Our latest MPN featured photographer is Yana Mikho-Misho. Born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Mikho-Misho now lives in the United States with her family.
MPN discovered Mikho-Misho’s work through Instagram. Her purposeful photographs cut through the visual noise, their clarity complemented by a sense of playfulness and humour, whether capturing glimpses of home-life or the streets of Twinsburg, Ohio.
Mikho-Misho sat down with MPN to talk about storytelling, rhythm and photographic freedom.
Your images are beautifully framed, revealing and insightful. What captures your eye before you photograph?
Thank you. I would say – an emotion. I believe that not only everyone but everything around us has an emotion. If I am able to catch it, and show it to others it makes me happy.
You regularly juxtapose elements in your images, what does this approach allow you to reveal?
Hmm, I think I don’t do that on purpose. What I reveal for you to see is that ordinary-everyday-object or place on the other side, in their inner beauty. You don’t have to travel far from home to start to see the beauty. Just have a little courage and curiosity.
Have you ever considered shooting for a theme or a story? Or are your images a stream of consciousness?
I love street photography and think true street photographers are the biggest storytellers. It’s not easy to make a story. You have to add your soul to it, showing all you learned through your life. For me making a good photo story is like creating good literature. It’s not about some-a-like-pictures. So, because it’s so much pressure I haven’t shot a story yet. I make echoes, rhythms. But stories — I’m not yet ready for that big of a project.
Also, if I have some ideas for a photo-art project I shoot exactly for that theme.
When you look at photography online, how is mobile photography different to you? What is your experience?
I love mobile photography. It’s smart, creative, modern, fresh, and a huge part of photography nowadays.
I’m not a tech person. So, for me using my iPhone as a camera, with only a one-touch button to make a shot, is freedom. My camera (phone, ha — who uses iPhones as-a-phone these days?) is always in a silent mode. I didn’t add any fancy cover so that I’m almost invisible on the streets, woods, air, underwater, under-earth, over-the-Moon… and wherever I shoot. And, it’s only a tool, right? The mobile device (or filters or whatever else) doesn’t make you a good photographer, you have to learn & study & train your eye constantly to become a good photographer.
The saddest thing about mobile-photography that I notice from other photographers is that they solely associate Instagram with mobile photography, and don’t take it seriously. From my view, Instagram is a great social place, a modern Babylon, time-machine, for s-h-a-r-i-n-g pictures, art, images, photography and making friendships. Yet, Instagram should not be the sole representation of mobile photography, mobile photography is so much more.
Please tell us whose mobile photography inspires you, and where we can find their work!
For me, a personal BIG step was discovering Misho Baranovic and Olly Lang photography. Seriously, it changed my point of view on mobile photography forever.
Mmm, I have so many inspirational feeds, almost my entire IG feed. Please look at Zerdzai Witworasakul @zerdzaiwitworasakul, Ashley Spradlin @ashleyspradlin, Pavel Samokhvalov @pavel_samokhvalov, @sorakichi2, @maahno, @g_sky, @sky9irl, Marina Varuolo @vladilenovna.
You can find Mikho-Misho’s photographs on her blog and Instagram.