The man behind the hamster wheel

To be honest I did not expect much from Ukraine's entry for the Eurovision contest 2014. Politics aside, I simply did not find Mariya's   song as entertaining, special  and cool as our entries usually are. But boy, was I wrong. They actually turned the whole thing out, simplified the lyrics and added a whitling tune, that made the song twice as catchy. The coolest thing actually was the cinematography and the giant hamster wheel on stage.




The camera went from singer  Mariya Yaremchuk to the awesome tireless dancer doing running and acrobatics inside the wheel. There is a definite charm in the whole routine and it does tie in directly to the song's lyrics (no random gladiators this time). I give my honest props to choreographer Elena Kolyadenko and of course to the mysterious male dancer.  I was not the only one mesmerized by the performance and a lot of people were asking for the dancer's name. I did a little bit of spying and research and I present to you Igor Kuleshyn  (ee-gore  koo-le-sheen).

(Source: Mariya's VK.com page)

We do not know much about him. Igor is a dancer from Kolyadenko's Freedom-Ballet , he's 22, an Aquarius and  NOT single. I wish good luck to the whole Ukrainian team for the Grand Finale on Saturday. As for Igor - I would love to shoot him in the future as I am starting a new art project that has to do with dancing.

 (Source: Igor's VK.com page)

Leaving you with more photos of Igor after the cut...

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Poor Man's Guide to Fine Art Photography

Whenever I hear about people complaining that in order to be a successful photographer you need to be rich I just smile quietly .

When I started out as an amateur photographer I only had a cheap 3.2 megapixel point and shoot camera and a vintage $20 film camera. I was shooting for my own pleasure and taking a more creative approach with my holiday photos. To my surprise people would keep on asking to shoot them or for them because they thought I had a different perspective. When I had to refuse several strangers' requests to shoot them for free they offered me money in return. For photos with quality level close to a phone camera.

When I got my first DSLR I was amazed with all the new perspectives it had to offer. On the other hand I was terrified because I had spent all of my savings and my emergency fund. I could not afford a studio or expensive props and I had to take a DIY approach. I browsed through my facebook friends list to find people who possessed the right features and that would fit into my aesthetics, another challenge was talking them into participating in my crazy photoshoots and weird props.

Now, when I actually can afford to offer some of the working and wanted models something to spice up their portfolio I still look for ways to spend the least amount of money possible on props and locations. The most wonderful places are hidden just behind the corner, the most exquisite props can be found in your own basement.

"Let Down Your Hair" by Andrii Bondart

Model:  Konstantin 

This photo was taken, like a lot of my favorite photos in a , ummm, "alternative" location. It was hiding from the public's eye near the dumpsters behind the food market. Thousands of people walk by without even noticing this location. There is almost no editing - it looks just like this in real life, with the green plant coming down. After I posted this photo elsewhere the fellow photographers from my city began asking about the whereabouts of this place. Just like they did on numerous other occasions and then they are totally surprised to hear that it had been a bus stop, or behind a building right in the city center. Or that a certain prop was made out of something I found in my kitchen drawer.

Do not let your financial situation affect your creative process, always keep your eyes open for new locations even in most common places, do not be afraid to experiment with props even if the idea sounds ridiculous.

See more on my  facebook page or just visit my official portfolio

Yours, Andrii

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