The 500px Photographer Highlight invitations you to dive into the minds and strategies of the improbable photographers who form our neighborhood. Uncover the original trips, ingenious insights, and galvanizing tales at the back of the lovely footage we adore.
Meet Maggie Gongolevich
A Spain-based photographer whose paintings superbly blends her love of canine and the outside. What started with motorsport pictures in Poland, the place her rally photographs gave the impression in print, has since advanced into taking pictures the bond between animals and nature. With recent inspiration drawn from commute, landscapes, and her personal canine, Maggie’s pictures tells a tale of pastime and discovery.
Maggie, at what level did you know pictures used to be your pastime? Used to be it a steady realization, or an quick epiphany?
My father used to be an artist at middle. When I used to be little, he beloved drawing and taking footage of nature and of me, however I all the time hated being photographed. I spotted that if I confirmed hobby in his digicam, he’d focal point on educating me as a substitute of pointing it at me. It used to be an previous Zenith, and it used to be gorgeous; my plan labored, I used to be ready to be informed from him as a substitute of all the time being a topic in his footage.
Let’s return to the very starting. Are you able to let us know concerning the tale at the back of your first actual digicam?
Which one? It’s laborious to mention which used to be my first actual. I grew up in Poland, the place we most commonly had get admission to to Russian cameras. My dad had an previous one he didn’t use anymore, so I began taking part in with it, regardless that it wasn’t nice.
Later, for one among my birthdays, I were given a easy compact digicam that allowed me to take footage on faculty journeys and round my the town. I all the time made certain to shop for the movie with probably the most frames and all the time two rolls, simply in case.
What’s tougher—getting the easiest shot, or getting the puppy to sit down nonetheless for it?
It is determined by the puppy. For me, the easiest shot in puppy pictures is a mixture of the photographer’s imaginative and prescient and the canine’s expression on the actual millisecond you press the shutter. Some footage had been stored by means of the canine’s expression on the proper time, and others became out nice as a result of the entirety went consistent with plan. As an example, one among my canine, Suki, is a natural-born style.+
She’ll stand nonetheless, soar over stumbling blocks, and all the time glance her absolute best each time I’ve a digicam. The opposite 3? They’re shocking too, however getting a just right picture of them is extra about success than making plans.
The bond between a photographer and their topic is paramount, particularly when that topic occurs to have 4 legs. How do you domesticate that consider prior to the lens is even uncapped?
On occasion the digicam itself sparks their interest, and a curious canine is already midway to a a success picture shoot. However there’s no one-size-fits-all. It is determined by the animal’s character. Some want house, some want encouragement, and the super-excited ones continuously wish to be neglected a little bit. It’s all about adapting to the placement and the style in entrance of you.
Do you secretly assume some pets are pure fashions, and others simply aren’t?
In fact, and now not secretly in any respect!+
My canine Suki is an entire stick insect, whilst the others don’t seem to be as at ease, and one is even utterly camera-shy. Once I first began photographing on the safe haven, I spotted the similar factor. Some canine, who most certainly had by no means observed a digicam of their lives, one way or the other simply knew to face tall and glance their absolute best. Others, now not such a lot.
What’s something other people don’t notice about photographing animals till they are trying it?
We continuously see completely posed animal footage on-line, with tutorials on easy methods to position their legs or direct their gaze. However in fact, maximum canine aren’t that well-trained, or even well-trained ones might behave in a different way in entrance of the digicam. I feel many of us don’t notice how random and chaotic it may be, however that’s additionally the wonderful thing about it. A few of my absolute best photographs got here out of entire chaos.
Is there a panorama you’ll by no means tire of photographing?
For me it might be mountains and the sea. Not anything in between, in reality. Mountains glance other each unmarried time, and with the sea, I am keen on the colours and the way they alter relying at the climate.
What’s a hidden gem vacation spot you assume extra photographers must learn about?
Tabernas Barren region in Spain. It’s simply one of the impressive landscapes on this superb nation, however it brings utterly other vibes from what the general public consider once they call to mind Spain.
How do you are feeling that pictures has modified the way in which you spot the arena round you?
I don’t assume pictures modified that, I used to be interested in it on account of the way in which I see the arena. I’ve all the time spotted main points, gestures and located good looks within the scenes in entrance of me. Images merely changed into my method of expressing that.
Do you’ve gotten a contemporary or upcoming shoot or venture you want to proportion or advertise?
I’ve lately began exploring equine pictures. I now have my own equine style, so I’ll unquestionably be sharing extra horse footage on my feed quickly. Keep tuned!
Learn extra 500px Photographer Highlight interviews: Andrea Gambirasio