On April 25th Bell Collective opened RED RIDER – a new group photography exhibition in Levels Gallery in Berlin.
This exhibition explores womanhood through the lens of five Berlin-based photographers: Alina Rudya, Janina Steinmetz, Cherie Birkner, Marie-Lisette, and Monika Kozub. Inspired by the Blue Rider artist movement, they aim to push the boundaries of aesthetics collectively.
This exhibition delves into the evolution of female identity over time, from societal expectations to individual freedoms, through various photographic genres.
"Red Rider" symbolises not just the photographers themselves, but also their shared journey and growth. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the works, sparking dialogue and reflection.
Five photographers experiment with different styles to challenge conventional notions of womanhood, showcasing the diversity and innovation in contemporary photography.
by Alina Rudya
Two years ago, at the age of 36, I was diagnosed with ADHD.The diagnosis literally changed my life & helped me to finally understand & accept myself. I am not cured and living life is still not so easy most of the time, but the clarity is a game-changer.
ADHD isn't just a simple label:
It's like peeling back the layers of an intricate puzzle. If you'd known me in school, you'd be surprised that I was excelling academically – but what you might not have seen was the constant battle to stay focused, the struggle to prioritize tasks, and the knack for losing myself in a myriad of thoughts. All these traits followed me into my professional life, making it really hard, despite my knowledge and experience to act on really simple tasks.
Living with Unawareness:
Imagine spending years not knowing that the way your mind works is uniquely different. As I embarked on my creative journey, I faced difficulties maintaining personal connections and keeping things structured. It was like having a symphony of ideas, but the conductor was missing.
Sharing Life with Another Mind:
Living with my husband made me realize that not everyone experienced the world the way I did. His approach to tasks, time, and connections differed from mine. This experience, together with psychotherapy, and finally the ADHD assessment by a psychiatrist finally helped me realize – those traits I thought were just a normal part of being human were actually my ADHD-specific traits.
Discovering New Paths:
Understanding my ADHD wasn't just about having a diagnosis; it was about discovering new ways to live. Setting up routines and breaking down tasks helped me channel my creative energy more effectively (but still not perfectly – my Email has 3249 unopened messages as I type). I also discovered the value of active listening & being present in conversations (even though I keep interrupting & talking about myself as a way of showing empathy A LOT).
Support, Medication, and Mindfulness:
With the support from my inner circle, along with the combination of medication and psychotherapy, I've managed to channel my creative potential. I've started acting on my ideas, embracing risks, and finding a semblance of ease in my life. However, it's still a daily struggle. My mind rarely finds stillness, confidence can be fleeting, and self-awareness is a continuous practice. ADHD isn't just a quirky label; it's a dynamic force that shapes every facet of life.
Women and ADHD:
Gender bias is a real problem in ADHD diagnosis. Women are frequently misdiagnosed and their experiences are dismissed. The journey to recognition can be hard, but it's a battle worth fighting.
Final words:
The journey of people with ADHD is anything but "trendy"; it's a testament to human resilience. To my fellow ADHD creatives – keep blazing your trail, and remember that you're rewriting the narrative, one step at a time.
In 1986, aged one, I was evacuated from the now ghost-town of Prypyat after the explosion on the Chernobyl Nuclear power Plant. My father worked on the plant on the night of the accident (operating a different reactor, though), while my mom and I were sleeping at our home at Lenin Avenue 17, just a few kilometers away from the greatest nuclear disaster of all times.
I went back to Prypyat (or, as you might know, it from the Russian transliteration - “Pripyat”) many times, the first visit was back in 2000 with my dad, who went there for work. I returned in 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016 while I was working on my book “Prypyat mon Amour”, dedicated to people, who were evacuated from Prypyat.
A few years ago I was invited to visit the Exclusion Zone as a tourist for the first time. I wanted to go - out of natural curiosity and to see, what kind of knowledge people have of the area and what happened and what kind of information they get from the guides. I constantly get questions from people, who want to visit the Chernobyl Zone, as well as there are many misconceptions, so I would like to clarify some of them.
The answer is not really simple and I won’t bore you with scientific facts – I am not a huge expert on gamma- alpha- and beta-radiation myself, but I will tell you one thing – it is fine to visit Chernobyl Exclusion Zone as a part of a tourist group.
As soon as you are cautious and don’t go where you’re not supposed to – you will be fine. The radiation levels vary, but you literally have to stand still for weeks in one spot to get a doze, which will have any kind of impact on your body. The biggest danger in the ghost-town of Prypyat now are crumbling houses. You have a much higher chance to break a leg or twist your neck than become a radioactive mutant ninja turtle.
The main danger in the ghost-town is decaying buildings. The biggest dangers in the surrounding territories are the wild animals - also not of a mutant kind. Wolves and wild pigs don’t come out during the day anyways, and most of the tourists have to get out of the Zone by 6 PM anyways.
If you google “Chernobyl tours” you will find many companies, who organize group and private tours to the Zone. They vary in price (30-200$) and I’d suggest going with a smaller group, but for mere educational purposes, a bus tour from Kyiv will be enough. You can also get permission to enter the Zone as a journalist, but in any case, you will have to plan in advance, send your passport number for approval, etc. There is no hop-on hop-off service to Chernobyl. After all, it is not a joke.
The checkpoint Dytiatky, which serves as the entry to the Zone is situated 115 km and approximately 2 hours car ride from Kyiv. Going or not going to the Zone is a personal choice. As I’ve mentioned, one day in the area won’t harm you, but if you’re pregnant, had radiotherapy, or were exposed to big doses of radiation in the past, you should consider the risk. I was exposed to a big dose of radiation in my childhood and I still went several times. My mom didn’t support my decision though.
Most people falsely assume that Chernobyl is the name of the ghost-town from the spooky HDR pictures and computer games. In fact, Chernobyl is a different town, it is situated in the 30-km Zone and you still need to go through the checkpoint to get there, but it is still inhibited by almost 3000 people, who work shifts on the Object “Arch” (the new Sarcophagus over the burned reactor) as well as in the Exclusion Zone.
The spooky abandoned ghost-town is called Prypyat (or Pripyat in Russian transliteration) after the river Prypyat, on which it was built in 1970. It was a very young town of barely 50 000 inhabitants, with the average age of 26 by the 1986. Now, the population is 0.
Unless you are working inside the plant, other highly contaminated areas, you absolutely don’t need protective clothing. Most of the radioactive particles are in the ground, and in 30 years they sank deeper than the surface, so there is no need to cover your clothes. Also, LEAVE THE GAS MASK ALONE! Personally, I hate seeing tourists posing with gas masks - gas masks are not meant to protect from radiation and they were never used as protective measures! The only masks which were used were the so-called “petal” respirators (“Lepestok”), which protects from the inhalation of the microdispersed particles. But the petals don’t look as cool and spooky as the gas masks, thus tourists keep taking pictures with them, misinforming others.
Just like the black sad dolls and melancholically lying around children shoes are not more than props, compositioned perfectly by amateur (and some professional) photographers, to emphasise the drama, the famous classroom, filled with gas masks has nothing to do with radiation, evacuation or tragical events of the 1986. The gas masks were a crucial part of every Soviet’s school “civil defense” training. In other words - these masks were there for educational purposes and were scattered around not during the evacuation, but much later for that dramatic Hollywood effect.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Sarcophagus, also named “Shelter Object” is/was a massive still structure, covering the remains of the 4th reactor of the plant. It was constructed in 1986 in the period of 200 days to protect the environment from the continuous radioactive contamination, cause by the radioactive fuel and tonnes of radioactive materials inside of the ruined reactor (as you might know, some types of radiation don’t disappear for billions of years). The old sarcophagus was built as a temporary measure and wasn’t supposed to last for longer than 30 years - repairing it wasn’t an option, since the levels of radiation inside the structure exceed the limits by far.
Unless you are a scientist or a National Geographic photographer with a very special permission from the government – YOU CANNOT GET INSIDE THE 4TH REACTOR. 4th Reactor Hall is a place which contains huge amounts of radiation and even with all the protective clothing you can get, you won’t be able to stay inside the remains of the reactor unharmed for longer than 2 minutes at a time. Otherwise – acute radiation poisoning, and slow, painful, torturous death. To be more specific - the radiation levels inside exceed 10 000 röntgens per hour, while the lethal dose for a human is 500 röntgens over 5 hour course).
As I’ve already mentioned, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is very vast. The most popular route is the Chernobyl - Sarcophagus of the 4th reactor - Prypyat ghost-town. Since the entry to the Zone is 116 km from Kyiv, it is a day-tour. You can also book longer tour, where you will visit abandoned villages and some other remote parts of the Zone. There up to 7-days tours.
Theoretically you can and many adventure-seekers do. Keep in mind, that it is a restricted territory, and going without permission is considered trespassing under the Ukrainian law. Not to mention, that it can be really dangerous to walk around alone - there are radioactive spots, wild animals and little help available, if you get lost or injured in some remote area.
Guides will advice you not to eat inside the 10-km Zone. Some micro-particles can get onto your food and you better avoid that kind of risk. But If you stay overnight in one of two hotels in Chernobyl, there are hot meals available as well as couple of Soviet-style grocery shops in the area. The food is delivered from the outside, for obvious reasons. When you walk around the Zone in autumn, you will stumble upon old apple- pear- and apricot-trees, full of fruits - they look edible and picturesque, but I will strongly advice you not to touch them.
There are people living inside the Exclusion Zone indeed. As I’ve already mentioned, there are plenty of personnel from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (which was conserved in 2000, but still needs a lot of maintenance - you cannot just drop everything and run away).
There are people, though, who returned to the abandoned villages surrounding the Plant. The villages were evacuated, just like the ghost-town Prypyat, with people leaving all their belongings, cattle, furniture, etc behind. Many didn’t adapt to the new conditions or were mistreated and decided to return. Most of them returned a couple of months or years after the accident.
There were thousands of so-called “samosely” (self-settlers) in the beginning, but now the count is low - officially its is couple of hundreds, spread around the Zone. Most of these people are in their 60s and 70s and die from natural causes.
They grow their own food, gather mushrooms, and brew moonshine, but are also supported by the government and get the pension, just like any other elderly citizens. Once a week a kiosk-on-wheels would drop buy bringing goods from the city, but many tourists visit samosely every day, bringing them presents and food. I’ve made friends with baba Gania, who lives in the Zone with her handicapped sister Sonya. She fed me potatoes and sauerkraut, as well as gave me a bottle of her special Chernobyl moonshine. I know, there was a risk, but I couldn’t say no to her hospitality.
Under current law, new people are prohibited to resettle in the Zone. Nevertheless, there are always plenty of visitors and some relatives tend to come for summer months, using an opportunity to relax away from the city life in the (bit radioactive) nature paradise.
No. There were some mutations registered in the past, but no two-headed wolves or plasma blurbs are running around. There are plenty of wild animals as well as straw dogs in the area though:
It is hard to connect radiation to health issues directly. Many women, who were pregnant at the time were almost forced to get abortions, but I know a few, who didn’t and they had healthy children and now healthy grandchildren. Even though it is hard to link radiation directly to diseases, but the rates of thyroid cancer and leukemia grew drastically after the accident in the affected area. Southern Belarus was affected by the so-called “Northern path” of the radioactive cloud, caused by the accident the most, and much higher than usual rates of birth defects are observed in the areas.
The effects of radiation can be traced years and years after the accident. While working on my book “Prypyat mon Amour”, I’ve met many people, who were evacuated from the Zone, and almost everyone had a relative, who died young from some kind of cancer. So did my father in 2006. He was 47 years old.
I think that tourism to places of great disasters should be not only tolerated but promoted. People need to see the results of the dangerous activity of human beings, to avoid such mistakes and tragedies in the future. I am also a curious person and was interested to see some of the aspects I’ve never thought about or seen before (like the “Russian Woodpecker” radar station). meeting the “samosely" (self-settlers) was also a very unique experience since instead of some philosophical wisdom, one would probably expect from such secluded members of society, you get that they are normal people, with average human needs, desires, and interests.
Nevertheless, I am totally against senseless tourism, with no understanding or feeling of responsibility. I’ve observed many young tourists treating Chernobyl as some kind of extreme playground. I think it is very important to educate young people about what happened, why it happened, and why it should never happen again.
Alina Rudya is a photographer and founder of Bell Collective. She was evacuated from Ukrainian town of Prypyat after the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident of 1986. Currently she lives and works in Berlin, Germany.
Text & Images: Alina Rudya
When COVID-19 hit last year global tourism came to a standstill. But one major issue went unnoticed: Without safari tourists wildlife conservation was at serious risk. And the communities (one in ten people in Africa at least) were suffering as well.
120+ PHOTOGRAPHERS, ONE CAUSE: HELPING CONSERVATION DURING COVID-19
This is how the idea for “Prints for Wildlife” was conceived. Two photographers (Marion Payr, @ladyvenom, and Pie Aerts @pie_aerts) joined forces and launched an unprecedented fundraiser. Over 120+ photographers joined and donated their photos, which were sold as prints for the good cause.
After just one month of the fundraiser over 660,000 dollars worth of prints were sold and 100% of the proceeds (after printing and handling) were donated to African Parks, a non-profit that manages 19 parks in 11 African countries for the benefit of people and wildlife.
And now fast forward to summer 2021, and unfortunately, not a lot has changed in Africa. Safari tourism is still on hold and the situation is becoming direr as time passes. That’s why “Prints for Wildlife” is coming back with a second edition from 11th of July to 11th of August 2021!
This year the fundraiser is even bigger than last year with over 150+ photographers joining the good cause. The united goal: Collect 1 million dollars for conservation!
But there’s more to it. The co-founder Marion Payr explains: “Last year we noticed how male-dominated the wildlife photography industry is. It seemed hard to find women in the industry - most of the visibility in leading magazines and photo contests went to their male counterparts. But are there really fewer women shooting wildlife?”. And so the quest began - and one of the goals of Prints for Wildlife was to showcase more female wildlife photography this year.
That’s why Prints for Wildlife hosted an open call with the goal to further diversity and inclusivity in the wildlife photography world. The fundraiser wants to also be a platform to give visibility to emerging talents and to underrepresented groups in the sphere of conservation. The open call was answered with over 1,300 images sent in from all over the globe - from an incredibly diverse group of photographers.
Through a jury and a public vote the winners were determined and out of the 7 winners there’s 5 female photographers (and of course not because they are female, but just because of the quality of their work - the photos were judged solely based on artistry and creativity).
Alice Peretie @alice_peretie: “Prints for Wildlife is an incredibly powerful initiative. I've always believed that art is a beautiful way to (re)connect people and nature, and have always strived to give back with my photography. But it's also about collaboration, and so being a part of something bringing together photographers from around the world with the same mission is something truly exciting.“
Georgina Goodwin @ggkenya: “Prints for wildlife is a beautiful professional platform, its a privilege to have one of my images as part of this stunning collection and the opportunity for my photography to help support critical conservation efforts by one of Africa's leading conservation organisations."
Kate Newman @travelfordifference: "As a conservation photographer, it's deeply important to me to give back to communities, wildlife and the Earth wherever possible. It's such an honour to be able to do that through Prints for Wildlife in support of a part of the world that I treasure so much."
Debby Jamroz @debrajamroz: “I am thrilled to be a contributor to Prints for Wildlife. I can’t think of a better organisation than African Parks to receive 100% of the proceeds (after printing and handling) with donators having the added bonus of receiving a magnificent print of their choice as a permanent reminder of the beauty of Africa.”
Nili Gudhka @thejunglechic: “Since the last fundraiser was held in 2020 and all the incredible work that was done with the funds, I felt that this was the best way to help our local communities who are one of the guardians of parks and wildlife.”
Text: @Marion Payr / © Prints for Wildlife
Distribution of copyrighted images or text is not permitted.
If you are a photographer – professional or a passionate amateur, you know that some places are simply more photogenic than others.
There are cities in Europe where it is hard to travel without having a constant urge to take picture on every corner. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, if a perfect example of a picture-perfect city, which is welcoming and photogenic and offers (mostly) great weather throughout the year.
A few months ago 3 female photographers and a videographer from Bell Collective took a short city trip to Lisbon. We couldn't pick a better time to go – while Germany was cold and rainy, Lisbon was boasting 22 degrees and sun every day.
Lisbon is a city, rich in history, amazing food and colourful architecture. While we were all creatives on a mission to create imagery for our partner Getty Images, we also decided to share our list of 8 Reasons to visit Lisbon as a photographer:
Lisbon is not LA, so winter can still be cold and rainy, but in comparison to all other European cities, Portuguese capital is the warmest place for a short visit in winter. In the middle of November, when we visited, the temperatures stayed above 20 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect time for outdoor exploration and street photography.
Lisbon is not a huge city and the compact downtown is possible to see by walking around. Districts of Alfama, Baixa, Barrio Alto, Chiado and Belem with their narrow alleys and cozy streets are perfect for a day exploration, even though walking from one district to another often demands a bit of physical preparation, since the city is very hilly.
As mentioned above, the topography of the city is quite hilly, so sometimes walking all day feels like an exercise even for the fittest. For those who feel challenged by the numerous hills and endless staircases, there is a unique tramway network, which lets you see the central districts through the window. Most of Lisbon’s tramway system still employs small vehicles of the early 20th century design. These distinctive yellow trams, together with the famous Bica funicular, are one of the tourist icons of modern Lisbon. There are also numerous electric scooter and bike services in the city these days, which can be helpful for those, who want to move around faster, freer and more sustainable.
After dull and grey house facades, all of us were facing in Berlin and Frankfurt, Lisbon, with its eclectic mix of medieval, baroque and contemporary buildings, is a treat. We couldn’t walk by the azulejo-tiled facades of the Alfama, Barrio Alto and Baixa districts – those colourful facades are incredibly “instagrammable” and postcard ready.
Hilly topography offers a great opportunity to observe the city from above. As photographers, we would recommend visiting Miradouro de Santa Luzia with its beautiful flowered pergola at sunrise, and Miradouro da Graca, behind the church of the came name, at sunset. Another viewpoint not to miss is the roof of MAAT – the Modern Art Museum, which offers great view onto the Tagus river and the iconic 25th April bridge. Its structure and prominent red color make it look very similar to the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Ocean is one of the defining features of Lisbon and played a huge role in its history and economy. Lisbon is strategically build on the mouth of Tagus river, which runs through the city and falls into the Atlantic ocean. Locals and tourists alike gather on the waterfront at sunrise, to see the sun sink behind the horizon.
Portuguese food, with its abundance of fish and sea products, as well as the famous custards tarts “pastéis de nata” is another reason to visit Lisbon. The most famous pastéis are found a short but scenic tram ride from the city center – in the charming district of Belem. Iconic Pastéis de Belem, opened in 1837 and even made it to the Gurdian’s 50 "best things to eat" in the world.
As female travellers, we are often faced with safety issues in a big city. Lisbon, for that reason, is a safe choice for a solo female travel, having a very low overall crime and rare violent crime rates.
Interesting fact: did you know that Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), predating other modern European capitals by centuries?
Disclaimer: As photographers, videographers and digital creators, we are constantly on the go. Since traveling is a huge part of our job, we understand our responsibility for promoting certain places and regions, which might be negatively effected by the over-tourism. We cannot forbid people to travel, since we also believe that conscious traveling helps with breaking the stereotypes, developing tolerance and broadening ones’s worldview. What we want to promote is meaningful travel experiences, sustainable transportation choices, and respectful attitude towards the locals.
Photos & Text: Alina Rudya/Bell Collective
Video: Varvara Kolesova & Alina Rudya
Bell Collective team in Lisbon: Alina Rudya, Sarah Pour, Iveta Rysava & Varvara Kolesova
If you are a photographer – professional or a passionate amateur, you know that some places are simply more photogenic than others.
There are cities in Europe where it is hard to travel without having a constant urge to take picture on every corner. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, if a perfect example of a picture-perfect city, which is welcoming and photogenic and offers (mostly) great weather throughout the year.
A few months ago 3 female photographers and a videographer from Bell Collective took a short city trip to Lisbon. We couldn't pick a better time to go – while Germany was cold and rainy, Lisbon was boasting 22 degrees and sun every day.
Lisbon is a city, rich in history, amazing food and colourful architecture. While we were all creatives on a mission to create imagery for our partner Getty Images, we also decided to share our list of 8 Reasons to visit Lisbon as a photographer:
Lisbon is not LA, so winter can still be cold and rainy, but in comparison to all other European cities, Portuguese capital is the warmest place for a short visit in winter. In the middle of November, when we visited, the temperatures stayed above 20 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect time for outdoor exploration and street photography.
Lisbon is not a huge city and the compact downtown is possible to see by walking around. Districts of Alfama, Baixa, Barrio Alto, Chiado and Belem with their narrow alleys and cozy streets are perfect for a day exploration, even though walking from one district to another often demands a bit of physical preparation, since the city is very hilly.
As mentioned above, the topography of the city is quite hilly, so sometimes walking all day feels like an exercise even for the fittest. For those who feel challenged by the numerous hills and endless staircases, there is a unique tramway network, which lets you see the central districts through the window. Most of Lisbon’s tramway system still employs small vehicles of the early 20th century design. These distinctive yellow trams, together with the famous Bica funicular, are one of the tourist icons of modern Lisbon. There are also numerous electric scooter and bike services in the city these days, which can be helpful for those, who want to move around faster, freer and more sustainable.
After dull and grey house facades, all of us were facing in Berlin and Frankfurt, Lisbon, with its eclectic mix of medieval, baroque and contemporary buildings, is a treat. We couldn’t walk by the azulejo-tiled facades of the Alfama, Barrio Alto and Baixa districts – those colourful facades are incredibly “instagrammable” and postcard ready.
Hilly topography offers a great opportunity to observe the city from above. As photographers, we would recommend visiting Miradouro de Santa Luzia with its beautiful flowered pergola at sunrise, and Miradouro da Graca, behind the church of the came name, at sunset. Another viewpoint not to miss is the roof of MAAT – the Modern Art Museum, which offers great view onto the Tagus river and the iconic 25th April bridge. Its structure and prominent red color make it look very similar to the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Ocean is one of the defining features of Lisbon and played a huge role in its history and economy. Lisbon is strategically build on the mouth of Tagus river, which runs through the city and falls into the Atlantic ocean. Locals and tourists alike gather on the waterfront at sunrise, to see the sun sink behind the horizon.
Portuguese food, with its abundance of fish and sea products, as well as the famous custards tarts “pastéis de nata” is another reason to visit Lisbon. The most famous pastéis are found a short but scenic tram ride from the city center – in the charming district of Belem. Iconic Pastéis de Belem, opened in 1837 and even made it to the Gurdian’s 50 "best things to eat" in the world.
As female travellers, we are often faced with safety issues in a big city. Lisbon, for that reason, is a safe choice for a solo female travel, having a very low overall crime and rare violent crime rates.
Interesting fact: did you know that Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), predating other modern European capitals by centuries?
Disclaimer: As photographers, videographers and digital creators, we are constantly on the go. Since traveling is a huge part of our job, we understand our responsibility for promoting certain places and regions, which might be negatively effected by the over-tourism. We cannot forbid people to travel, since we also believe that conscious traveling helps with breaking the stereotypes, developing tolerance and broadening ones’s worldview. What we want to promote is meaningful travel experiences, sustainable transportation choices, and respectful attitude towards the locals.
Photos & Text: Alina Rudya/Bell Collective
Video: Varvara Kolesova & Alina Rudya
Bell Collective team in Lisbon: Alina Rudya, Sarah Pour, Iveta Rysava & Varvara Kolesova