Behind the Lens
Street shooter Gulnara Samoilova
When did you first discover a love for photography? Growing up in extreme rural poverty in Ufa, in the republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, I didn’t have much familial support. I learned to rely on myself.
I got into photography in high school when I was 15. When I saw a picture developing in the darkroom, I fell in love. It was magical!
Photography became a way for me to escape the confines of an extremely patriarchal society. I became a member of a fine-art photo union, took a trip for international photographers, and was included in a travelling exhibition across the US. I realised that photography was a way out. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, I moved to New York in 1992 to study at the International Center of Photography.
Why do you think street photography is such a primary genre for so many?
With digital photography, it has become more affordable, accessible and easier than ever before. In the past photography was costly and timeconsuming – now you can pull your phone out of your pocket and make pictures anywhere you are. You can edit them, share them, post them and send them around the world in seconds.
I think people love street photography because it’s fun. We all walk around seeing amazing, crazy, beautiful things flash before our eyes. Street photography allows us to preserve these fleeting moments of life.
As anyone who has ever made a street photography image knows, it may be fun, but it’s not easy. It takes a lot of work. You have to be present, be patient, be observant, and then be quick on the draw.
Are there any noticeable differences in style between photographers of different nationalities?
I am a big fan of Turkish, Iranian and Russian female photographers. Their photographs are poetic. I see so much fluidity and layers. European photographers are different because they cannot take pictures of people’s faces due to new laws, so I see different kinds of street photography originating there. Middle Eastern photographers also do not photograph a lot of faces, but they play with light and shadow in a very subtle way; I’m a big fan.
What are the main ingredients of a powerful street photograph?
When I look at an image, I’m looking for a moment, and the moment trumps everything to me. If you have an
Top: ‘Untitled’ by Graciela Magnon.
Above: ‘Cloud Eaters’ by Gulnara Samoilova.
amazing moment, but maybe a weaker composition and the lighting is boring, it’s still great. If there is fantastic lighting and great composition but no moment, then it’s a weak photograph.
You achieve powerful photography with a powerful moment, wellcomposed and lit. That’s the trifecta.
If you could only take out one single lens for a day, what would it be?
A 28mm. This is the only lens I had for the last several years: it gives me a comfortable distance from people that feels intimate, yet I’m not in their face. Now with the pandemic, I have to stay away from people, so I switched to a 35mm because 28mm feels like I am too far away. When I went to Russia in January, I didn’t even take out my 28mm. I was shooting with a 35mm.
Women Street Photographers, edited by Gulnara Samoilova, features the work of 100 photographers from 31 countries (£24.99/$35;ISBN:978379137823). womenstreetphotographers.com