Oleksandr Gimanov recently became a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers. He is an Odesa-based photojournalist who not only takes pictures of events but also writes texts, talking about his path in photography, professional challenges, and the value of every shot in times of war.
“I came to journalism through photography. Writing is always more difficult for me, but photography is my love and passion,” says Oleksandr. At first, he worked as a videographer, but eventually realized that sometimes a photograph can capture moments faster and deeper than text or video. “Photography gives a quick response, and this is its strength,” says Himanov.
Over time, the photographer began to shoot not only news, but also to develop his own reports on various topics. Some projects were deeper, such as his historical photo research or moments of urban life: “I would call them projects, but rather sketches. I just went to any district of Odesa, took pictures and talked to locals about their lives.”
With the development of socio-political events in the country, his photographic style gradually evolved to complex photo reports.
Gimanov shares that his perspective on photography has changed over time, especially since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014 and later with the full-scale invasion in 2022. He says that now he focuses on the most important events, which are mainly related to the war: “After 2022, the emphasis changed, and I am no longer interested in many topics that were interesting before, such as cultural events.”
The changes also affected the style of his photographs. He says he started taking portraits of people, realizing how important it is to capture personal stories that can be cut short at any moment: “I hadn't done portraits before, so to speak. And now I catch myself thinking that I want to capture a person, because, unfortunately, times are such that a person can be gone.”
Oleksandr says that most of his work nowadays is reportage, and it is this genre that allows him to best convey reality. In his approach to reportage photography, he pays great attention to the integrity of the story. For a photographer, every story is not just a set of shots, but a visual narrative with a beginning, development, and ending. It is important that the shots are in harmony with each other: “I like to rhyme the photos in a photo essay. When you scroll, the next photo should echo the previous one - in color, composition, rhythm.”
With experience, Oleksandr has learned to limit the number of photos in his reports, focusing only on the most important ones: “At first, I used to have 70 photos in my reports... But now I better understand that not everything is necessary. As a result, I leave a maximum of 10-15 photos.”
Each report by Himanov has to have its own dynamics and a bright final photo. “The first photo should catch the eye, and the last one should be the exclamation point of the story,” he adds.
For Oleksandr Gimanov, photography has already become a part of his everyday life and a personal responsibility. He believes that even in difficult conditions, it is important to continue documenting events, especially when it comes to tragedies and the consequences of war: “Unfortunately, documenting the consequences of Russian shelling has become a routine. You come to the place, record this reality, this tragedy.”
Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr has been documenting the consequences of the war in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. He recalls being struck by the scale of the destruction the war left behind.
“It was terrible to see a beautiful, wealthy village smashed to pieces. It was just completely destroyed, and somewhere a skinny dog that doesn't let anyone near continues to sit on a chain,” says the photographer. ”Scenes like the flooding of Kherson and the destruction of the Kakhovka dam deeply impressed me with their senselessness and cruelty, which I had to record for history, of course, letting it pass through me.
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Himanov fondly recalls one of his 2020 reports that was special to him. It was not a story about military operations or extreme events, but about an ordinary event for the homeless in Odesa that ended in a happy ending.
“In Odesa, one of the Christian missions works for the homeless. They set up a tent and fed and warmed people in difficult circumstances. Many homeless people came there. Among them was a drunken woman with a five-year-old boy. He was too bright for such a place. It was a striking contrast. This child should not have been in such a place,” the photographer recalls.
The photograph of the boy among the homeless touched not only the photographer but also his journalist colleague to such an extent that she and her husband later adopted the child. “This is a story about the power of photography. You really don't know how the event where you came to work will end,” says Oleksandr.
Before the war, Gimanov often photographed the sea, finding it an endless source of inspiration. But during the war, his view of the sea changed. “Taking pictures of the sea became difficult for me. It seemed inappropriate when there was so much pain and tragedy around. But over time, I realized that the sea is a part of us. Even though I associate it with a holiday.”
Oleksandr hopes that someday he will be able to photograph the sea and the people around it as carefree as he does.
“The sea is never the same. It is probably the most difficult subject to photograph, because its constant movement requires attention and patience. And by photographing the sea, you get the hang of it.”
Gimanov considers his work to be more than just a profession - in his opinion, it is first and foremost a responsibility to the country. That's why his photos are not only a way to convey information to the world, but also a way to preserve history. At the same time, the photographer recognizes that it is impossible to remain completely objective in this matter.
“A reportage will never be objective, because every photographer builds a frame through his or her own perception. But this is the magic of photography - it conveys what is important to you,” says Oleksandr.
In his opinion, the photographer's emotions towards what he or she is shooting play an important role in photography, because “what you like, you will photograph better... and you will convey this story more strongly.” However, Oleksandr Himanov is skeptical of the idea that photography can change the world, although he recognizes its influence: “It's good if someone sees my photo somewhere and changes and decides something for themselves.”
We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editor-in-chief: Viacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
Oleksandr Gimanov recently became a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers. He is an Odesa-based photojournalist who not only takes pictures of events but also writes texts, talking about his path in photography, professional challenges, and the value of every shot in times of war.
“I came to journalism through photography. Writing is always more difficult for me, but photography is my love and passion,” says Oleksandr. At first, he worked as a videographer, but eventually realized that sometimes a photograph can capture moments faster and deeper than text or video. “Photography gives a quick response, and this is its strength,” says Himanov.
Over time, the photographer began to shoot not only news, but also to develop his own reports on various topics. Some projects were deeper, such as his historical photo research or moments of urban life: “I would call them projects, but rather sketches. I just went to any district of Odesa, took pictures and talked to locals about their lives.”
With the development of socio-political events in the country, his photographic style gradually evolved to complex photo reports.
Gimanov shares that his perspective on photography has changed over time, especially since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014 and later with the full-scale invasion in 2022. He says that now he focuses on the most important events, which are mainly related to the war: “After 2022, the emphasis changed, and I am no longer interested in many topics that were interesting before, such as cultural events.”
The changes also affected the style of his photographs. He says he started taking portraits of people, realizing how important it is to capture personal stories that can be cut short at any moment: “I hadn't done portraits before, so to speak. And now I catch myself thinking that I want to capture a person, because, unfortunately, times are such that a person can be gone.”
Oleksandr says that most of his work nowadays is reportage, and it is this genre that allows him to best convey reality. In his approach to reportage photography, he pays great attention to the integrity of the story. For a photographer, every story is not just a set of shots, but a visual narrative with a beginning, development, and ending. It is important that the shots are in harmony with each other: “I like to rhyme the photos in a photo essay. When you scroll, the next photo should echo the previous one - in color, composition, rhythm.”
With experience, Oleksandr has learned to limit the number of photos in his reports, focusing only on the most important ones: “At first, I used to have 70 photos in my reports... But now I better understand that not everything is necessary. As a result, I leave a maximum of 10-15 photos.”
Each report by Himanov has to have its own dynamics and a bright final photo. “The first photo should catch the eye, and the last one should be the exclamation point of the story,” he adds.
For Oleksandr Gimanov, photography has already become a part of his everyday life and a personal responsibility. He believes that even in difficult conditions, it is important to continue documenting events, especially when it comes to tragedies and the consequences of war: “Unfortunately, documenting the consequences of Russian shelling has become a routine. You come to the place, record this reality, this tragedy.”
Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr has been documenting the consequences of the war in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. He recalls being struck by the scale of the destruction the war left behind.
“It was terrible to see a beautiful, wealthy village smashed to pieces. It was just completely destroyed, and somewhere a skinny dog that doesn't let anyone near continues to sit on a chain,” says the photographer. ”Scenes like the flooding of Kherson and the destruction of the Kakhovka dam deeply impressed me with their senselessness and cruelty, which I had to record for history, of course, letting it pass through me.
Himanov fondly recalls one of his 2020 reports that was special to him. It was not a story about military operations or extreme events, but about an ordinary event for the homeless in Odesa that ended in a happy ending.
“In Odesa, one of the Christian missions works for the homeless. They set up a tent and fed and warmed people in difficult circumstances. Many homeless people came there. Among them was a drunken woman with a five-year-old boy. He was too bright for such a place. It was a striking contrast. This child should not have been in such a place,” the photographer recalls.
The photograph of the boy among the homeless touched not only the photographer but also his journalist colleague to such an extent that she and her husband later adopted the child. “This is a story about the power of photography. You really don't know how the event where you came to work will end,” says Oleksandr.
Before the war, Gimanov often photographed the sea, finding it an endless source of inspiration. But during the war, his view of the sea changed. “Taking pictures of the sea became difficult for me. It seemed inappropriate when there was so much pain and tragedy around. But over time, I realized that the sea is a part of us. Even though I associate it with a holiday.”
Oleksandr hopes that someday he will be able to photograph the sea and the people around it as carefree as he does.
“The sea is never the same. It is probably the most difficult subject to photograph, because its constant movement requires attention and patience. And by photographing the sea, you get the hang of it.”
Gimanov considers his work to be more than just a profession - in his opinion, it is first and foremost a responsibility to the country. That's why his photos are not only a way to convey information to the world, but also a way to preserve history. At the same time, the photographer recognizes that it is impossible to remain completely objective in this matter.
“A reportage will never be objective, because every photographer builds a frame through his or her own perception. But this is the magic of photography - it conveys what is important to you,” says Oleksandr.
In his opinion, the photographer's emotions towards what he or she is shooting play an important role in photography, because “what you like, you will photograph better... and you will convey this story more strongly.” However, Oleksandr Himanov is skeptical of the idea that photography can change the world, although he recognizes its influence: “It's good if someone sees my photo somewhere and changes and decides something for themselves.”
We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editor-in-chief: Viacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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