Oct 4, 2022 The Walking Path
There are too many stories in the war against Ukraine to tell them all, and thankfully there are many photojournalists covering the most important stories. Sometimes you have to go to the zones yourself to share a perspective of the tragedy first hand. Going to Izyum was just such an experience. It was liberated only two weeks before and still in a state of shock upon arrival. The electricity was still out and the mission shifted to bringing in supplies to the vulnerable.
Photographing the town damage, the conditions and struggle to resume a normality is vital to the historical record. Words can’t describe the experience as well as photos and video.
May 12, 2022 The Walking Path
It didn’t take long after arriving in Ukraine to see how intrinsic the spirit of music was to the people of Ukraine. I was out for a walk with my friend when I passed under the main thoroughfare in Maidan area of Kyiv and saw a singing duo with a bandura, the national instrument of Ukraine. I tuned in and listened to them weave the vocal melodies with the beautiful layers of sounds coming from the stringed instrument. I took a quick video capture but it would be the next day I came back and recorded them playing a well known song written by Taras Petrinenko, Ukraina. It would be just one of my first yet lasting impressions of this fantastic country.
Music, my first language, is a vehicle for reaching other people. For most of my life I have been able to communicate quickly with people from all sorts of backgrounds via music. Ukrainian music is vast even upon first appearance and first impressions last a lifetime. Seeing Svitlana Verbeshuk playing the bandura was a great start.
After a day of wandering Kyiv, I saw a duo playing violin and guitar and was captivated by the melodic and rhythmic power of Freuman and Galaydyuk. The melodies were fusion of traditional and jazz. I knew I had to get to know these two fellows. I didn’t have to ask, “do you have Instagram?” because the musicians already had their tip jar out with their account posted in easy to read text. This, I found, would be the pattern as I traveled around the country.
Busking, the job of street performance, is a very old tradition in human history and widely found across the globe. But in Ukraine, it is as common as coffee. You don’t have to look far to find someone who has taken their talents to the street corner and found a place to set up a tip jar and a chance to turn their love of entertainment into a profession for the tourists and locals alike.
And while the art of making music in the street may be a common factor for Ukraine, there was a war going on by February 2022 and it was in that context that I met a violinist from Bucha named Yaroslav Borovskyi. His family was displaced to the west and now he made his income via tips in the park in Lviv. While playing to a backing track, Yaroslav spends hours playing for tips to a passing audience of Ukrainian internally displaced people who still drop small amounts of money in his violin case.
Like many other musicians from the east, Yaroslav was just one of the many street musicians who regularly hit the street with case open to collect tips from passersby as he plays covers of popular songs mixed with traditional songs that express the Ukrainian spirit. And like the other musicians, even when there are air-raid alarms, the music doesn’t stop.
THE BANDURA
The national instrument of Ukraine is the bandura (Бандура). It is a combination instrument that mixes aspects of the lute with a fixed pitched multistring zither. It has been a part of Ukrainian culture for at least 600 years with a history of lute instruments dating back well beyond 1500 years.
The instrument was so associated with Ukrainian identity that a long history from the tsars to Stalin have sought to eliminate the bandurists from the world. (list of persecuted bandurists)
The first instrument I saw performed in Kyiv, is widely available to experience around the country but in Lviv, where it is safest for now, there are many artists who are performing for the people who are displaced, for the incoming visitors and for those who hide in the bunkers to avoid bombs.
I have seen several soloists and a few ensembles performing around Lviv including Svyatoslav Hrytsak who was performing at a corner not far from Rynok, the UNESCO heritage center of Lviv. His voice and playing had all the qualities of a bard and brought timeless emotion to the ear.
You can also enjoy the quartet of bandurists. In this clip, we hear the song Chervona Kalyna, a song that has become an anthem of resilience. The group also performs in this area of Lviv not far from Rynok. Their voices weave so well with the strings in their hands.
In a great interview with journalist Philip Ittner, we were fortunate to see Arsem perform an original composition for bandura in the bomb shelter below Lviv. His astounding prowess on the instrument was hypnotic.
He conveyed a story through sounds. He had been studying for 6 years and now he had to share this beneath the structures above because of the invasion by Russia.
The strings ring with voices of all the bandurists who were murdered a century ago.
THE ENSEMBLES
STRING MOCKINGBIRD
The sounds of String Mockingbird can be heard nearly daily in Lviv. Whether they are just blocks from the Rynok center or standing strong in front of the Lviv Opera House, this trio brings you a great performance. The ensemble features Pavlo Krip on electric upright bass, Bogdan Khmara on violin, and Nikita Kozhukhar on drums. Each musician has a solid command of their instrument. The crowd listens as they play songs of Ukrainian pride or contemporary pop songs from Cranberries or U2.
BESKD – The Traditional Sounds of Ukraine
This is music that keeps me passionate about exploration. It will never become the music of the past alone. Ihor Matselyukh and his wife perform on accordion and violin near Rynok square and are frequently part of traditional celebrations. I additionally saw them lead a larger folks music ensemble for Easter festivities. Ihor and I talk about the importance of Ukrainian music and culture and how vital it is that the war comes to an end and the peaceful life of Ukraine must resume.
FORCE MINOR
I saw this group get ready to set up along the plaza and knew from before they belted out the first notes, it would be a set I would enjoy but I still underestimated the umph I would feel when Force Minor dropped it on us. Students from Lviv, they had a vibe and feel that was infectious from the start. Loaded with youthful zest, yet timeless soul, these young musicians had exactly what it takes to get the onlookers to stop, throw money in the case and even start dancing.
Kostia and Markiian Lukyniuk and Adrian Savchuk
With Ukrainian flags as capes, these two brothers on violin were joined by Adi Sax (Adrian Savchuk) on sax to entertain the audience outside of Grand Cafe in Rynok square. They know how to charm the audience. Their music chops match their performance energy and the crowd returns the joy with a big round of applause before the local officers shut down the performance. But don’t worry, just two hours later they were blocks away at the Lviv Opera House with another crowd eager to see their energy in motion.
THE SINGERS
SARAT KISO
While instrumentalists are very active in Ukraine, the busking culture is loaded with singers who play daily and draw sizable audiences around the cities. Sarat Kiso is an incredible performer who shows us how it is done with his command of the guitar, his looping equipment as he layers vocals, guitar parts and puts on a great show that keeps the audience captivated from start to finish.
DASHA SHADURSKA
She has a depth of spirit beyond her years. Dasha sings with power that should bring her a very successful music career. Whether singing Billie Ellish or Skryabin, she has full control over her performance. When she isn’t performing as the main act, she quickly shuffles over to the cajon to accompany her friends with solid rhythms.
ROMAN VASILYEVICH
Roman is a fantastic singing performer who plays in Lviv around the shops near Rynok square, in front of the Opera House, or down Liberty Avenue (проспект Свободи or prospekt Svobody) plaza. His vocal power and guitar accompaniment is solid.
VLADIMIR BANDARAS
You just don’t get better than Vladimir Bandaras, a real blues musician who entertains with an arsenal of tunes that stretch from Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan to AC/DC. I first heard him playing Thunderstruck by AC/DC and couldn’t believe it. Then I saw him playing slide on his small guitar and his amp outside the shops near downtown. He had a soul that was all too familiar to me as a southern lad who grew up listening to the real deal blues masters. I told him, “from Texas to you, you have the real soul of a bluesman”.
MENS CHOIR SINGS NATIONAL ANTHEM
If there is one thing I have enjoyed most in Ukraine, I will never run out of moments to be surprised. While I was on my way to meet a friend for coffee and discuss serious issues, I saw this mens choir wrapping up what appeared to be a fairly impromptu performance in Rynok square. To cap off their appearance, they sang the Ukrainian National Anthem.
TRADITIONAL UKRAINIAN CHOIR
While documenting easter celebrations in Lviv, a group of young singers converged outside to perform several selections of traditional music. Accompanied by percussionists, the ensemble’s vocals tied the past to the present and reminded us what Ukraine offers in the area of culture and identity. The young people played and danced in the area around the church as the group filled the space with layers of voices that will remain timeless.
The Sacred Sounds of Bells
THE SOUND OF BELLS IN LVIV
I was out for my afternoon scouting and told my friends I had to stop and make my way over to the church because I knew at 6pm, the bells would ring in the evening. I stood there recording when a jovial man stepped up and tried to tell me something about the bells. I had trouble at first knowing what his intentions were until the phrase, “I work the bells” came through. Petro, the kind hearted man, then invited me to come document the bells. What I didn’t know at the time, I would be part of the event. It a volunteer driven program to keep the authentic tradition alive and well. Local members of the community come to the church and together produce the greatest sound you can hear. Dyakuyu, Petro!
Apr 28, 2022 The Walking Path
I didn’t come to Ukraine to photograph destruction but I knew it was a possibility. Traveling back into Kyiv after the opening weeks of the war, we saw destruction everywhere. A hotel on the highway was destroyed, cars were shot to shreds, and destroyed tanks and APCs were all around. This was a preview of what we’d see as we came to tour the outskirts of Kyiv.
Going on to Bucha, Borodyanka and Makariv, we could see the devastation of what the Russian war was doing to civilian residential towers, shops and communities. The smell of war was all around.
THE ROAD TO KYIV
BUCHA
BORODYANKA AND MAKARIV
Mar 10, 2022 The Walking Path
In February 2022, I spent the month traveling around Ukraine. Time in Kyiv, Lviv, Uzhharod, and other fascinating towns showed me deep roots and sense of identity. The people were super friendly, very accommodating and worth every moment spent. Unfortunately, looming over us was the threat of war and war arrived the day I left. But, I wouldn’t be gone long. Before I write that second chapter, lets look at some of the photos I was fortunate to take in round one. For more posts, check out my Instagram page
May 12, 2021 The Walking Path
There’s nothing like a pandemic shutdown to help you appreciate outdoor activities. In 2020, the inability to go out in public settings changed how we used to do things. In 2019, I went out for two days and took over a thousand photos of these great flying machines and burned my legs on the sandy beach so bad, I couldn’t walk for nearly two weeks without pain. Yet, I got the shots I wanted on my first air show round. In 2021, it was a chance to see if I could do it again, this time without the sunburn.
The highlight of the show are the amazing Navy Blue Angels, but long before they come out, you have the display of vintage aircraft, rescue aircraft and the fantastic stunt pilots like Kirby Chambliss and Michael Wiskus. The Blue Angels are masters of formations but so are the Geico Skywriters. In all, there are over 3 hours each day of incredible flying, amazing power, and good old fashion fun.
Jun 3, 2019 The Walking Path
When I was a teen I enjoyed using my Canon AE-1 to take photos but didn’t think much about photography itself. I had some help learning the basics of photography from the journalism teacher and from older friends who were far more in tune with the art of photography than I would have been able to understand at that age. I was still more focused on technical tips about how to operate the camera versus the more important topic of what pictures I should take. Yet, I marveled at the incredible images in Time, Life, National Geographic, and other sources that featured some of the great photographs of the 20th Century.
Now, thirty years later I’ve enjoyed reviving my interest in photography. I decided in 2018 to get a new camera, a couple of lenses and the basics to get back into an art I’ve always been part of but now with a keen interest in good photography, not just taking photos. This time around, I wanted to relate to the composition of a photo, to the unique moments I always saw but didn’t capture. Lessons would be learned along the way, but a year since I made that choice, I’ve been very happy I did. It was just the right time.
For twenty years, I’ve been running a web company for creatives and mastered most of what can be done with Photoshop for design purposes but working on photographs is different than designing for websites. Instead of aiming for a presentation to emphasize the works of artists, in my photography I’ve enjoyed finding what wound up in the photo and drawing the eye to appreciate its unique perspective or in some cases how the colors, shades or shapes created an interesting visual. But without a good base photo, none of that was worth wasting the time in post-production.
One of the frustrating yet fun part of the past year was all the little learning lessons that stack up to make a better and more prepared photographer. Little errors in planning or execution of shooting led to root memory changes. For example, I was fortunate to have an opportunity in early January 2019 to go out to the Everglades. Driving out into the darkness where I knew the light pollution would be incredibly low was exciting because on a new moon night I anticipated I’d see the Milky Way in its full glory, and find the lovely starry night I did. However, I forgot the camera tripod foot on the nightstand at home and though I remembered my tripod, I had no way to mount the camera. My spare footer for another tripod wasn’t going to work because it wouldn’t fit. Instead, I prefocused and stuck my camera in the camera bag and spun it around on the hood of the car to go for the effect. Yet, out of 100 photos I attempted, only 6-7 were worth keeping. I was very bummed about this but I decided instead I’d be glad I learned, practiced and enjoyed seeing the gorgeous cosmos we lived in. Fortunately, 3 nights later I had the opportunity again, remembered my camera mounting foot, tripod, OFF, and all the basics down. I even managed to test a few preview adjustments that made it easier to focus, get the lighting right and even better, it was the real New Moon night.
Other lessons learned happen to all photographers at one time or another ranging from having the wrong lens on for the moment or not having the settings ready for the moment (I shoot in manual mode almost always). But one of the hardest ones happen because I didn’t have my camera at all and just had to enjoy a great shot pass me by and accept that it was a unique moment that wouldn’t be captured. Life shouldn’t be lived behind the viewfinder all the time.
In the modern era of internet, social media, and mass amounts of portals for learning, photography online is a robust community to dig into. From FStoppers, Ted Forbes, Sean Tucker, Evan Ranft, to enjoying the Masterclass video of Annie Leibovitz, I was able to enjoy top notch creative direction. For education on the history of photography I enjoy, I have been enjoying the creativity of the late Vivian Maier, discovering why Henri Cartier-Bresson is considered one of the greats, and explored how many of the shots I enjoyed through my life came to pass. Each informed my creativity and giving me room to enjoy finding what I wanted to do in finding my unique voice in this medium. Like my studies of jazz, blues, world music traditions, I’ve enjoyed seeing the evolution of the creativity of these masters over time, of their era and in context of evolving technology.
Last, where to take this…
While my path might wind up taking this skill set to become a profession, I’m only focused on being enriched by how it augments my sense of appreciation for the world around us, the enjoyment of catching a moment that was too unique to forget, and sensitivity to details that I might previously had taken for granted. While it is easy to get caught up in the technical efforts that are required to get a good photo, the spirit of photography should be a moment of zen, where what is simply so is observed, captured and transcendent of words to a deeper part of our consciousness.