Interview: Sharon Tribelsky
Luca Curci talks with Sharon Tribelsky, the winner of ARTIST OF THE MONTH – APRIL 2022.

Sharon Tribelsky is a professional photographer born in 1960 and living on Kibbutz Beit Zera which is in the Jordan Valley located in Israel. He graduated with four years of photography studies from Canada Wizo art College in Haifa. His works are exhibited at galleries and shows around the world and printed in books and magazines. For a period of fifteen years, he was involved in industrial and commercial photography and also managed a commercial photography studio. He currently takes landscape images and drone projects only for fun and not for making a living. (from time to time also street photography). His drone images series of the sinkholes at the dead sea “Dead Land” won Sharon the title photographer of the month at Itsliquid Group contest April 2022. He tries to pay attention to all the small details in each photograph and show the viewer the drama and excitement of light and texture meeting at the right moment in the photographer’s eyes… despite the fact that in nature and landscape photography (as opposed to studio photography) the photographer has no control over the images in front of him. This is something ingrained in him from the days when he worked with a technical camera using 4″ by 5″ slides and negatives. Sharon says: “There is something in the “old world” of analogical photography, in my opinion, which causes everyone who has ever used negatives or slides and printed in darkrooms, to relate differently to every press of the shutter, and to maybe also respect every frame a little bit more”.

Luca Curci – How did you get into photography? Do you remember why you took your first professional photo?
Sharon Tribelsky – My love of photography began after my release from 3 years of army service and a further 3 years of extensive travel around the world, I remember when I just started to take pictures of people and landscapes it gave me a fresh new look at the world around me, and it was very exciting for me. It was around 1984 and photography was still at the analog stage, you had to make sure you don’t just shoot images (negatives and slides) especially when you travel on a short budget and you don’t want to run out of film. I think it forced you to pay more attention to all the photography aspects before you pulled the button and took the shot. I can’t remember when I took my first professional photo but when I came back to Israel I decided to take my hobby seriously and went to study the subject at college for four years, knowing then that it would always be a part of my life.

LC – When you take photos, are you usually inspired by the situation or do you find inspiration in yourself?
ST – I think it’s a mix of both the inspiration of what you see and what you fill in yourself at that moment. When I’m shooting landscapes many times I can hear something like music playing in my head and when I look at the viewfinder of the camera the composition of the image and the music is in harmony with me.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
ST – Sure. When I just started photography many years ago I didn’t understand the light the way I do today, I didn’t understand composition the way I do today and I didn’t master the technics. Of course, the digital cameras of today let you work more intuitively and concentrate on the artistic part of the creation. Also, there is much more minimalism in my works today than before.

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or an instinctive process?
ST – Many times I feel my subjects choose me…its something hard to explain but after many years of photography sometimes you just know that your image is there waiting for you to take it…

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
ST – Almost always my inspiration is coming from the light. The first thing I pay attention to is the light. The direction of the light, the power and intensity of the light, the way the light hits the surface, and the shadows it creates are the source of inspiration for me whenever I point my camera. The sunlight can change in a matter of seconds, especially at sunrise and sunset. Light is the most important tool you have as a photographer when you try to create artistic photography. All the mood and atmosphere of the image depending on the lighting conditions… (well… almost all of them!!!)

LC – What is your idea about ITSLIQUID GROUP?
ST – I think it’s a great idea to connect artists from all over the globe and to make sure there is a dialogue between collectors, art critics, journalists, and art lovers. As far as I see, this organization is spread all over the world and I think it’s a great platform for artists like me to show their art in front of the eyes of the right people and in the right places.