The first shot Evgeny “Ponchikz” Pavlov ever sent me was a cover. And a surefire one at that. It was Cees Wille backside 180ing from roof to roof in Finland and was a unanimous selection for the front page of Method Mag’s Issue 18.3 in 2017—one of the few unanimous cover selects during my five-year tenure as editor there.

Not a year later, his submission included another heater—another cover. This time it was a lipslide from Kas Lemmens on a kinked rail in Kuopio (again in Finland) with young schoolchildren lined up alongside, many logging their own iPhone angles. I think it’s one of the more powerful photos I’ve had the privilege of running. In short order, his submissions became one of our most anticipated each year.

Ponchikz has a golden eye for angles, and the audacity to get in position for them. He possesses that intangible knack for capturing the temperature of a moment that is the hallmark of all standout shooters. Yet, now that I’ve had the chance to get to know him on a personal level, travel Europe with him, and work with him on a number of projects, I am not sure if I am more impressed with his eye or his ethic… 

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