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Behind the Lens With Arkady Mitnik

By Arkady Mitnik
March 10, 2013
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Meet Arkady Mitnik:

Born in former USSR, Arkady combines his professional career of Engineer with his main hobby of jazz photography.

Gear:

A number of Olympus E-cameras with top Zuiko lenses, Canon G-12 as well as analogue (film) OM-1 OM-2 and Mamiya 645.

Teachers and/or influences?

Leonid Levit from Ukraine, Alik Beliavtsev.

I knew I wanted to be a photographer when...

Well, to be honest, I never knew it, and still do not know.

Your approach to photography:

Be as natural as you can. Be yourself.

Your teaching approach/philosophy:

Share what you know, do not influence but offer what you have.

Your biggest challenge when shooting indoor (or low lighted) events:

Think less about how you shoot, versus what you see.

Favorite venue to shoot:

Bimhuis, Amsterdam.

Favorite festival to shoot:

Jazz In Kiev, Ukraine.

John Scofield in Lviv, Ukraine, 2011—© 2011 Arkady Mitnik

Where was your first assignment location?

Wow... so many years ago... I guess first concert of Pat Metheny in Ukraine around 1987, if I am not mistaken.

Your favorite musician(s) to photograph:

Bass players in general. Composition, hands and fingers—music itself... love it.

Did you know...

I have way too many hobbies, and skiing is right next to jazz photography.

View more Arkady Mitnik photos at All About Jazz

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