My Story

 

Dmytro Tolokonov

 

Member of the National Society Of The Photo Artists Of Ukraine

 

Born on November 27, 1970 in Kyiv

 

My father was fond of photography, but not professionally.

At the age of 14, my father gave me a FED-2 camera, one lens, an enlarger and a gloss.

And a bunch of photo books. Soviet books that were quite difficult to understand.

 

Until 1995, my knowledge and involvement in photography was quite unprofessional.

I read books, visited photo exhibitions, and in general - used the "AUTO" mode more than the creative modes of the device.

 

Since 1995,I began to engage in photography more professionally.

 

To be honest, at work I was simply asked if I knew how to shoot with a camera, and when I answered yes, they gave me a camera and sent me to Brno to film a computer exhibition. As a correspondent of "ComputerWorld/Kiev" edition.

By the way, the photos turned out not bad, they were even printed in the newspaper "ComputerWorld/Kiev" and the magazine

"Computer+"... I liked.

 

In the future, my work was related to advertising, layout, media planning. In short - the field of advertising.

In 2001, I resigned from my permanent job and registered my company, which until 2008 was still working successfully, printing POS materials, booklets, boards, etc.

 

The crisis of 2007-2008 led to Stock Agencies.

Having already experience in layout, I was engaged in design.

 

But more and more inclined to the photo.

 

And in the end, he almost completely switched to collages, which he made from his photos.

Three years of successful work with Stock Agencies, and then the first attempts at creative photography.

 

Unfortunately, I did not save these photos.

 

But when I showed them to a professional photographer I know, he looked at them for a long time, then took out one of the printed ones,

and looking at me intently, asked: "What did you mean by this?"

 

Thanks to him, I started thinking about WHAT I wanted to say before I clicked the camera button.

 

I love monochrome film, and I develop and scan my negatives myself.

Favorite film: SVEMA and Kodak TMX100, Ilford Delta 100 I still have two areas of work: stock photography (this is Getty Images, Adobe) and creative photography

 

Ever since the war came to my house, I have hardly photographed portraits of ordinary people. Carelessness and fervent optimism have disappeared from my work.

 

Blown up cities appeared, the concentrated faces of volunteers and the military.

Plots of the war.

 

I can't force the pre-war foolish frivolity to return to my work.

Did not attend courses, did not study in photography schools.

 

The whole experience is books, exhibition works, photo albums and communication with more experienced photographers.

And daily work, of course.