Mariam Sitchinava’s first contact with photography is like the beginning of a movie. The film, in which a girl in love with the cinematography of the 40s and 60s, looking for herself, accidentally fell into the hands of a Zenit camera.
This is how photographer Mariam Sichinava’s film begins.
First shot — Zenit’s camera
“I envisioned a completely different future and photography was not included in my plans. I discovered this field completely by accident and very soon, it took a big place in my life. I had no idea how to use the camera, neither the technical aspect nor the specifics of shooting. There were no photography courses back then, access to information was not as easy as it is today. I figured out the basic techniques and decided to just start — inspired by my favorite movies, I conveyed my vision.”
He decided to explore the path in the labyrinths of photography by himself, through attempts and experiments. He just took what fascinated him. to say what he wanted to say. Influenced by cinematography as his main source of inspiration, he shot film footage in real life. After revealing the first tape, he felt that the world he was portraying was interesting and exciting. Despite the lack of technical knowledge, the photos reflected the colors, composition and mood that he had in mind while shooting. Lighting and focus were also quite good for a first attempt. He decided to go ahead and improve each photo step by step.
Frame two — international recognition
“I had just started taking photos when I was contacted by a London publishing house and they bought my photo for the cover of a book. During this period, the number of visitors to my website was already increasing greatly. Then, I got an offer for a large-scale project from Urban Outfitters. Then there was New York Magazine, Chanel, Vogue…”.
In the portfolio of the self-taught photographer and our campaign ambassador, today you will find a lot of work to be proud of. Mariam mostly works on projects of international brands and in 2012, she was named among the 30 best female photographers in the world under the age of 30. His special handwriting – harmonious play with natural lights, spiritual calmness, compositions full of news and classic cinematographic aesthetics, you can easily recognize after one viewing.
“The fact that I am self-taught helped me find my own handwriting. In the process of learning, I was constantly in trials, experiments and searches. Then and now, I convey moods, emotions, my harmony. I love freedom and I don’t like extra frames. Neither in creative activity nor in general. Even when working on commercial projects, I never restrict freedom. Together with the customer, I choose the model, and then the style, the location — everything depends on me. To get a good result, creative freedom is very important for me. I believe that in this profession, there is nothing more important than vision and individualism”.
The third shot is mobile photography
First love — film photography continues to play a central role in Mariam’s work. However, you will also find exceptional examples of mobile photography in his collection. So special that the photos were not left out of Apple’s attention.
“The tape is very important to me, it has a completely different aesthetic, depth and cinematic mood. That is why film photography is the main line of my work. However, I also love mobile photography. I can’t move around with a tape machine every day, but everything is very comfortable with a mobile phone. I may suddenly see something that I want to capture on the lens, and at the same time I have a very good data device in my hand in the form of a mobile phone. It allows me to capture a good shot and the appropriate quality. In fact, I shoot on my mobile every day. The photos posted on Apple’s Instagram were also of my everyday life — two showing the process of getting ready for a shoot, and one — just my day with my son. In general, Apple is a part of my everyday life — along with a mobile phone, absolutely every appliance in my house is of this brand. I use AirPods every day, always working on an iMac or Macbook. Comfort, colors and experience are completely different”.
He thinks that photography is an opportunity for people to express themselves. As he says, he wants to encourage people to discover new possibilities, regardless of other people’s opinions, and he joined our campaign for this purpose.
“In my case, most of the people around me met the change of profession and passion for photography very positively. I was lucky that my family and loved ones — people important to me — always supported me. However, regarding new professions, there are still many stereotypes in society that prevent people from advancing. I joined this campaign with this very idea – I will be happy if my story can inspire and motivate people. I think one of the charms of mobile photography is that it is accessible and easy for everyone. Photography has certain rules that you can follow to make your photos more interesting and eye-catching, however, you don’t need in-depth technical knowledge for mobile photography. Therefore, if you are interested in it, you should definitely try it. Constantly discover new opportunities. The main thing is to have a vision and individualism, which you can refine, develop and share with others”.
