Light Flow
Light flow is a project about catching the moment and living in the present. The serenity of nature, the closeness between characters, and the atmosphere of trust in the process enabled the creation of a captivating story about absolute freedom from the strict rules of social norms. Dmitry Bukreev, strongly affected by Yoga and meditation practice, seeks to distill the moment of detachment from the past memories and the worries connected to the future to present the here and now of his characters’ experience.
Following gestures, body movements, and expressions of the senses, Dmitry invites the viewer to become fully immersed in the getaway experience along with the characters in the shoot.
Dmitry Bukreev is a photographer from Moscow, Russia, who is based between Switzerland and France. He graduated with a Master's degree in Photography & Art Direction from ECAL, University of Art Lausanne. His work was presented in group and solo exhibitions, mainly in Switzerland. We speak with Dmitry about his recent self-published photobook Light flow, a project shot during a summer getaway with friends on a medium format camera. Dmitry recalls some of the locations the group visited, “The images were made in different places, from mountain lakes and beaches in Switzerland to a beautiful nudist beach in Crimea, which is not far from the place where I spent many special moments as a child.”
Photography Dmitry Bukreev Featuring Lara Dâmaso & Roma Gogoleva
Publication Details Self-published
Hardcover
60 pages
22 x 27 cm
‘In my photographic work, I try to capture different sorts of emotions and gestures. It can come naturally or spontaneously, during the shooting, from the person I photograph.’
Hi Dmitry, you describe the topic of the book as connected to the state reached in meditation practice: the awareness of the present moment. What emotion was important for you to capture and depict in this book?
Hello WÜL. In general, in my photographic work, I try to capture different sorts of emotions and gestures. It can come naturally or spontaneously, during the shooting, from the person I photograph. I can also prepare some poses and movements in advance as a kind of performance that can reveal something special. I use both approaches in my work. The project Light Flow was shot during summer getaways. So these were very nice moments spent with friends and acquaintances in nature in beautiful sunny weather. The context of the place played its role, and I was interested in reflecting these vibrations - the moments of pleasure, serenity, and other feelings that are revealed in the images.
‘The selection process is always intuitive for me and, in this project, I wanted to include different human states, from more 'calm' to more 'dynamic' states.’
Which type of images did you decide not to include in the final version when working on the layouts and the design for the printed edition? How do you build the narrative?
Light Flow was shot on a medium format film camera, so the number of images was quite limited. The selection process is always intuitive for me and, in this project, I wanted to include different human states, from more 'calm' to more 'dynamic' states. I chose images that best convey a sensation or a movement with good daylight and shadows. For the narrative, it was important to have a good balance between black & white and color pictures in the book, as well as alternates, for example, portraits, images of nature, and body gestures.
‘To be naked in front of others is, in a certain way, an acceptance of being vulnerable. Personally, I saw it as powerful.’
Speaking about a nudist experience, what are some of the personal traits that are revealed which wouldn’t get to the surface otherwise, in your opinion?
I was curious to ask each person after the shooting what feeling they had during their experience of being naked in nature in nudist places. "The feeling of water and wind on naked skin erases the limits between you and the world around," "It makes me feel closer to myself," "It has a liberating effect from taboos on the naked female body that are still very present," they said. To be naked in front of others is, in a certain way, an acceptance of being vulnerable. Personally, I saw it as powerful. The courage to admit that one is vulnerable is a great strength.
Where did you go for a retreat? Could you share the moment that affected you or the way you decided to work on the series of images during the getaway?
To be honest Yoga practice that I started a few years ago has a strong positive effect on me. It has strengthened my connection to nature and allowed me to understand the importance of a healthy human-earth relationship. It has also influenced my photographic practice, and the idea to do this project has come at that time. The images were made in different places, from mountain lakes and beaches in Switzerland to a beautiful nudist beach in Crimea, which is not far from the place where I spent many special moments as a child.
Where can one get his copy of Light Flow?
Light Flow is a self-published book. Anyone interested can write to me via Instagram or send an email via my website.
