Gaming

Gaming became hugely popular in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and don't forget, guys, that Tetris was invented in Russia.

I myself as kid was keen on playing different games but as time went by I came across some interests as sport and media. Now I feel as though I am back in future seating in front of a TV screen playing Sega Drive.

Storyteller

I've already mentioned that the important thing for me is telling a story through photography. Digital media is no exception, it also tells story and in a way that sometimes is hard to conceive. My Flash was probably not as significant as it could be but it told a story of my passion for football or soccer as they call it here. It also told a story of my country in a way because not that many countries have a chance to qualify for a World Cup.

Typography

Important, really important. Unless you don't want to be interactive. Digital media is all about working with an image and enriching it. Every feature, even a minor one can attract your attention thus typography can be very useful when sending a message to an audience.

Raw or JPEG

For me it was always a challenge to shoot in JPEG because sometimes you take a really good shot but it lacks brightness or sth else and here you are unlikely to make any serious changes as you'll simply destroy the image. But when you work for a newspaper as I did you'll understand that the only way to get the image in time for tomorrow's paper is to shoot in JPEG.

Now, however, I have more time to enjoy my self and work with photos I take.

Colour or....... Color

Both are possible but when creating a web site you'd better use the latter!

Colour is a crucial thing you should be aware of when working in digital media world. The first thing people see unless they are blind is the colour. And it's very important not only which colour you use because some people like different colours but also how you use it.

I like using colour a lot though I am not a painter but I am an artist. I capture images with my camera and I like pictures with a palette of different colours. I straight away think of the nature: Italy, France, other European countries, Russia, Canada that's where you should go if you are passionate about photography.

Thoughts, simple thoughts

Design is an integral part of Digital media. People won't look at your digital media project nowadays if it lacks cool design. The demand is so high that it's some times really hard to keep up with the trend. However there are countries where you can still make the most out of your digital media skills and poor design capabilities. But few are left.

You don't have an artist though to create a web site or make an installation. But you ought to have a talent and a desire to create and be creative.

I like creativity a lot and always look for one with people I meet. As a photographer I use every bit of my creative imagination to make not just a simple shot but a photo with a certain message. Today photography became so popular in my country that everyone thinks he become a Pro and earn millions of dollars by just pressing a button. It's an unfortunate tendency that I hope will sooner or later disappear.

I myself have a huge archive of photos. You can also check my work on the Publishing House I wok for at

http://www.kommersant.ru/photo/archive/search.asp?L=2&text=&code=&searchbtn=search&dt=1&since=&till=&lang=2&lib=1%2C28&where=&au=saltykovsky&ps=10&ex=y

Enjoy!

The lectures I've missed

While I was struggling to get my Canadian visa in Russia, ,y fellow students were discussing Digital culture and its influence on our life.

It is no doubt true that digital culture became part and parcel of our daily lives. We are using Facebook or Vkontakte (Russian version of Facebook) to communicate with friends. We use Skype to talk to parents and beloved ones. We turn on a TV only to see some interactive stuff and don't wan to hear plain news.

Moreover we start to watch less and less television as there are so many digital tools that could be used a s substitute for TV. Take IPHONE for example - now you can watch news 24/7 and Live from any place in the world.

so plenty to celebrate for the Digital media.