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Konstantin Leyfer
Chairman of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» Contest

Photographer,photo editor,photo director,photography professor. Member of the Association of the Photo Artists of Russia and of the panel of judges of “Young Photographers of Russia” contest (2019-2021). Former chairman of the panel of judges of “The Most Beautiful Country” contest, associate professor at the Communication, Media and Design College of the Higher School of Economics (Moscow). Former head of the “TASS photo chronicles” service, photographer, photo editor of the Moscow office of France-Press (1990-1992) and of Reuters news agency (1992-1997). In 1997 he moved to France to work for the Russian edition of “Geo” magazine. Participated in Arles and Perpignan photo festivals. In 1997-1998 headed the photography department of the Russian edition of “Paris Match” magazine, and, thereafter, of the Russian edition of “Vogue” magazine. In 1998 – 2008 managed his own photo agency “Best Pictures”.

Albert and Natalia Garnelis
Speakers at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Albert is a photographer, winner of the Best of Russia photo contest, he is a general optician, lecturer of further education courses on practical astronomy. He also creates hand-made instruments for space observation. He is into astrophotography, holds astronomic events like lectures, master classes, mass public telescope viewings. On multiple occasions Albert has been invited to participate in TV programs, he wrote a number of articles on astronomy for Russian and international mass media.

Natalia is an active photographer, videographer, and photo blogger. She works in mass media as a photo editor, organizes and creates photo exhibitions. She has loved space and astronomy since her early childhood. Her diploma is in optic engineering. She personally produced several telescopes. Natalia organizes and heads astronomic expeditions, lectures and master classes as well as public telescope viewing events. She has taken part in multiple expeditions to observe rare astronomic phenomena: eclipses, occultations, meteorite showers. She is the winner of Best of Russia, ECO PHOTO. Natalia delivers lectures on the basics of photography, assembles 3D panoramas, besides she is a photographer, and a professional retouch designer.

Anastasia Potekhina
Speaker, reviewer, leader of a master class at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Photographer, modern artist and designer, graduate of the Moscow State Textile Institute and the 1905 Moscow State Academic Art School. Anastasia participated in more than 30 art exhibitions in Russia and abroad. She is a member of Royal Photographic Society. Her works have been purchased by museum and private collections. She lives and works in Cyprus. She describes herself saying: “I’m a happy dreamer. I’m trying to adjust myself in one way or another into the surrounding space”.

Andrey Bezukladnikov
Speaker at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Visual artist, photographer, NFT enthusiast, photo projects producer, founder and leader of Photographer.ru (1999) resource, head of Portfolio.Photographer.ru project. He was born on 13 January 1959 in Perm and became a professional photographer in 1978. In 1986 he moved to Moscow, where he did photographer work for Mosfilm, “School of Drama Art” theatre, “Theatre Life” magazine, Stas Namin Centre, and at the same time carried out his personal photo projects. At the end of 1980-ies he moved on to the international art scene with his personal exhibition “Adam’s Head” at the festival Les Rencontres d'Arles (Arles, France). He has participated in more than 50 personal and group exhibitions in Russia and abroad. His works make part of photography collections of photographic and modern art museums of Moscow, Perm, Paris, Santa-Fe, Lausanne, Chicago, Austin etc.

Andrey Chezhin
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» Contest

Born in Leningrad in 1960. Graduated from Leningrad Institute of Motion Picture Engineers in 1982. That was the time when he took up photography. Member of the photo club “Zerkalo” (Mirror) since 1985. Member of “TAK” group in 1987-1996. Participant of the artistic association “Photopostscriptum (1993), Member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia (1995). Member of “Free Culture” Association (1996). Since 1998 member of the International Federation of Artists (IFA). Organizer and board member of annual festival “Autumn Marathon” (1999-2005). Director of the Gallery “PHOTOimage” and his personal museum of modern art – “Drawing Pin Museum”. Currently works as a free-lance photographer. He held 90 personal exhibitions and participated in 180 group exhibitions in Russia and abroad.

Andrey Polikanov
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» Contest

Родился в 1961 году в Москве. Окончил Военный институт иностранных языков в 1987 году, в течение шести лет служил офицером в Анголе. В начале 1990-х годов работал фиксером и стрингером с Энтони Сво, Кристофером Моррисом, Стэнли Грином и другими известными международными фотожурналистами, создавая фотоистории для крупных международных изданий о событиях на бывших территориях СССР (в том числе о конфликтах в Нагорном Карабахе, Чечне, Приднестровье, Абхазии и Таджикистане). С 1995 до 2007 года работал фоторедактором журнала «Time» и с 2007 года до 2015 — директором фотографии в журнале «Русский репортер», затем до 2022 года визуальным директором на информационном портале «Такие дела». С 2023 по настоящее время - фоторедактор Объединения «Поле».
Член жюри различных национальных и международных фотоконкурсов: World Press Photo, Perpignan Visa d’Or, Press Photo Finland, Photo Istanbul, Интерфото в России, Encontros da Imagem (Portugal), Estação Imagem (Portugal), Pignyao Photo Contest (China) и др. Член независимой отборочной комиссии для Joop Swart Masterclass и 6X6 World Press Foundation, Visa Pour L’Image и образовательной программы World Press Photo по Ближнему Востоку и Северной Африке (MENA). Номинатор Prince Claus Grant, Leica Oscar Barnack Grant, W.Eugene Smith Grant, Daniel Tamagni Grant, RPS Grant, FotoEvidence Grant, PDN’ 30, BJP’s “Ones to Watch”. Ревьюер на международном портфолио-ревю Fotofest, лектор и ревьюер международного фестиваля Bursa Photo Festival (Турция), Antalya Photo Festival (Турция), Cortona on the Move (Италия), Photolux Festival (Италия), Backlight Photo Festival (Финляндия), Baie de Saint Brieuc Festival Photoreporter (Франция), Vilnius Photo Circle (Литва). С 2001 года провел многочисленные семинары по фотожурналистике как в России, так и во всем мире.

Boris Nazarenko
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» Contest

Acclaimed specialist in spontaneous street-phography. Partipicant of numerous exhibitions in museums and galleries of Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Russia. Born in Omsk to a family of engineers. After finishing secondary school specializing in physics and mathematics he entered the college of Physics and Mathematics of the Novossibirsk State University. Moved to Moscow in 1971 and continued his studies in Ordjonikidze Moscow Engineering and Economics Institute at the faculty of economic cybernetics, where he conducted research and development in the area of Artificial Intelligence. The photographs made by Boris Nazarenko are kept in the collections of the State Russian Museum, Moscow Museum of Multimedia Art, art galleries in Prague and Budapest. He lives in Moscow and often travels to other places making photos filled with love and a touch of irony.

Denis Karassev
Speaker, reviewer, leader of a master class at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Documentary photographer, uses street photography style, member of the Photo Artist Association of Russia, serves as deputy chairmen of the Moscow branch of that society. He is a prize winner at Russian and international contests, finalist of Brussels and London street photography festivals, lecturer on photography, participant of multiple modern art exhibitions.

Dmitry Petenin
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Landscape and art photographer, founder and head of Nature Photo Team, independent curator and organizer of different exhibitions, author of a personal column in the “Russian Photo” magazine, editor of the Nature Photo Team magazine. Member of the Creative Association of the Union of the Russian Artists, Association of Photo-artists of Russia, RGS, Association of Wild Nature Photographers, finalist and winner of a number of Russian and international contests.

Dmitry Soshnikov
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, associate professor of MAI, HSE and RUT MIIT teaches courses on “Artificial Intelligence” and “Functional and Logical Programming”. For 16 years he worked as a senior expert on AI and automated learning in Microsoft, currently holds the positions of technical head of the Laboratory of Generative AI of HSE Design School and consultant of Yandex Cloud. Dmitry is interested in technological art. His works in the area of Science Art were displayed in Krasnokholmskaya Gallery at the Non-Fiction Exhibition, in Electronic Museum, and in the Museum of Russian Impressionism.

Elena Kholkina
Speaker, workshop leader, reviewer at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Photographer, artist, independent publisher. One of the founders of the Russian Independent Selfpublished group, curator. Graduated from the Institute of Iossif Bakshtein Institute of Modern Art (Moscow) and PhotoDepartment (St. Petersburg), grant holder of Urban Urge 2014, prize winner of Rock Your Dummy 2013 contest (Paris). Elena participated in multiple exhibitions in Europe (France, Athens, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Latvia etc.), USA and the CIS countries (Russia, Belarus etc.). She is a resident of the Cultural Centre ZIL 2016, was shortlisted for Unseen Dummy Award 2014 (Amsterdam). She acted as an expert at portfolio review of XI Photo Parade in Uglich, was a member of jury panel of Rock your dummy! Contest at Le Photobook Fest 2014 (Paris). She is the author of some photo books, including the “Girl at the Lake”, which was a finalist at FotoBookMarket (2018).

Igor Mukhin
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Documentary photographer, gives courses in Rodchenko School, and HSE Design School. The exhibitions of his photographs are successfully held worldwide, his works form part of the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow Museum, Schusev Museum of Architecture, and the State Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO (St. Petersburg), Museum of Modern Art (New-York), European House of Photography (Paris), National Foundation of Modern Art (Paris) and others.

Irina Khozhainova
Speaker and reviewer at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Photographer, photo artist, art director, curator of the modern art gallery “Buksir” in Lipetsk, professor of photography, member of Photo Artist Association of Russia, award winner of the “Young Photographers of Russia” contest, winner of the portfolio review at the same contest, participant of multiple international contest, grant holder of the RF Government for young culture and art professionals (2020, 2021). Her works were presented at exhibitions in various cities of Russia as well as in Austria and the USA.

Irina Tolkacheva
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Art expert, photography historian, author of multiple training courses and articles, member of the Art Expert Association and the Association of Photo-artists of Russia. Lecturer of the Modern Art School “Free Workshops” of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, School of Modern Photography “Docdocdoc”, School of Modern Photography PHOTOPLAY, School of Photography Fine Art, formerly a lecturer in VGIK, and the School of Visual Arts. Participates in the educational programmes of the Pushkin Museum, Lumière Brothers Centre for Photography, German Goethe Cultural Centre etc. Member of the admission board of the Union of Photo-artists of Russia and juror of multiple photo contests.

Konstantin Malanin
Speaker, reviewer, leader of a master class at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Landscape photographer. Organiser of photo tours in Russia, lecturer at courses and mobile workshops on landscape photography and image processing, speaker and participant of major Russian festivals and exhibitions of landscape photography. During the Festival Kostantin will deliver a lecture and will hold a master class: “Landscape Photo. To Seize the Moment or to Create it Yourself?”. He will also act as an expert on landscape photo in portfolio review.

Margarita Fedina
Speaker, reviewer, leader of a master class at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Photographer specializing in architecture and interior photography, author of photo illustrations to over 110 books on Russian and international architecture. She is a member of the Photo Artist Association of Russia, participated in numerous group and personal exhibitions, award winner of various professional competitions. Margarita is the official photographer of several hotel chains such as “Mariott Moscow”, “Hilton”, “Holiday Inn” etc. For many years she has co-operated with construction and restauration companies like “Honka Russia”, “Pallada”, “Baltic Ceramics”. She still shoots her artistic projects on slides or black and white film.

Maria Sakhno
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Photographer, artist, expert, art conservator, certified specialist in art, graduated from the St. Petersburg Repin Pictorial Art, Sculpture and Architecture Institute. Since 2022 has managed the restauration workshop of the Tver Regional Art Gallery. She is the chairman of Tver Branch of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia. She is one of the founders of the Art Photography Foundation in the Tver Regional Art Gallery currently is in charge of research and complectation. Participated in 20 group and 15 personal exhibitions, member of the panel of judges and speaker at multiple Russian photo festivals. Artistic and photographic works of Maria can be found in museums and private collections, including the Historical Museum (Moscow), the Russian Museum and the Belgorod Art Museum.

Marina Volynkina
Speaker at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

DJS, professor. Rector of IGUMO and MKIK, head of information agency “About People”, practicing lawyer specializing on arbitration. Honoured graduate of the Moscow Law Academy (1987), passed her candidate thesis in the Institute of Economics of the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Science (2003), received doctor degree in the Russian Government Service Academy of the RF President (2007). Currently Marina Volynkina is one of the leading experts on copyright law in Russia, acts as expert at the annual IP Forum. Her sphere of professional interests includes copyright law, entrepreneurial law, artificial intelligence law. She is the author of over 100 publications, including several monographs and learning manuals.

Natasha and Valera Cherkashin
Members of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Living symbols of the Russian modern art. Their artistic duo was formed in 1983. Starting from more traditional forms like pictorial art, graphics and photography they gradually moved on to processing photographic images, installations and performance, and starting from 1999 they work with digital images and video. They spent a long time living in New-York. Currently they live and work in Moscow. The Cherkashin duo have organized 195 personal exhibitions and 300 performances. Last year in collaboration with a leading AI expert, Dmitry Soshnikov, they acquired first serious experience of working with AI. www.metro33.com

Nina Shakhina
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

RF State Councilor of the 1 st grade, public activist, expert on issues of families and children, board member of All-Russia Public Organization “Association of Social Educators and Social Workers”, ambassador of the International Festival Inclusive Dance, candidate of historical sciences.

Sergey Kivrin
Member of the panel of judges of «LIGHT and COLOUR» contest

Renowned sports journalist,covered over 17 Olympic Games, winner of World Press Photo award and other prestigious international contests. Worked in a number of magazines: “Soviet Union”, “Ogonek”, “Tennis+”, “Sport Express”, collaborated with leading Russian and international publications and photo agencies. Contributed his works to the photo albums “ Lillehammer-96, “OLYMPIA” 1996, “Atlanta-96”, “Salt Lake City-2002”, “Triumph” (Davis Cup-2000), “Big Heart of Ice Hockey” (2008), “Olympic Age of Russia” (2011), anniversary album of the “Virtuosi of Moscow” 2006, photo album “Baku. The Pulse of Big City” (2011) commissioned by the administration of the President of Azerbaijan. Organizer and participant of numerous photo exhibitions, including “Sydney- 2000” in the Central House of Artists, “Triumph” (Davis Cup-2000) in the Moscow House of Photography, “Heroes of Athens” in 2004 in the Photo Centre of the Association of Journalists and others.

Vadim Gushin
Speaker and reviewer at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Modern Russian artist-photographer, dean of the photography faculty of IGUMO and MKIK. Honoured member of the Photo-artist Association of Russia. He specializes in post-conceptual still life photography, co-operates with art galleries in Moscow, USA and Europe. He has participated in multiple personal and group exhibitions. He is the author of the monographs: «Vadim Gushin. Still Life» (Moscow, 2008), «Everyday Objects/Cultural Treasure» (Amsterdam, 2013). His photographs are part of many museum and private collections in Russia, USA and Europe.

Vassily Prudnikov
Speaker, reviewer, leader of a master class at the festival «LIGHT AND COLOUR»

Photographer, photo journalist, publisher, curator of photo exhibitions, professor of photography, author and leader of the “RUSS PRESS PHOTO” cultural project. He is founder of the Moscow Institute of Professional and Amateur Photography (MIPAP), where besides his administrative activity he conducts personal photography courses (film photography, art of portrait, history of domestic photo journalism). He is a creator and curator of Sigizmund Yurkovsky International Photography Festival “PhotoCrok” in Vitebsk (Belarus), and the director of Local Photography Foundation in Vitebsk.

Vladimir Vyatkin
Chairman of blitz-contest, leader of a master class at «LIGHT AND COLOUR» festival

Best known Russian photo journalist, special photo correspondent of “Russia Today” agency, photography professor. He has innumerable students. In 2004 he became an academician of the International Guild of SME Photographers. He worked as photo reporter in war zones like Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and Chechnya. He has six awards of World Press Photo contest. Three times he sat on the international jury panel of the contest. Award winner of many Russian and international professional contests.