Shoot the Breeze: Sergey Melnitchenko

Sergey Melnitchenko shoots all the things I want to shoot: muscles, cocks & nature. The male body/sexuality seems to be the unavoidable focus of Sergey’s work, as seen in his series Schwarzenegger is my idol and Military Commissariat, which is said to be commentary on the political situation in Ukraine, his home country. His series Lonelieness online is an archive of screenshots of lonely men and boys in chatrooms, accompanied by nature scenes Sergey has captured on a cellphone camera. Sergey now lives in China and is shooting primarily on polaroid film. I’m really into Sergey, and I love his broken English answers below. -CM

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1.Why do you take photos?
I love it. I’m happy when I do something interesting.

2.Do you carry your camera with you everywhere you go?
Now, when I’m living and working in new country, I always take my Fuji film Mini 8 with me to take moment photos.

3. What celebrity would you like to shoot most?
Those ones who would like to collaborate with me, haha

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4. What animal would you like to be, if not a human?
Deer. I think this animal is beautiful.

5. What is your favorite smell?
Smell of my girlfriend.

6. Would you like to live forever?
Was thinking about this. First I thought that yes, but I think it would become boring sometime.

7. What do you think is the best photo you have ever taken to date?
There is no such of them  I don’t like to say anything good about my works. I like when people say.

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8. What’s your favorite pastime?
It’s whole my life, really. I love it, thanks to my parents.

9. Do you like having your photo taken?
I’m happy when I’m making photos.

10. Who are your favorite photographers, currently?
I love photography as art and I like photos and it doesn’t matter to me who made them.