Dmitriy Shevlyakov
A word from the expert
Dmitry Shevlyakov is an expert in the field of digital image processing, who has worked in the photo industry since 1995 and has extensive practical experience in a variety of related activities from the upgrading of drum scanners to the creation of promotional videos. He is the art director of the PROLAB photo laboratory, participates in all the leading events in the world of photography, collaborates with the best Russian and foreign photographers (including E. Olaf, T. Flash, O. Kulik, V. Fridkes, S. Bermenyev, etc.), processing and printing their works for various events and exhibitions.
TOP AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
- Technical Expert of the "GOLDEN TURTLE" Wildlife Festival creative competitions
- Member of the First Antarctic Biennale
- The instructor of the "Processing Digital Images" course at the Rodchenko Moscow School of Photography and Multimedia.
- Safari Art Club Expert Council Member
A WORD FROM THE EXPERT
«The history of image processing takes its origins since the very appearance of the art of photography itself. And this is not surprising, because no equipment, however innovative, can perceive and convey the beauty of the world the way enthusiastic eyes of an observer can. Sometimes this transfer is hampered by the technological imperfections, sometimes – the lack of mastery of the photographer himself: after all, all it takes is a little over- or underexposure, and the picture turns out to be a faded shadow of the colorful impression that birthed it. And hence the author has to process the pictures to convey to the viewer in full those emotions and sensations that prompted them to capture a moment on film.I have been engaged in digital photo processing for almost a quarter of a century and have been teaching the basics of this skill for almost 10 years. I deal with hundreds of thousands of images and see the results of their authors' work – from simple image correction to multi-stage creative decoration. Prior to the use of digital editors, authors changed the time of exposure, contrast and many other parameters, achieving the desired effect when printing. Today, numerous computer programs give photographers an opportunity not only to improve, but also to significantly change original images.
During the expert assesment within the "GOLDEN TURTLE" Festival, I divide the images into three categories, only two of which – the "honest" and the "not entirely honest" ones – are acceptable for the submitted artwork:
- "Honest" – the use of tools, available during analog processing in hand printing.
- "Not entirely honest" – the use of tools that are not available in manual processing, which have a more significant effect on the photograph. In this case, the resulting image does not go very far from the original.
- "Not at all honest" - the use of more sophisticated processing tools that change the essence of the original photo (merging images, changing light, transplanting objects, etc.).
The GOLDEN TURTLE Photo contest is the competition of photographers, not experts in the field of editing and digital processing.
That is why, as the Technical Expert of the Festival,
I will evaluate the works in terms of their authenticity.
I will evaluate the works in terms of their authenticity.
Please the contest website for more detailed technical requirements.
I believe that the processing of images within the framework of the Festival should not make the reality unrecognizable: guests of the “GOLDEN TURTLE” exhibitions should see the beauty of the wild nature just as the photographer saw it.»
Best regards,
Dmitriy Shevlyakov