Leli Blagonravova & Her 23 Years of Universal Photography
Astonishment hits like a hurricane when you realize that someone as young as Leli Blagonravova has been a full-fledged photographer for over two decades, and through those years she’s exceled at nearly every prominent genre of the field: landscape, portrait, studio, fashion, conflict - you name it, she’s shot it. “Shooting everything is not a good idea. I wouldn’t advise it to anyone,” she tells me; “We were simply raised this way. Back in the days [of the late 90s] there were only a handful of photographers in Georgia. Therefore, we had to be ‘universal’ and shoot in every possible scenario.” Before gaining full versatility, Leli worked for a weekly local magazine called “24 Hours”, “I had a Zenit (a mechanical, soviet camera manufactured by KMZ since 1952). The working process used to be very different; in today’s world everything needs to be done instantly. Back then, I shot, processed and printed all the photos myself and brought them to the editorial office each week.”
Such dedication to photography was prominently caused by the desire of becoming a journalist, a photojournalist to be specific. “Journalism was an extremely popular profession back then, and I wanted to apply to a very prestigious college abroad. So, my father bought me an electronic camera, my very first one. Unfortunately, I wasn’t accepted to the aforementioned university. Nonetheless, I still decided to learn how to use the newly gifted Canon and went to the only place in Georgia where they could explain its operational basics. That camera became a real jumping ramp for my professional career.” Leli soon started working at “Sakinform”, a State Agency. The company’s photographers shot everything, “whether it was an army riot, a bomb drop, or a special event, we were required to be there. Our team served as both photojournalists and President Eduard Shevardnadze’s personal photographers.”
Despite mastering a vast array of photography styles over the years, photojournalism has remained Leli’s primary motivator; “It’s a genre which gives you the power to initiate change. You can depict a problem, show it to the right audience and play a key role in taking the sting out of someone’s difficult condition. If you have already done such a thing, you naturally get the desire to do even more.” Apart from her compassionate nature, ambition also drives her in this direction: “I know how much a single photograph could be worth. When you have the feeling that the picture you took is timeless and will remain a valuable document for future generations, you want to be the author of more such records.” It’s also a genre that helps you grow, she says, “when you’re a photojournalist, you have to take interest in things outside of your everyday scope: history, ethnography, culture, etc. you learn a lot.”
Today, Leli serves as President Giorgi Margvelashvili’s personal photographer and a lecturer at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). She tells me one of the biggest moments in her career actually happened during one of her lectures; “It was the infamous 07/11/07, I was at the university, delivering a lecture, all dressed up, in high heels,” she laughs, “I remember looking at the TV, which just happened to be on, and realizing things were about to get bad. I thought: I am a photojournalism lecturer and I’m not there. What kind of an example do I set for my students?! I didn’t even have a camera on me, but luckily, I remembered that someone else, who was also in the building, did. I borrowed it and started running up the street that led right to Rustaveli Avenue. I met another photographer who was going in the opposite direction. He told me it was too dangerous, but I kept on going and dived right in the middle of the clashes. Needless to say, I got hit with a stone, then got poisoned with gas… It was rough. I learned that you should always try to take photos of such clashes from sidelines, but back then the camera I had didn’t allow me to photograph from afar.”
A woman confronts policemen. A moment from November 7, 2007 demonstration. / Leli Blagonravova
November 7th was definitely not the most stressful or perilous day in Leli’s life, as she was the only female photographer who depicted the events of 2008 Russo-Georgian war. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that most people saw the conflict through her lens. “I believe my photos became tremendously famous because they were the first on-location images seen by the public. The shock made it impossible for anyone to look away, or forget those pictures.” Although her experience of shooting conflicts helped, Leli says nothing can compare to actual warfare; “I remember arriving in Gori… I got out of the car and saw some men with cameras. “What’s going on guys?” I asked, “That’s what’s going on,” they pointed at the sky, as an aircraft soared through the clouds, and the bombing started.” You’d be surprised to know that there are some pictures that she didn’t take, “The day I got there was the day some of our soldiers were returning from the frontlines, I will never forget their faces, I couldn’t photograph them, that was the moment when I realized that our situation was as dark as it could get.” A bit of disquiet takes over her radiant personality as she continues talking about the events of August 2008, “when I came back to Tbilisi I was so traumatized I was practically bedridden for three days. I am half Russian and that war was mightily affective for me. Though I feel, in a way, it helped me understand who I really am and how I want to live.” She says she would like to shoot more wars, “just not in my country. Not because I wouldn’t care about people of other nationalities, but only because when you hear the cries for help in your own language, it just adds an extra layer of strain that is unbearable for me.”
A woman cries out for help. A moment from the 2008 Russo-Georgian war. / Leli Blagonravova
According to Leli, communication is an important factor in becoming a great photojournalist, “Be conversational. You can’t afford to be reserved and uninterested. Same goes for other fields as well. Even if work in a studio, you’ll often have to shoot people, mostly strangers. You should try your best to make them feel at ease, help them understand the concept of the photoshoot. They see a camera as big as this one,” she points at her gigantic Canon that’s on the table and laughs, “they get really tense.” However, studio photoshoots are a lot more relaxing than making photo documentaries, she says, “I can work in a studio for 4 hours, take things slow. Same does not apply to covering events; “I don’t know where to stand”, “I don’t know what to photograph” - that’s simply unacceptable when it comes to photojournalism.”
Being the president’s personal photographer, the pace is always up for Leli. “I think journalistic experience is absolutely necessary when you’re the personal photographer of any politician, let alone the president. Sometimes I have less than 30 seconds to take a very important picture. You must understand what’s going on, what you’re shooting.” She says photographing president Margvelashvili is a vastly different experience from taking photos of Eduard Shevardnadze, “The protocol was extra strict back then. No new angles, no experiments, no original ideas. I truly love my job today, because I feel the president’s trust, as he allows me to try different approaches and go past the accepted standards.”
President Giorgi Margvelashvili / Leli Blagonravova
You may be surprised to learn that female personal photographers are a rarity when it comes to the leaders of the world. “I have been to many regional forums as the only female personal photographer; there were like 125 guys and me,” she laughs. “I do understand why. It’s a very physically demanding job. I usually have about 18 kilos of photo equipment on me. Running around with heavy weights is no piece of cake.”
Nevertheless, there is certainly no lack of Georgian photographers in general. “Over the past few years photography has become one of the most popular professions in Georgia. But the overall level is deeply subpar. If earning money is your only motivator, you will never be proficient enough. I know plenty of people, who are photographers now, but will no longer be in about two years, because they’ll go tired of it, or someone new will appear with better technical skills and equipment. Not many people understand that individualism is the most important part of photography, not owning a very expensive camera.” Leli herself is involved in raising the country’s future talents; “It’s hard to teach photography when there are only 2 major festivals each year in this field and about 7-8 exhibitions at best. Young people don’t have the opportunity to go to galleries and see what other local and international photographers are doing, what’s trendy, or what’s new. Social media can partly make up for it, but we have to reach beyond Facebook, there are plenty of other social networks where one can see a bigger and better collection of photos.” Unsurprisingly, hard work and dedication is what turns an emerging talent into a professional, she says, “I tell my students to take photos as often as they can. If you cannot shoot on a given day, surf the web, look at other people’s work, see different kinds of art… Make photography a part of your daily life.”
Turns out there are some genres of photography that Leli hasn’t tried, “I would like to do astrophotography, macrophotography, even underwater photography,” she tells me. But as for the imminent future, Leli might just move from photojournalism into the world of fashion photography, much like her current obsession, the legendary Helmut Newton. “It would be a dream come true to work for a company like Vogue, or Harper’s Bazaar. When you’re shooting for fashion magazines, you’re the director of your art. Photojournalism has a different approach, you usually work with a big team, your pictures must have some sort of a news value, etc. I would love to photograph the world’s leading supermodels, when I watch how they work with photographers and how they contribute to the overall creative process, it seems so thrilling to me.”
Whether it’s fashion or journalism, Leli will continue showcasing the world through her lens for many years to come. “I usually get bored easily. Photography is the only thing that hasn’t managed to bore me, even after 23 years, it’s unbelievable.”
Beqa Kirtava