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Mike Bazhenov
@mike_bazhenov
Landscape photographer based in Russia
At school we had this regular expeditions to different places and I really enjoyed them. Spending moments in nature and looking at the stars were some of my favorite things to do when I was younger, and I still love doing it. Nowadays, I live in a big city in the middle of Russia, Krasnoyarsk. It has over 1 million inhabitants. The city is not really my place to be, I am bored here and dream of living closer to the mountains and enjoy nature more deeply. A dream that gets stronger with age. Nevertheless, Krasnoyarsk is surrounded with wonderful nature and I can easily escape the city life. Stolby National Park, Ergaki national park and Enisey are very nearby and inspire generations of people to live here and enjoy life. Life in Moscow or other big cities is not for me – I want to be here inside the heart of Russia.
"It is an indescribable feeling when you are staying at the top of the mountain or when you drive to the mountains and the river runs on the right side of the road."
Every time I go out and immerse myself in nature I feel truly happy. I can refuel myself and I find back this strong source of energy I only obtain from being in nature. My mind becomes clear and I start to feel I am alive. I don’t know what it is, maybe it derives from our ancestors and it is in our genes.
"Photography became part of these outdoor adventures since the past few years."
I got my first camera already in 2013 but started reading and learning more about it only two years ago. I feel I lost a lot of time for taking simple photos without thinking about exposition, light, and other things. However once I decided I wanted to learn more I got addicted to the art really fast and began doing photography more seriously last year. I bought more professional gear and began to plan more trips specifically to photograph. My main motivation is to show people that we have wonderful places in Siberia. Travel and photography are not popular here in Russia overall. Most people only travel between the city and their home villages. Somehow it is understandable since there are huge distances between places; my parents’ home is an 800 km drive – and it’s not far.
"If you want to go from one side of the country to the other side, it’s a nine hour flight."
"The challenge of reaching certain places is exactly what attracts me so much."
It is very rewarding to get to wonderful spots after having put in the effort. It is always necessary to drive and walk a lot, which is not always easy due to the weather circumstances. We don’t have normal roads to the most wonderful places like in US and Europe; you need to go through the wild forest and go on a small expedition. You need a good physical condition also to get to these places, and of course do a lot of research beforehand to actually be able to find them. It is because of all these reasons that nobody knows about Siberian places of interest. I want to get to all these places, and show it to the world through my photography.
"There are some known places in Russia, such as Altai lake, that are often photographed. There are even photography workshops, but there is so much more. And I want to capture all that."
I am doing my best, learning along the process and trying to do it in the most professional and impactful way. Not just with photos, but also with videos. I want to convey the feeling a place can give you, show different perspectives and express myself better. A drone is a perfect tool to create videos that really take you to the place, and adding music and video editing can do a lot. I am a geek and like technologies, which extends to my photography. Making video and photos is a way to play with new devices such as drones and digital cameras.
"I work as a web developer and use photography to maintain a balance in my life, do something different and away from the computer."
I feel this is vital for my mental health. I need to immerse myself in nature, only then I can completely relax and come to myself. Watching the stars, observing the sunset, feeling deeply and just calming down. It’s when you become part of nature that nature starts to interact with you too. Squirrels that visit you with curiosity in their eyes. It is a very cool and special feeling to get to that point of immersion. For me it is like meditation.
"I wish to convey these feelings and the peace through my photos. Allow people to be in this place, feel the wind and the sun, smell the grass and flowers."
That is one of the reasons I started with Instagram as well; with my photos and videos I want to invite people to Siberia and Instagram seems to be an effective way to reach as many people as possible. On the one hand, it is nice that our country still has so many remote and hidden natural treasures. On the other hand though, I would love to show the beauty of the country, the diversity and tell a story. Let people know there’s more than the common and easily accessible travel/photography destinations such as Iceland, Norway or Switzerland.
"Siberia will welcome you and surprise you and I hope my photos show that."
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