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The Candid Frame: Conversations on Photography

TCF Ep. 486 - Gulnara Samoilova

The Candid Frame: Conversations on Photography

Ibarionex R. Perello

Cameras, Art, Photoshop, Visual Arts, Career, Interviews, Photographers, Arts, Photography, Photo, Digital

4.8749 Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2019

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Gulnara Samoilova is a street and fine art photographer based in New York City and the founder of @WomenStreetPhotographers Instagram feed. She holds a certificate in creative practices from the International Center of Photography in New York City and a diploma in photography from the Moscow Poletech College. Gulnara is a former Associated Press photojournalist and received national and international awards for her iconic photographs from 9/11/01, including first prize in the most prestigious World Press Photo competition in Amsterdam and nomination for the Pulitzer Prize by the AP. Gulnara's work is a part of major collections such as the Museum of the City of New York, The New York Public Library, New York Historical Society, the Newseum, and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. With almost 40 years combined experience as a documentary photographer, artist, darkroom printer, photojournalist, and a photo editor, Gulnara employs her experience and qualifications to research and curate an impressive body of work by women photographers from around the globe.   Photographer Links:  Listener Intro:   Education Resources:   Candid Frame Resources   Download the free Candid Frame app for your favorite smart device. Click here to download for . Click here to download Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with contributing to our Patreon effort.  You can do this by visiting or visiting the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via . You can follow Ibarionex on and .

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, this is Willie Airealdi from Queens, New York, and welcome to the Candid Frame.

0:13.0

Gulnar Sama Lovah was a short distance away from the World Trade Center when it was

0:18.7

attacked on September 11, 2001.

0:22.5

And while thousands ran away from what would be known as Ground Zero,

0:26.8

she grabbed her cameras and walked into the heart of it

0:30.1

in her role as a staff photographer for the Associated Press.

0:34.8

When one of the towers came down,

0:37.1

she was engulfed in a black cloud of dust,

0:40.5

dirt, and debris. She thought she was going to die. When she regained her site, she began making

0:46.5

photographs again, some of which would later earn her many awards, including first prize in the

0:52.8

World Press Photo Competition.

0:55.0

But in the subsequent years, it's been more personal work that has inspired her,

1:01.0

specifically revolving around the world of street photography.

1:04.0

As a photojournalist, you have a clear idea of the story you're trying to tell.

1:09.0

With street photography, the moment is much more

1:12.5

ambiguous and unpredictable. And it's moments like that that truly fascinate her.

1:19.3

It frees my mind. You know, it frees my mind and it's just, I don't have to think. I don't have to think about's just I don't have to think I don't have to think about story

1:30.8

I don't have to think about picture when I'm shooting I just I don't think and it's really

1:37.4

it's like a very meditative for me you know I can stand in one corner literally for 30 minutes

1:43.5

and just just you know, shoot

1:47.0

people, you know, watch people.

1:49.0

And when I come home, that's when I start thinking, you know, when I look at my photographs.

...

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