The photo exhibition "The World of Wild Nature: A Look Through the Lens" began its work at the "Mir" cinema on April 1st.
The exhibition features 21 works by animal photographer Tatyana Aleshka, a member of the Belarusian Wild Nature Photographers Club, Minsk-news reports.
Tatyana continues the work of her father, the famous photographer Vyacheslav Aleshka, one of the pioneers among Belarusian wild nature photographers. According to her recollections, there was a very large library at home, a significant part of which was occupied by books about nature and the art of photography. Another passion of Tatyana Aleshka's father was poetry, which she also enjoys. She only started seriously engaging in photography in 2018 — her love for animals was inherited and became the main theme of the author's photographic works.
— I'm a philologist by education and for a long time I studied poetry. At one point, I asked myself: how many birds are found in Belarusian lyrical works? It turned out that birds occupy a significant place in them. They are closely connected with people's daily lives, myths, fairy tales, and folklore. And the diversity of poetic images and metaphors associated with birds is striking. Now I plan to publish a book that will feature my photographs and poems by Belarusian poets dedicated to birds, — Tatyana Aleshka shared.
In addition to birds, the photographer also shoots animals. The interviewee shared: it is very interesting to observe the behavior and emotions of fauna representatives, their interaction with each other — she strives to show all of this in her photographs.
— I am especially happy when I manage to capture an animal in a close-up, so that its eyes are visible. With my exhibition, I would like to draw the attention of city dwellers to our planet's neighbors — representatives of the animal world. To show those of them whom not everyone can see live, and, of course, to urge people to care for the environment. According to scientists, the delicate balance between human civilization and nature is approaching a point of no return, — noted the animal photographer.
Although the photo exhibition is titled "The World of Wild Nature: A Look Through the Lens", all photos were taken exclusively in Belarus, in its most diverse locations: the "Krasny Bor", "Nalibotsky", "Vyganashchanskaye" reserves, the "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", "Braslav Lakes" national parks and other places.
— The exhibition features works from 2022-2025. The photography process itself takes a very long time, as rare animals often have to be stalked from a hiding place. Animals, like people, are very different. For example, one bird might let you get quite close, while another will fly away as soon as it hears a rustle, — shared T. Aleshka. — An animal photographer is fed by their legs: the more they travel and walk, the more chances they have to see something unique. For instance, to photograph eagles, you need to arrive at their habitat before dawn, otherwise, crows might spot you and warn everyone around, so it's important for the photographer to blend in with nature and not make any unnecessary sounds.
Moose are best photographed in the Braslav region. There, an experienced gamekeeper, Oleg Seleh, helps photographers find and attract animals.
— With his help, I have repeatedly found myself quite close to these beautiful and powerful animals, although they can be aggressive during the rutting season. But when you see this beauty, you forget everything, striving to take another step closer, — added the photographer.
Mostly, animals are afraid of people and immediately run away or hide when sensing danger. But people, in turn, are wary of some animals, such as wolves. Although experienced photographers know that encountering a gray predator is a great stroke of luck. Wolves have an excellent sense of smell; they can detect humans kilometers away, so photographing them in the wild is very difficult.
The exhibition will run until May 31st.
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