The Drama of Everyday Through Analogue Street Photography With Aleksandr Belugin

Just like a character in a video game, encountering random quests and events as you explore, street photography is an encounter with the randomness of the everyday. For most street photographers, being observant is crucial as you wanter the city and try to find something that speaks to you. Though it's not for everyone, those who love the thrill of street photography find ways to capture seemingly everyday images and find stories in every click.

Aleksandr Belugin (@allbelugin) started his life as a UX/UI designer but somehow found himself taking classes at the Saint Petersburg School of New Cinema. Finding not just cinema but also analogue photography, you can see that his street photography tells many underlying stories through each snap. Aleksandr captures intimate stories of his life through both black and white film like our Early Grey B&W ISO 100 and respooled cine film.

Hi Aleksandr! Welcome to the Lomography Magazine. Can you tell us how you started your journey in film photography?

Hi Lomography, I bought my first film camera during my compulsory military service. It was a Samsung Fino 20 SE. My service was in the mountains and we sent negatives with a food convoy to the town where our military unit was located. We received the finished prints when the convoy brought new products, not more than once a month. After returning from military service to my hometown I shot a few more reels and for a long period immersed myself in study and work.

It was only twenty years later that I started taking pictures on film again. It was February 2022 and the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. I shot the first two films when my friends and fellow students were leaving Russia, and it was an anxious time, as we continued to cling to our familiar lives, which were falling apart before our eyes. A year earlier I had made attempts to change my profession as for the last ten years I was designing interfaces as a UI/UX designer. The war interrupted all plans and I emigrated to Armenia, which was the beginning of a meaningful path in film photography.

What kind of gear do you usually use to capture your photos? (Camera, Film Stocks, Lens, etc.)

Most of the time, I shoot with the Yashica Electro 35 MC. I like its format—it's discreet, easy to hold, and fits in my jacket pocket. I fell in love with this scale-focusing camera when I shot my first roll of film with it after a twenty-year hiatus. It was then that I noticed how time can unexpectedly piece together historical puzzles. My father used to take photos with a similar camera, developing and printing the family pictures himself when digital cameras didn't exist. As a boy, I always watched this process with curiosity in a darkroom lit by a red light.

I’ve also tried medium format, shooting with a Mamiya RB67 and a Pentacon Six TL. Now I have several cameras: Canon Canonet QL17, Canonet G-III 17, Yashica Electro 35 MC, Zenit ET, and Pentacon Six TL. I like to shoot in the 35-58mm range—I think I have an addiction to 40mm, and all my cameras are close to that focal length. The Pentacon has a Biometar 80mm lens; the camera has proven to have a complex character, and I’m still finding my approach to it before trying something new.

How would you describe your style of photography?

My style is still forming with each new roll of film. While I used to think I was capturing reality through street photography, I now find myself more likely to notice some weirdness, and subtle shifts in space. Something metaphysical touches our reality, creating dramatic images. So even in everyday situations, I look for that drama, even if it's just a small trace of it.

I really like how cinematic your photos are. You graduated from the Director’s Workshop at the Saint Petersburg School of New Cinema. Can you tell us about your time there?

Studying at the St. Petersburg School of New Cinema was the most incredible experience of my life. The school focuses on contemporary auteur cinema, first and foremost. Classes were six days a week, for two years. So, thinking about anything other than movies, there just wasn't time for that. Masters form a special artistic and aesthetic outlook, which is very important for a beginning author.

Each student can choose any workshop and attend lectures even on video art, editing, or camerawork. There was also a strong acting workshop at the school, where we were actors ourselves and acted in sketches. Deviating from the main program, I also attended lectures by director Arthur Aristakisyan, who brought me into the world of analogue photography. In his classes we took apart masterpieces of classical cinematography frame by frame, Arthur also told incredible stories from just one shot.

What are some important lessons you learned during your time studying?

The most important thing I learned at film school is how to watch films from different perspectives. I'm interested in observing how directors work with actors, or watching the camerawork through the frame, in-frame editing, and how the mise-en-scene is divorced, and understanding how it's done. I pay attention to dialogues, if they are compelling, how the sound is crafted, the film's color scheme, and any manipulations or even the drama without a narrative. This is a vast amount of information. It's unlikely I could have gained such knowledge at another film school.

And most importantly, I’ve learned to trust my intuition. It guided me to film school and often helped me on set. When working in a team, it’s crucial not to overlook the contributions of each member. Pay attention to people, as a timely message might come through them.

Has studying to be a director impacted the way you shoot?

Directing has helped me to look deeper into photography, not only in terms of framing, composition, and light, but also in terms of states and feelings: mine, the character in the frame, and our relationship with them. Not just people, but nature, any space and direct interaction with it requires attentiveness and it's not an expectation of the moment, it's a state in which you suddenly find yourself focused.

Looking at the photos on your LomoHome, you seem to showcase your life through film. Can you tell us more about the photos you take?

I almost always create one album for each film, so it’s like my observation diary. I enjoy taking pictures of people, but I rarely seek out encounters myself, so I'm not always sure if I’ll capture a good portrait. All my photos reflect what's happening around me. Sometimes it's a beautiful nymph, and other times it's a drunkard on a bench, much like in fairytales.

Recently you’ve been shooting black and white film. In what situations do you like to use black and white film over color film?

Black and white film can always be used, unlike color film. You can exclude color from an image, but not light. I like the certain liminality of black and white photography; the image is filled with a dreamlike quality. The boundary between the visible and invisible is captivating.

When shooting color film I noticed you use cine film. What do you like most about it?

I found the cine film in Armenia. The guys from our film school successfully launched their own lab and production company (Karmir) in Yerevan. I tested the films in various daylight modes, shooting in a night city. I like the familiarity of color film. When I see a color photograph, I have no doubts that it actually happened to me.

From your LomoHome albums is there one that really resonates with you and why?

It's probably the last Saint Petersburg album. For me, it marks the tragic victory of the dumbest propaganda in my country and my emigration. I left behind my family and friends, my favorite places, and I miss that period of my life. In this album, there's one photo of a train station platform, where Maria and I are waiting for a train to St. Petersburg. She turns around at some sound and freezes — click of the shutter. For me, this image will remain the last memory of Russia.

Please tell us about your experience with Lomography.

I currently live in Georgia, and in Tbilisi, there is a very limited selection of film. However, one day I went into a lab and saw Lomography Earl Grey in their refrigerator. I managed to buy the last two rolls and was greatly impressed by the quality of the photos. It was a unique experience. Besides that, as a director, I was fascinated by videos shot with the LomoKino. It would be interesting to try it on short scenes.

Can you share with us a favorite photo and tell us the story behind it?


In each album, there is one or several photos that are dear to me. I remember all my photographs, and when I look at any of them, I recall the circumstances and why I wanted to take the shot. But there is one photo that I don’t remember taking—I remember the day and the place, but how I pressed the shutter has faded from memory.

Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to the rest of the Lomography community?

Once, a woman stopped me and asked why I was photographing a drunk man. It seemed she thought I wanted to laugh at him. I think that was the first time I tried to articulate what photography means to me. I told her that I am a photographer and, upon seeing this person, I felt an intention. I followed that feeling to see how it worked. If I don’t follow this intuition, I won’t be able to develop it. She said she understood and smiled. With that, I want to thank everyone who comes and clicks "like," especially those who write feedback in personal messages. Without such community support, all the photos would be forgotten in old folders.

We thank Aleksandr for his wonderful photos. Be sure to follow him on his LomoHome.

written by rocket_fries0036 on 2024-09-28 #gear #culture #people #places #film #black-and-white #street-photography #drama #europe #georgia #cine-film #early-grey-100 #film-school