Julian Elliott’s lens
Travel photographer Julian Elliott captured the beauty of Uzbekistan on a month-long photography tour of the country.
Text: Holly Mamayusupova
“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Siskind
Julian Elliott is a professional travel photographer and winner of several awards, including Landscape Photographer of the Year, International Garden Photographer of the Year: Garden Photography and others. His work can be found through photo agencies like Getty, Robert Harding, AGE Fotostock and Alamy, and his images have graced numerous magazines, commercials and advertisements.
In August 2021, Julian took a 25-day journey through all the regions of Uzbekistan, photographing historical sites, cities, national cuisine and natural landscapes as he went. Elliott’s work is to be incorporated into a joint project between the photographer and Dinara&Co Publishing House to show Uzbekistan from a new perspective, with an emphasis on unexplored places. Through his own lens, Elliott has endeavoured to show the beauty of the country, its traditions and values to the world in the most vivid colours.
Elliott’s visit to Uzbekistan included almost every region of the country. He was accompanied by a local photography team, who helped him discover the most unsung historical places and beautiful landscapes of Uzbekistan that visitors might not have seen before.
On 22 August, at the end of his trip, Elliott presented a photography masterclass at Tashkent’s Bonum Factum art gallery. An audience of talented photographers and beginners alike learned tips and tricks and were treated to a slideshow of Elliott’s beautiful work. The class was divided into four main parts: People, Architecture, Monetising Your Work and a Q&A session. In each part, Elliott presented the best shots that he’d chosen from amongst thousands that he had shot.
The class opened with an introduction to the technical aspects of camera usage, like settings and the importance of light. Elliott emphasised that light can either make the image perfect or ruin it. He also talked a lot about the importance of timing.
“You should catch that exact moment of the day when the scenario perfectly works on the spot where you planning to take a picture,” he advised.
During the ‘People’ portion of the class, Julian recounted the importance of respecting the privacy and feelings of the people he photographs. He said he always politely asks to take a picture of an individual, and after gaining permission, he tries to make a real connection with the person so that they feel free to express their true nature and feelings on camera.
Some of Elliott’s most breathtaking ‘People’ photographs were those shot in Moynaq, Karakalpakstan. Particularly poignant were the images of kids playing around the ships in the desert, a place where years ago you could drown in the Aral Sea. These were particularly salient, full of childhood emotion, friendship and nostalgia, but also captured the ecological disaster that continues in the Aral Sea region.
Julian Elliott’s journey brought to the audience a unique perspective on travel photography and Uzbekistan. His forthcoming photography book, 100 Experiences of Uzbekistan, is set to release in late.
Learn more at julianelliottphotography.com and follow him on Instagram @julian_elliott_photography.
