Michal Chelbin | Aperture Natasha. Ukraine. 2005.
“This image was taken in a small town in Eastern Ukraine. I usually shoot a person several times over the days I am there, and each session may take several hours, but in t
(...) his case, I had only five minutes. After a few days of negotiations with the coal mine management, they allowed me to shoot at the coal mine, but only during shift change. The coal miners coming from underground were running to the showers, fighting who would enjoy the little hot water left. So, me and the girl, Natasha, had to come there three times during different shift changes in order to capture this. I ‘paid’ the miners with packs of cigarettes, which is what they wanted after eight hours underground with no oxygen.”
- Michal Chelbin © Michal Chelbin | Magnum Photos
