I saw that Graeme Williams’ YouTube channel had reviewed the work of Maxim Dondyuk, a brilliant Ukrainian photographer. You can see the review here: “Maxim Dondyuk - An artistic vision within a warring nation.”
Graeme is a new friend (and advisor). More importantly, he has the best photography-related “art and documentary photography” review channel on YouTube, where he… in his words:
“The conversations focus on topics related to different aspects of photography, including: art, documentary and photojournalism. The discussions explore the personal experiences of photographers and artists and how they approach their chosen subjects.”
Intelectual…
I was intellectually wowed by Graeme’s review and deep discussion about Maxim’s work. Maxim is a mind-blowing photographer. He covered the Maidan Revolution , also called the Ukrainian Revolution, and the early days of the Ukrainian war, from an insider’s perspective (not as a fly-in and out conflict photographer). His subsequent work in the aftermath of Chernobyl is dramatic, humanistic, and incredibly well-crafted. Maxim is a master of his subjects, owns a compassionate perspective, a unique vision, dramatic composition, and understanding of the power of light itself. Please look at the work.
Emotional…
On the emotional side, I was thrilled that Graeme coincidentally wrote about Maxim a few months after I had interviewed Maxim for PetaPixel – the online photography magazine. My Maxim interview is one of a series of photographer interviews I have published.
To get to the Point – Go right now to Graeme’s piece – 13 minutes to be wowed and inspired.
“Maxim Dondyuk - An artistic vision within a warring nation.”
My interview is here - https://petapixel.com/2025/06/18/ukrainian-photographer-maxim-dondyuk-on-covering-the-russo-ukrainian-war/
Yes, there is more. Here is a Lensculture doc on Maxim - https://www.lensculture.com/articles/maxim-dondyuk-ukraine-culture-of-the-confrontation
Maxim Donduk