Ukrainian Home has hosted an exhibit, Moment of Time, of the works of the well-known photo journalist Yefrem Lukatsky. Throughout Lukatsky’s career of an Associated Press photo reporter, his pictures have more than once been printed in a lot of high-profile world publications, including Time, Newsweek, the International Herald Tribune, and even auctioned off at Sotheby’s. As the journalist confessed, he has achieved success owing, above all, to his painstaking efforts and the opportunities to work in, so to speak, field conditions without dodging the most difficult tasks. Lukatsky happened to work in such hot spots as the Gaza Strip, Chechnya, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In a brief interview with The Day, Yefrem LUKATSKY focuses on what is special about the work of a photo correspondent and on differences in the Ukrainian and Western approaches to this profession.
“The duties and tasks which we, professional journalists, are accustomed to are going to radically change in five years’ time. First of all, the difference between a photo correspondent and a correspondent is being erased. Photo correspondents in a classical – Soviet – sense of the word will no longer be needed. A photo correspondent of the future is a person who knows how to write, make good photos, and even do video filming. As the print media have to take up new platforms, photo journalists must know how to do everything at the same time. While earlier they used to sit in the editorial office and wait for a journalist to come and take them to some place, now photographers are the first to come to the place of an event. I personally have not been distinguishing between such things as ‘photo journalist’ and ‘journalist’ for a long time. But journalists should be prepared for these challenges of time. Anyone can buy an electronic photo camera and think that he is a photographer, even though he does not know what aperture or exposure is. To take a photo is not just to push a button. One should know, so to speak, how to catch a moment. Of course, earlier one had to make more efforts to get a professional photo – one had to develop the film, print, and transmit by means of special printers. I can remember having to develop and quickly transmit the film even in a toilet at some hot spots.
“Why did the Ukrainian media not change earlier? Because, frankly speaking, the Ukrainian and the Western press differ in that the former is more dependent on sponsors. In the West, publications are self-supporting. In an attempt to make a profit on their own, they are just forced to quickly bring the style of work into line with modern requirements.”
Do the requirements to documentary photography differ in the Western and the Ukrainian press?
“Naturally, the requirements are radically different. The Western press demands that photos be dynamic and comprise more emotions, concern, and pain. By contrast, Ukrainian newspapers are so far unwilling to carry ‘live’ photographs, especially if they portray politicians in a negative light.”
Photography is intellectual property. How can one protect his copyright when pictures and videos “travel” from website to website at a breakneck pace?
“Unfortunately, it is in fact a sore point of present-day journalism. In Ukraine, not only photographs, but also texts are being stolen. You can often see your works on different websites. In the West, people take legal action and very quickly resolve all these misunderstandings because the law works there. I don’t go to court in order not to get stuck in this mire. I just phone the editor and make a ‘sweetheart deal.’”
The well-known journalist Vasyl Artiushenko once told The Day that the genre of photo essay had in fact vanished from professional journalism – what is now called “live photo reportage” is in reality a simple piece of reporting. Why do you think this occurs?
“In the Soviet time I worked for the Ogoniok magazine. Every issue of it carried a big photo reportage made by some well-known masters. There were photo essays, too. I don’t think these genres are dying out forever. The point is that come-and-go people often take up photo journalism today.
“Meanwhile, those who do this professionally go into politics. I would like to ask you, dear journalists: why are you bursting to become MPs instead of doing what really befits you?”
You photographed the National Flag being carried into Ukraine’s parliament in August 1991…
“This is my most unique work, perhaps the only one in Ukraine. A photo is a document. This may be one of the most important documents in Ukraine’s contemporary history. I don’t know why this photograph is not hanging in the Speaker’s office room. It was printed in Time magazine. Then a postage stamp was made out of it. That’s all. It is no longer needed in Ukraine. When I recently held an exhibit in Ukrainian Home, Mykola Azarov was in. We invited him to come closer and have a look. Azarov said he had no time – he never came up. Very many people have visited the exhibit: photo artists, journalists, academics, students, and just photo aficionados, but the leadership considers this art ‘a trifle.’”
Do you think journalists feel responsibility for what is now going on in Ukraine?
“We should not think that journalists are a special caste of the elect. They are a mirror reflection of our society – with the same problems and maladies. They may be lying, slinging mud at decent people, and lavishing praise on the scum, but there are still more of those who show integrity and do their job honestly. First of all, you should not lose yourself – you should continue to adhere to your principles and human morals. And you should always be unbiased. I take no sides in the Gaza Strip. I have no right to do so. I just give an account of what I see. Incidentally, photo journalism is, in my view, more unbiased than text journalism. Nobody can edit a photograph.”
September 10 is the deadline for the submission of works for the 14th International Contest Den-2012. To what extent is it important for photo artists to feel support from civic institutions and the authorities?
“Unfortunately, Ukraine is not very interested today in the development of professional documentary photography. Only the newspaper Den/The Day, which I admire so much, is making a great contribution to this. Den organizes Ukraine’s only highly-professional contest of documentary photography. What puzzles me is why other popular publications are not exactly bursting to support your contest and join this event. Incidentally, I am also going to take part in the Den-2012 competition.”
