I ended up in the hands of the majestic and terrifying Irakly Shanidze at the very beginning of my photographic life. Now I can say that this experience largely determined my perception of not only photography but visual arts as a whole. At first, I enrolled in the online course and then came to Irakly’s two-week intensive in Moscow. It was then that I had this unbelievable magical epiphany, which became pivotal in my life and determined my future profession.

The most important thing, besides being very thorough with all this technical stuff, Irakly gives students an entirely new vision and ability to see the picture, helps “read” the image and decipher its hidden meaning. He turns whatever you imagined in your head about what photography should be entirely upside down. It is a thrilling trip, and you will never be the same after taking it. Throughout my photographic life, I had many teachers who helped me develop my style and find my direction in photography. Irakly, however, gets the golden palm for his contribution.