The Merge of Staged and Documentary Photography
Julie Poly is a Ukrainian fashion and documentary photographer with an easily recognized signature style that merges the two disciplines and presents reality from the perspective of bizarre aesthetics. Julie graduated from Kharkiv School of Photography and The Ukrainian State Academy of Railway Transport in Kharkiv. The project Ukrzaliznytsia, which took a year to shoot, presents a merge of staged and docu photography.
The scenes on trains are shown through Julie’s interpretation of the real stories and the experiences she had during one summer spent as a train conductor. Characters in the project are at times stereotyped and stylistically reminiscent of the 90s. Julie’s projects are a statement, an exploration represented to the viewer through a combination of real stories encountered, and a unique, free-spirited photographer’s gaze.
In this interview, we speak with Julie about her recently released book Ukrzaliznytsia, which depicts life on Ukrainian trains. We speak about Julie's love for Kyiv, the development of the fashion industry in Ukraine, and projects such as Kids and Erotica. Julie shares some insights on her approach to working on some of the released projects and future work.
Purchase The Book Ukrzaliznytsia Here
‘I love Kyiv for its broader opportunities and a wide variety of options, basically with everything: from the ability to build a great team of professionals to personal prospects.’
Kiev
You were born and raised in Stakhanov, Ukraine, and currently, you live and work in Kyiv. What do you love the most about the city and its vibes?
I love Kyiv for its broader opportunities and a wide variety of options, basically with everything: from the ability to build a great team of professionals to personal prospects. Life here is very comfortable in all senses. Kyiv became a very convenient base for me to do projects, including international ones.
Tell about the decision to move to Kyiv.
It wasn’t like this from the beginning. I moved around a lot before Kyiv became my perfect base. I was born and raised in Stakhanov, where I made my first steps as a photographer. Then I moved to Kharkiv to study at the university, and at the same time, I started to develop myself as an artist there. Then I moved to Milan for a while, where I had a chance to study photography and had worked with the European team of professionals. After getting this experience and seeing how the industry works, I realized that I have used all the possibilities in Kharkiv and made a decision to move to Kyiv.
Укрзалізниця/Ukrzaliznytsia
Ukrzaliznytsia, a shoot which was a juror’s pick in LensCulture. What fascinates you in the railroad, on the long trips one takes traveling from one country to another?
If we are talking about traveling on a train around Ukraine, I like that you can relax, feel comfortable, sleep, rest, and think about life. Basically, just take your time, chill, and enjoy the ride. The train looks like a simple iron construction, but it’s full of life inside. Conductors try to make their wagon uniquely comfortable, look after it as if it were their own home.
What was the most challenging part of this shoot?
The most challenging part was the production of the book and the logistics because everything was new to me. In terms of the shooting process, I wouldn’t say that there were any difficulties, extraordinary cases because photoshoots and postproduction are the processes I have to deal with nearly every day.
‘It's important to remember that each member of the crew matters, as well as the fact that their job should be paid well. The effort of only the photographer is not enough in fashion shooting.’
Fashion vs Documentary
Your career path started from a documentary approach while studying in the Kharkiv School of Photography took a turn towards fashion editorials and eventually commercial projects for fashion magazines.
I think that fashion doesn’t necessarily have to go in opposition to the documentary. Fashion, art, politics, cinematography, social life – all these things are all interconnected and draw inspiration from each other. My career started with documentary photography. Then when I was developing as an artist, I started to try different genres. Fashion was one of the things I was interested in.
Switching from fashion to documentary can be explained by the search for myself, and also by the environment, I was living in. Initially, I was fond of documentary photography, my first steps were inspired by works of Boris Mikhailov. I took pictures of certain segments of the population at the Kinnyi Market and in the streets of Kharkiv. Then I started looking for my signature style and trying myself as an artist in various genres. Fashion is one of the areas that interested me. But I realized that despite the fact that the artist implements his ideas, there are still some limits: by the format of the magazine, brand policy, or concept. I love fashion photography because it’s a growing industry with its trends and visual language that changes very fast. But now I’m interested in focusing on my projects and I don't think about the trends.
What do you enjoy the most about the fashion industry today in Ukraine?
The fact that the fashion industry in Ukraine is finally starting to show its potential is the thing that I like the most. The world has become more open; information about creating your own brand is accessible and easy to reach. As a consequence, Ukrainian fashion has finally transformed from the world of senses to the growing industry. And in general, I am impressed with how our designers and people from the industry think today.
What do you strive to change in it with your perspective on the world of fashion?
Since the fashion industry is only at its initial level of development in Ukraine, many people still don't understand how to build a budget and why you shouldn't save on the team. Often, many don't understand that to create a good picture, you need a good fashion crew: a stylist, hair and makeup artists, retouch, etc. It's important to remember that each member of the crew matters, as well as the fact that their job should be paid well. The effort of only the photographer is not enough in fashion shooting. If there is someone unprofessional on a set, then this will affect not only the process but also the final result.
‘Ukraine is changing and developing socially, politically. At this point, our country is the center of attention to many large international creative agencies and companies.’
Aesthetics
The combination of a nostalgic view on Ukraine and its culture with a modern perspective on the changes, which new generation brings, the spike of creativity in the country, and fashion - are prominent in your work. How do you think Ukraine is changing today from a creative perspective?
Basically, the answer lies in your question. Right now, Ukraine is changing and developing socially, politically. At this point, our country is the center of attention to many large international creative agencies and companies. Creators from all over the world come to Ukraine, who are not only interested in creating a product in the country, but also in attracting local talents. As a result, many cool locals are involved in international projects. And the country is changing in terms of fashion, art, and cultural life.
‘We set a bridge on fire, I had 40 liters of gasoline and had an argument with the stylist. It was a very hardcore shooting, preparation for which lasted about a month, and the shooting itself took a week.’
Kids & Erotica
Working on projects as Kids, photographing modern teenagers, documenting their life moments, and Erotica, exploring the aesthetics of the late 80s and 90s - what did you learn about yourself through the prism of those series and those characters?
We shot the project Kids for Vogue Ukraine, and it was a very unusual experience. Thanks for this shoot, I realized that I could do the impossible. We shot it in dangerous neighborhoods of Kyiv, where it’s better not to show the camera at all. We set a bridge on fire, I had 40 liters of gasoline and had an argument with the stylist. It was a very hardcore shooting, preparation for which lasted about a month, and the shooting itself took a week. This project was a turning point for me. After it, I began to look differently at my work and the approach to it.
And the same can be said about the project Erotica. I like this topic in general, this aesthetics runs through all my projects. For example, my Kosmolot playing cards, which merged from the idea of curiosity about the exploration of your own sexuality that can start manifesting itself from the early years of a person’s life. Often, the process of coming of age gets connected to the games — from innocent schoolish “kis-brys-miau” to a more revealing “spin the bottle” kissing game, or from playing the provocative strip cards as teenagers to BDSM sessions (swinger parties, fetish games, etc.) in later years. Sexual kinks often remain hidden from the world, but the game allows to “reveal the cards”, and by doing so, to satisfy the desires, push the boundaries of self-knowledge in a meanwhile.
What are some of the themes you want to explore in the near future?
Erotica has already appeared in Ukrzaliznytsia, and it will appear in my upcoming project.
Documentary vs Staged Shoots
Tell about the book and your experience shooting it and eventually choosing the images to include in the book. How do you prefer to switch between or draw the line between documentary, semi-documentary, and stage photography?
The documentary photographs in the book are mostly still lifes. They demonstrate special comfort and reflect the atmosphere of the wagons, which are unique in their interior because each conductor usually brings something of their own to the decoration. That’s why I decided to show them the way they are in real life. Regarding the photos of people, I wanted to show the key characters in my signature style.
Initially, I shot both staged and documentary photos. From the whole project, there were a lot of photos that were not included in the book, but art director Ben Ditto and I created a concept in which there were only staged photos with people. I didn’t want to fully show reality, I wanted to create a picture in which the edges of the real and unreal would be blurred to make the stories more surreal, vivid and grotesque; and present the characters of the book in a positive way.
Upcoming Projects
What are your plans for this year? What are you working on right now?
At the moment, I’m working on a couple of projects – an experimental magazine issue about erotica in Ukraine and a project about my hometown. But I would prefer not to go into details, because sometimes during the preparation, the work vector may shift. My practice is a live process, priorities can change.
