Alexey Morkvashentsev

My journey to photography began many years ago when I was a teenager and was given my first camera for fun. It was a very simple film camera with limited capabilities, but I was excited about the process of creating instant images, and even more so by the way of processing the film and getting the photos – since everything was done by hand back then, it felt like magic!
At first, it was just photographing "what I saw," then it became simply capturing family moments, travel events, and more.
My interest in photography wasn’t constant; it would occasionally fade whenever I didn’t see any progress. And then, a few years ago, I joined a photo tour and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to take my artistic photography to a higher level. Natural landscapes became my favourite subject. I began going on photo tours to various interesting places (Iceland, Lofoten, the Dolomites, the Faroe Islands, Patagonia, etc.), and connecting with other photographers during our photo sessions gave me additional experience and motivation to improve and take better photos. These people become my friends and now we travel a lot together in different locations.

My goal is to capture a beautiful landscape and my emotions at that moment, so that anyone who views the photo can feel the same mood.
I started as landscape photographer, because nature is always always impressive and inspiring.
Now, although I consider myself a landscape photographer, I'm developing an interest in other areas: street photography and reportage, portraits of people in very remote corners of the world.

In my opinion, a photograph should always be honest and sincere, and it must evoke emotions in the people who see it.
It shouldn’t be too predictable; ideally, it should contain some underlying meaning that the viewer will try to sense.

Perhaps it was the books and films about travel and adventure that captivated me from childhood. Ever since then, I’ve always wanted to travel and see everything with my own eyes—and later, the desire to capture it all in photographs and share it with others also came into the mix.

Of course, technical preparation is important for any photography expedition—planning carefully and bringing exactly the right gear and accessories for a specific project—but that is the easiest part.
It is also crucial to be in the right place at the right time; this involves a bit of luck, as not everything is within your control.
Most important of all is having an eye for composition, light, and color once you are on location—something that is greatly aided by a well-trained visual sense and experience.
That said, intuition also plays a role, and sometimes it is precisely that which helps you capture "the perfect shot."

This photograph, which won a Jury choice, holds a special place in my memory.
It was taken in April 2024 during our expedition through Patagonia. On that particular day, we set out on a long, challenging hike to the Mirador Las Torres in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park—arguably the most spectacular location in the region. The trek takes 4 to 4.5 hours each way, involving an elevation gain of 1,000 meters; carrying a heavy camera backpack filled with gear makes it no easy feat.
More importantly, very few people get to see these magnificent mountains completely unobscured at the end of the trail—most of the time, they are partially or entirely hidden by clouds, and the weather is often bleak and windy.
On that day, however, we were incredibly fortunate to witness the scene under the best conditions one could possibly imagine.

I was incredibly moved—by the fact that we successfully made it, by the beautiful weather, and, of course, by the splendor of this place.
With magnificent peaks set against a blue sky, the greenish hue of the water’s mirror-like surface, and an extraordinary atmosphere—this is truly a special place!

The light, color, and timing were absolutely perfect when we arrived at this spot—and it was clear we had to act quickly, as the weather in Patagonia can change in one moment.
The subject itself suggested a vertical composition, but because we were so close and the mountains were quite tall, it was impossible to capture everything in a single frame, even with a wide-angle lens.
So, I took one shot of the mountains and the sky, and another—using a long exposure and an ND filter—of the water and rocks in the foreground.
I then combined the two images into a single composition in Photoshop.

I wanted to convey the incredible beauty and grandeur of the mountains, as well as the silence and magic of that moment, so that the viewer could feel alone with this place—as if they were actually there—and I would be glad if I succeeded in doing so.

Photography has perhaps taught me to understand that every moment is unique and important—and that we should cherish every moment in life. And that our entire life is made up of these fleeting moments...
And photography is the simplest way to capture them.

Overall, I would certainly like my photographs to inspire people to love nature and to travel—after all, life is short, and the world is so vast...

While I certainly hoped to receive some form of recognition (otherwise, there’s no point in entering competitions), winning a Jury Сhoice and a medal was an incredibly pleasant surprise!
Naturally, it brought me joy and a boost to my self-esteem ;-)

Naturally, my primary goal is to improve my skills—specifically regarding composition, the conceptualization of my work, and the technical execution of my photographs.
I also aspire to develop a personal style—one that is both original and recognizable.
Furthermore, I have ideas for creating series of photographs as cohesive projects centered around specific concepts, rather than just capturing random landscapes. I’m also keen to explore other genres, such as street photography and fine-art photography.

I must say that the 12awards team did a great job—I immediately liked the website and the interface; everything is designed to be very user-friendly and intuitive. The entire process—from submitting photos to the awards ceremony—was handled exceptionally well.