The village photographer

Photographers

Until the end of the nineteenth century, wealthy people could mostly afford to go to the photographer. Therefore, there are few pictures of 1850−1880 in peasant families. Peasants were photographed at this time, but the shooting was of a specific ethnographic nature — such photographs are kept in museums and archives, and not in families. The growing competition between photographers led to a reduction in the cost of photographs, and already in the late 1880s there were more pictures of people from the middle class and wealthy peasantry. They didn’t take pictures very often — they needed a special reason for this. We dressed up for the shoot in the best clothes — and this allows us today to estimate the income of the person depicted in the photo.

In an average well-to-do family in the Russian Empire of the late XIX — early XX century, an average of 5−10 studio photographs were collected during the life of one generation. If there was a camera in the house — for example, a Kodak company that went on sale since the 1890s — then a certain number of amateur photographs were added to this number. Initially, the general appearance of the photographer’s studio was in many ways similar to the studio of an artist-painter. Studio photography imitated painting not only in the design of the studio, but also in the organization of the frame, the arrangement of the shooting objects. There were several photogenic poses that essentially repeated the poses of the ceremonial portrait. Russian merchants preferred to act in a pose of "restrained dignity" — standing or sitting, with their hand tucked behind their lapel. Depending on the client’s desire, the shots were taken sitting, standing, shoulder-high, waist-high, full-length, full-face, in profile or three-quarters.At the end of the XIX — early XX century, tantamaresque stands for photography with holes entered the photographic fashion. In the studios, images of theater boxes, boats, later cars and airplanes appear, painted on plywood or on canvas. They could be used simultaneously with the background. Tantamaresques were also in use by resort photographers who shot en plein air. In middle—income families — burghers, priests, merchants, nobles — large-format group photographs were considered mandatory. Such pictures were placed in frames on the walls of living rooms or in boudoirs. Hence the name of the format: "boudoir portrait" or "panel". Such pictures could depict numerous relatives gathered especially for photographing with children, and often with pets. The panel format was also used when filming colleagues or graduates of gymnasiums and higher educational institutions.

Amateur photography

Most of the ateliers were guided by the canons or fashion accepted at that time, and mainly artisan photographers worked there. But it was in this environment that photographers of the highest class and photographers-artists were formed — Andrei Karelin, Maxim Dmitriev, Pavel Lobovikov, Vasily Sokornov, Karl Bulla, Moses Nappelbaum, Nikolai Andreev, Nikolai Svishchov-Paola.

Photography in the late XIX — early XX century was quite expensive (photographic equipment was imported mainly from abroad), and either professionals or wealthy amateurs could afford it. In addition, to master the technique of photography, it was necessary to have a certain level of education in optics, chemistry, and engineering. If among professionals there were mainly representatives of the lower and middle classes, then among amateurs there were middle and upper classes. Among the outstanding amateurs were merchants (Alexey Mazurin, Vladimir Bakhrushin), scientists (Vyacheslav Sreznevsky, Dmitry Mendeleev, Kliment Timiryazev, Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky), military (generals Evgeny Vishnyakov, A. A. Nesvetovich), titled (Prince Pavel Khvorostansky, Duke G. N. Leuchtenberg, Count I. G. Nostitz), public and government figures. At the beginning of the 20th century, all members of the Romanov royal family were fond of photography and had personal Kodak photographic cameras.

The Russian light painting of the XIX century was glorified by the photographer-artist Andrei Osipovich Karelin, who did not abandon painting, and at first considered photography only as a material aid. Throughout his life, photography and painting contested the primacy in the artist’s studies. In 1876, at the same time as another photographer, Carrick, he was awarded the title of photographer of the Academy of Arts.

He entered the history of Russian and world photography as the author of a unique series "Folk Types of the Volga region" (Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Simbirsk, Kazan provinces).

The photographer-artist dreamed of publishing an album to summarize the results of his work, but he did not find support in the ruling and business circles of the capital. Carrick’s album did not see the light.

Karelin’s work has had a noticeable impact on amateur photographers and some professionals. They rightly talked about the "Karelin school". Among his students were S. G. Solovyova and M. P. Dmitrieva.

In the 20s of the XX century, reportage came to the forefront of photographic creativity. Moreover, unlike a long time ago, when, due to the technical imperfection of the equipment, the photographer was often forced to resort to staged techniques, now there is the possibility of a "strict" reportage.

For about ten years, until the mid-60s, the photo essay was actively developing. Phototheoreticians who interpret the problems of reporting were active. In criticism of the previous period of development, many theorists reduced all the diversity of the creative palette of light painting to reportage, widely understood — not only as a genre of photo creation, but also as a method.

The patronage of the republican, regional and district Houses of Folk Art and the methodical and organizational work of the Kadr photo club, which in the late 70s became the All-Russian Photo Club — the film and photography department of the Republican House of Folk Art and the center of the amateur photography movement in Russia, ensured the steady and powerful growth of amateur photography in the country. 1975−1977 the All-Union Festival of amateur creativity of workers was held.