Paris, l'amour

Few months ago, a good friend of mine gave me a gift - old Soviet camera, Kiev. It was brand new, purchased on market place. Kiev was standing on the shelf for some time, together with my other good old film cameras, collecting dust and darkness. Recently, i bought few films, and decided to try to go back to old days, when i was doing much more of street photography. At first it was very hard to get used to yellow spot focusing, very uncomfortable aperture ring and 50mm lens. It took one roll of film, and i was irreversibly attracted to it again! All the forgotten joy of uncertainty and anticipation, smell of developer and fixer, and this magical moment when you finally get to open developing tank and see the negative, reminded me on my first contacts with photography. Marko, thank you for reminding me why i love light and shadow so much!

Is there a better camera to take to city of light, art and home to many famous photographers, Paris? Maybe Leica, of course, but it's an expensive pleasure. It was very relaxing to walk around, all day long, and to take some snaps from time to time. No great thoughts, no big intentions, just joy and some moments stolen from the time. Many other moments will stay uncovered, in our minds and hearts, and Paris will see my love and me again, some day! Until then, we have nothing but beautiful memories, and we are very thankful to our dear friends for sharing their accommodations and their smiles with us! Cheese, you all :)

 
    

   

Urban Rabbits awarded on Press Photo Srbija

Few photos from my awarded story, made during last summer in Belgrade. Students of "Centre national des arts du cirque" from France were guests of Belgrade summer festival with their graduate show "Urban Rabbits", directed by Arpad Schiling. I was their guest at the beginning, and their friend before they left. Memory on few magical nights, music, laughing and beautiful plays will stay for ever, as well as the fact that i didn't learn how to jump on trampoline (although i tried hard). Guys, hope i'll see you again, and this award definitely goes to you!

   

East of Eden

The story about youth in the Balkans is something i became very interested in recently. After working in Romania, i decided to try to find some answers in my own country, Serbia. Focus of the story is slightly different this time, but basic idea is intact: How do young people live today? What is significant for their lives, what are their dreams, and can they ever be reached? I was working in city named Paracin in central Serbia for one month. What became clear to me is that there is a mixture of very gray reality of everyday life and colorful world of dreams. There is little left for this young people to build their lives on. Destroyed factories, ruined infrastructure, week educational system, high level of unemployment... They have to run away in search for better life. And those who didn't have choice are trying to survive in very hard circumstances. Hope, and often heavy drinking, help them throughout day. In their world, there is a lot of confusion. Dreams and reality mix, but don't have much in common.
I am doing this project as one of participants of World Press Photo and Robert Bosch foundation Masterclass for young photographers from Southeastern Europe.