy of Contemporary Arts, was held at the Varshavka Gallery-Workshop. The correspondent of "South" talked to the photographer about creativity and the future of the profession.The new cycle of works by Alexander Tarasenkov is amazing. Each shot is like a Tarkovsky film paused. A snag in an evil, seething stream of water. The sun's rays breaking through the dense branches of fir trees. A lone figure walking sedately along a packed snowy road. Fishermen melancholy unwinding tackle on a wooden pier. In each image there is something native and familiar, as if long forgotten, but kept in memory. Here is no only one thing - a variety of colors.Be it street photographs of people.“I prefer to take black and white pictures,” Alexander explains. — Looking at modern photography, at the brightness of colors and the abundance of all kinds of filters, it is easy to lose the most important thing - the essence. How, then, to distinguish professional work from a successful snapshot from a vacation? Each frame can and, in my opinion, should be considered as a complete work, to see the big picture. Unfortunately, color often steals attention. Color steals the viewer, especially now.However, this creative decision also has its own philosophy: according to the photographer, it is impossible to clearly define the era from a black and white photograph.landscape shots, architectural objects, shots will be made in black and white - this helps to focus the viewer's attention on the essence and mood of the photos.“Look at this shot,” he draws attention to a photo of a church on a hill. - When was it made? Yesterday, a year ago, twenty years, fifty? If it was a color photograph, there would be no particular problems: the overall quality, how the colors are transmitted, even the color of the domes can be determined. And the monochrome image keeps this secret. I will say even more, some photographers specifically shoot with old cameras or add grain to the pictures in order to “age” them.Alexander began working with black and white images as a child. In his school years, he attended a photo circle, but then things did not go beyond hobbies. However, the love of photography did not disappear - already in the 2000s, he agreed without hesitation when he was offered a job in the Russian representative office of the largest photo agency in the world.- Then I have not yet returned to photography, - says Alexander. – My duties included daily review and selection of pictures that were sent to us, and, it should be noted, this helps me a lot today: in any creative profession, it is important not to repeat yourself, but you can create something unique only if you you can't repeat everyone else. Therefore, I can easily find unusual angles - my memory tells me whether I saw something like this or not.Alexander began to actively photograph only in 2013. Having chosen street photography as a genre, he quickly found his own style ... And with it, recognition. His works were exhibited in more than thirty countries of the world, invited to Art Weeks and various competitions. Now the photographer began to actively try his hand at landscape photography. By the way, it was he who presented it at the exhibition in the gallery-workshop - shots from a sanatorium in the Tver region are very different from the street genre familiar to Alexander.“It seems to me that there is nothing more important in life than finding yourself,” he says. - Not your place, not your niche, but yourself. I'm good at street photography, but that doesn't mean I have to stop and stop experimenting with other genres. Try, look for little things and details that can hook you to the living, and in this case everything will work out. Without the desire to learn and find your own approach to problems, you can’t not only take pictures, but, in principle, strive to become a professional. And why else live, if not for the sake of becoming the best of the best in your business?
DOSSIERBorn April 27, 1971 in Moscow. Since childhood, he was fond of photography, but took it seriously only in 2013. A year later, in 2014, he took part in the first professional exhibition. Winner and prize-winner of foreign and domestic photo exhibitions, member of the Russian Union of Art Photographers."