Interview with Natalya Saprunova, overall winner of URBAN Photo Awards 2023 / #URBANinsights

#URBANinsights are a series of exclusive interviews and insights dedicated to the winners of URBAN Photo Awards. Let’s start this new season of #URBANinsights with Natalya Saprunova, overall winner of URBAN AWARDS 2023 with her photograph Going to save them from the abnormal heat – an extract from the series “Confronting daily life through an imaginary future” – chosen by the jury president: American Magnum Photographer Alec Soth.
She was also joint winner of the 2023 call “71% – the state of water” – chosen among 218 photographers. The two winning shots are part of the Solid Water miniseries, created for the URBAN AWARDS 2023.

Thank you for dedicating some of your time to this interview, and congratulations on your award-winning projects, “Confronting everyday life through an imaginary future” and “Solid Water”.
Before delving into the nature of these projects, we want to give our audience an overview of your career and your identity and journey as an artist and photographer.

You were born in the arctic region of Russia in Murmansk, an area characterized by what you yourself describe as pretty harsh weather conditions. How do you think the experience of growing up in such an extreme environment shaped you as a person and artist? Are there any strengths you feel you have gained from those years that you apply in your photography, for example in your series “Solid Water”?

Growing up in Arctic Russia I realized at a very young age that winter and frozen conditions were not a hindrance or burden, they were a part of our daily life. We learned to use them for travel across frozen lakes, rivers and tundra; the ice became an extension of the landscape.
This inspired me to think how Indigenous cultures have also used ice or solid water through time as a benefit to their daily lives: I envision how people of the past made this landscape of white something that is not so bland and stark.
In the region, the summers are short, there are very few hot days. This has also made me appreciate and cherish every moment of sun, greenery and flowers. It is possible that my passion for colors and my appreciation for all the tones of white come from there.

Your journey from Murmansk to becoming a naturalized French citizen and a recognized documentary photographer is inspiring. How has your multicultural background influenced your perspective as a photographer, and do you find that it adds a unique layer to the narratives you choose to explore?

Thank you for recognizing my background. I am proud Russian-French and happy to have lived in Northern Russian prior to moving to Paris. I used my diverse background to fuel my passion for seeing things in a different light. I had a desire to capture this difference in photography. How are people different, how are we the same? How can a single photograph portray this? It’s true that I recognize myself in each report that I do, either by my origins or by my personal life experience. I think that unconsciously, I want to develop each facet of photography to know more about myself, enrich myself and tell stories to the whole world. Stories that I believe in!

After arriving in France in 2008, you studied and worked in Communication/Marketing for 8 years in Paris. Transitioning from a career in marketing to documentary photography is quite a shift.
Can you share what prompted you to return to it?

Photography has always given meaning to my life, and I’ve always wanted to capture my vision of the outside world to show different realities through photography. My studies and work in marketing were a good way for me to learn about French society and integrate into its culture. I had the chance to do marketing for a PENTAX camera brand, where I found an understanding of my passion for photography. From the moment I decided to return to it, I met lots of people who really encouraged me to take it up as my main activity. I want to deeply thank those who saw my ability and supported my journey at this time, which I took as a sign.

And how did your background in those fields influence your approach to documentary photography?

In marketing, you are focused on selling an idea, selling a message for profit. If a marketing campaign can make you think about the product, you will remember to buy it. Photography is not much different and a perfect transition. For me, I was drawn to the personal touch this profession brings. I want to portray my idea, an emotion to the viewer. Not so you remember and buy a certain product one day, but so you feel the same way I did when I took the photo. The same feelings for climate change, cultural diversity and the strength of humankind. To me this is the most powerful message.

You’re now teaching photography at the Graine de Photographe school in Paris. How do you incorporate your passion for the transmission of knowledge into your role as a documentary photographer?

It is so easy to teach something I love to students that are also interested in the topic. I look forward not only to teaching but also to learning from my students: I think everyone sees the world differently, depending on their background. My favorite part is seeing the moment that the student understands the power of using good photography as a channel for their own vision. That is truly inspiring! Even outside of the classroom, I like helping young people learn about the craft. I had the pleasure to train a young girl from Saami people in Russia. Seeing the passion in this young girl is inspiring. I was able to secure a new camera for her and have video calls since I left the region. I met her through my documentary photography, but we continue to stay in contact for training and news.

Do you see yourself as an advocate for social change through your work, then, and, if so, are there any ethical considerations that, in your opinion, come with documenting sensitive issues?

I believe social justice is already part of today’s youth, much more than it was when I was growing up, when there wasn’t as much access to real-time information. The Parisian youth of today is hyper aware of world issues, regional issues and even things happening at a local scale in the city. Sensitivities come up everyday. I say to my students « follow your emotion and heart in your photography, and build a relationship with your artwork ». I feel I am as much an advocate for social change or awareness as anyone who does this job with their heart and passion. For me, I always build relationships with my photography subjects, get to know the person and issues they deal with.

The series “Confronting everyday life through an imaginary future” delves into the personal stories of young school dropouts in Calais, exploring their journey towards professional reintegration. Could you explain, for those who may be approaching your work for the first time, what inspired you to undertake this project in particular, and how has it evolved since its inception in March 2020?

My inspiration for this series came from the fact that I recognized a lot of myself in this work. I felt a personal connection to their stories because when I first moved to Paris I had to reinvent myself. I know the struggles  they were facing, both financially and emotionally. I also lived in the 90s in Russia when everything in the country was overturned following the fall of the Soviet Union. I know what danger is, what street life is, what chaos is and what kind of motivation we need to have to pass through it. This socio-documentary project helped young people to see themselves in a better way, to focus on their dreams and their desires. Some have changed their habits, some have understood what job they would like to do, and some have found peace and gentleness again.

In “Confronting everyday life through an imaginary future” you use photography as a mirror for the dreams and aspirations of these young individuals. How did you approach the subjects to capture both their real and imagined selves? What challenges did you face in bringing their visions to life through your lens?

I approached the individuals with kindness and understanding, sharing my own struggles with seeing myself in the mirror in an uncertain future at a given moment in my life. My story from my childhood and being an immigrant to France from Russia made me understand some aspects of their stories. I told them I didn’t discourage myself from believing in myself and they should not either. All of our futures are uncertain, but if we have a goal and want to sincerely get through it despite everything, anything is possible! I posed this question to them: « Do you want to play a game with me to see what your dreams could look like, to see yourself in the mirror living this dream? »

In your website, you say “Psychologists tell us that in order to reach your dream, you must first visualize it, feel it in your thoughts. They advize you to put yourself in the shoes of the person you want to become, at least for a second, in order to start the realization mechanism. That’s what they call “giving themselves the means”. It then becomes possible for these young people to take the first step towards change through this photographic gesture, and to make their imagination a possible adventure of reality, a hope for a better life.” Are you talking about the concept of manifestation? And is that a concept that’s had a significant overall impact in your life and work, even beyond this project?

Thank you for the question, this one is very near to my heart and a motto I try to live by. I do try to manifest my own destiny by putting myself in situations that inspire me. I am interested and inspired by the positive human spirit. I have always preferred to turn over the bad pages of my life, while learning from the experience, to move forward towards my goals, to have meaning in my life, to build myself at all costs, without being afraid of changes or the unknown. I always preferred to let go of negative things even if sometimes they seemed to be attractive. That required giving up certain comforts, because in the liberation  path towards oneself there is only prosperity and creativity. I also believe that as soon as we have the will to do things, the whole universe adapts to us and offers better solutions to succeed.
Thought is quantum. 

Alec Sloth said about your shot “Going to save themselves from the abnormal heat”: “I’m reminded of August Sander’s iconic image of three young farmers and the classic illustration of the March of Progress from primate to man. Saprunova’s photograph simultaneously describes an average summer day while conjuring deep feelings about childhood and the passage of time.” What do you think of this comparison?

It was a huge honor to be chosen by Alec Sloth for the URBAN Award 2023 with my photo and have his thoughts on my work. As Alec points out, I do see similarities in the three pieces, where the profile of girls getting ready to swim represents a common theme and goal for them, much like the farmers of August Sanders. The comparison to the March of Progress is interesting in a way where each girl in the line represents a different timeline of evolution, but altogether they represent an advancement from the  surroundings. The girls are thinking of right now (to go swimming) while an uncertain evolution to the future looms in the background.

Your portfolio as a whole addresses issues related to identity, integration, climate change, youth, femininity, and spirituality. How do you navigate these complex themes in your storytelling, and what impact do you hope your work will have on the audience, particularly in raising awareness or provoking thought on these social issues?

My primary goals as a photographer have always been to give a voice to those I capture, to transmit information and also to portray what I feel in the exact moment of the shot. I deal with complex issues by getting to know what they are. Understanding what is happening with climate change or cultural change before I even take the photo is very important for me. I always know where I’m going even if I discover and learn a lot from local people along the way. Understanding the issues in relation to the subject, its history, its landscape or its place allows me to put myself in their shoes and to relive those moments. With my photos I want to share people’s life experiences and words and raise questions about our own choices. My hope is that people take conscience of the actual state of the world and at the same time think towards positive outcomes. I think it is of the utmost importance to raise this awareness.

Let’s talk a little bit about your mini-series “Solid Water”, an extract from your much bigger project “Permafrost, this cold that is no longer eternal” – which we strongly encourage our audience to go see on your website.
In this project, we are confronted with issues of climate change, cultural identity and perhaps even of social injustice, and with their consequences on the local territory and population.
A big part of your project focuses in particular on the village of Oymyakon, known as the coldest permanently inhabited settlement on Earth. You are certainly no stranger to harsh weather conditions. However, were there any unexpected challenges you faced in shooting in the region of Yakutia? Both on a personal, but even professional and technical level?

It’s true that I was born in the North, but in my region the cold is not the same: before going to Yakutia, I had never experienced -60 degrees Celsius. This is a dry cold, we do not immediately realize that a finger, for example, has already lost sensitivity, and therefore it quickly becomes dangerous. I almost froze a little finger which received a burn from the cold. We also had to think about how to protect the face… for this, I used bear fat or little pieces of fur donated by local people. At such low temperatures, it is not recommended and even dangerous to wear synthetic fabrics because they would freeze and break.

The challenge in terms of photo equipment is that you have to prevent the sensor from freezing, otherwise the image would turn green. I used my own body heat to keep the batteries warm, but my mechanical shutter still froze on one of my cameras. In these conditions I start with two or three bodies with different focal lengths, because leaving your fingers exposed to the change of lenses can be painful. In terms of shooting, the difficulty was that the viewer often fogged up or the camera burned my face and fingers.

On a human level, people were very welcoming and always offered me hot food to warm me up. I was given lots of advice on personal clothing and equipment before coming.

The entire region of Yakutia is home to a lot of small, remote villages. How did you manage to enter such – I can imagine – very private communities, to the point of being invited into people’s homes, witness their daily activities and talk about their individual stories and personal struggles?

I approached this reportage in Yakutia the same way I approached other works.
I come to the new place, I learn about the culture, I spend time with people, I adopt their way of life: for example by sewing, cooking, preparing stocks of wood and ice blocks with them.
I also share my own culture of course: I explain my project, who I am, my intention. And whether they accept me or not. If they do, they might make me discover some special places and tell their stories.
The lessons I learned are not to force anything and not to forget your common thread with them, to follow the flow of events, to be attentive to signs, gestures, words, and to be in the present moment. My motto is to not get discouraged and to always be ready to shoot: at any moment the light can reappear, the magical movement can occur.

Are there any lessons you’ve learned during this experience that you think will stay with you for the rest of your career?

During my travel in the harsh Yakutian environment, a thing that I fully experimented with is letting go. The story that I will never forget is when the reindeer herder’s snowmobile ran out of gasoline in the middle of the Taiga close to midnight. With nothing else to do but wait and hope, I laid down on the seat to look at the stars. It was such a gorgeous view, and I was reminded of the desolation, the isolation but also the miraculous beauty of being outside in this region. Despite having no immediate solution for rescue and it being bitterly cold, I still felt comfort and peace at that moment. Some time after, help appeared from nowhere and shared their fuel with us. I often think of this moment as a reminder of the beauty and connection to nature I shared with my travelers that day, but also of how in some spiritual way other people were guided to help us.

What is the ultimate meaning, feelings or thoughts that you wish for the audience to take away from this project and the images you captured?

I would like the audience to be open and free with their feelings and thoughts after looking at my images, but of course I hope it does raise specific thoughts towards the issues that I wanted to document. If my work can spark strong emotions, reveal new ways of seeing, help people learn about new cultures and environments, raise awareness and make people’s actions more responsible, then I am happy and I feel I have done my job.