Dina Belenko / Members Interview
Khabarovsk, Russia
What inspired you to become a photographer?
Feeling of control definitely. Photography was my hobby since high school, I was taking snapshots of everything around be: flowers, clouds, kittens. Maybe I just liked the sound of the shutter. One day I got tired of mindless pictures and tried to arrange composition by myself, surely, I failed, but the feeling was magical: now I'm a film director, hey, coffee cups, you're my actors, listen and do as I say! I started to took photography more seriously (and finally read the instruction to my camera), started to think about what I want to say with my pictures, to plan shootings, draw sketches and pay attention to minor details. I began to control more and more aspects of my work. Call me a control freak but I fell in love with it. I found out that what interests me lies not in tracing some events and retelling stories of some happenings, but in creating tales of my own and the easiest way to do this is when you have control over all the objects in your shot. And I understood that still life photography is something I can become good at. At least, theoretically. So I decided to make it my profession.
Tell us about your first photo that really validated your interest as a photographer.
I can't remember, honestly. I always start to dislike my pictures after a couple of months after I took them, so now I can only imagine how helpless and horrible that first photo must be:)
Back when you were just starting out, what was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome that?
My biggest challenge is still valid, I guess. Since I live in a small provincial town at the outskirts of my unnecessary big country, where I have to check at least four flower shops to get simple white flowers and where there's only one place selling blackboard paint. That counts as the biggest challenge for me. But I hope I can cheat it, turn it to my advantage and force myself to be creative. So, you don't have UFO models? Make them from toffee package and metallic paper!
What do you enjoy photographing the most?
Coffee cups, saucers, tea spoons, dessert forks - everything for a Mad Tea Party! Simple, mundane, relatable objects with a twist. I think, objects like that are Esperanto of visual language. Everyone can understand them and therefore they can provide a waste variety of stories. Especially I enjoy working with coffee and cookies. I love the reputation that coffee has among artists and designers: as liquid energy and fuel for creative work. In a way coffee is an inspiration itself. Cookies unlike other food they don't melt or lose their shape with time. You can work with them for many hours, and they still stay crisp and attractive. Besides that, well, I'm quite a sweet tooth. Any other props must somehow be stored, but there are no problems with the storage of cookies in my case:)
What has been your proudest moment as a photographer?
Finishing my Endless Book, probably. Or starting it! It is a variation of 52 weeks’ project initiated by Beamused Magazine. Each participant was creating their own Endless book during the year. Every week each member of the project creates one illustration in any possible technique (photographs, watercolors, computer graphics, etc.) on any possible theme. There was only one condition: the illustration on the previous page should flow smoothly into the next one, so there should not be visible seams or rough blends. So, in the end of the year each participant will have large panoramic image, an endless book which will consist of 52 images, and can be continued. So, I had to take 52 pictures. 52! I was terrified. Long series don't come easy to me. But I managed to pull myself together and found a theme which may give large variations of objects and stories. Space fit perfectly! Partly because every time I pour some milk in my coffee I see a new-born galaxy. Now I have a big panorama about outer space, chocolate cookies, dreams of interstellar flight, coffee, cupcakes and meeting with aliens. It was quite enjoyable to make „crop circles “with coffee beans, cut star-shaped biscuits or make tiny Big Bang using flour. And I make a couple of Easter eggs dedicated to some space-themed books and films that I love (especially „The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy “by Douglas Adams). They're not very important to the whole series but there was a lot of fun to insert them.
Tell us about time in your photographic journey where you failed at something and how did you pivot to overcome this?
There're two kinds of failures, I guess. First one is an equipment malfunction, like that time one of my triggers had broken during commercial shooting – right before I had to shoot ice cream! Imagine my panic: speedlights won't work, ice cream is melting and I have no idea what to do. I somehow managed to fix everything in post-processing, but now I carry backup for everything. And second one is me being an idiot. Like the time I was going to photograph white plates dressed in bright red clothes. Or every single time I think „Ok, that seems steady, it definitely won't fall down “. To name only one, shooting “Waking up”, my first attempt to make unstable, balancing composition with sweets and coffee. I suspended a pile of cups from strings and, sadly, this construction didn’t last very long. It collapsed under its own weight, but I was lucky to finish the shooting first. Since than I found a lower-risk solution in the form of transparent plastic and some hidden supports. I often promise myself that I will never ever, ever hang something a string of wire again, but I tend to break that kind of promises, so more mess and disaster is coming:)
We all have weaknesses, what is yours relating to photography?
I get bored too quickly. That's why I can't shoot long series. There are 5 images in a row? Great! Call it a series, move on to something new.
Finding time to get out and shoot is another challenge for many. How do you find the time in your busy schedule to get out there behind your camera?
Well, practically ALL of my schedule is shooting. Or making props. Or making props, drawing sketches, writing letters to clients or doing fun stuff in order to stay inspired and be able to draw sketches again. Everything that I do is somehow connected to my work. I even get a second Instagram page to post everyday stuff (like normal people do) which I can't share along with finished pictures and ended up posting back stages and new props. I keep telling myself that I should get a life, but to be honest, I love it so much the way it is.
Nailing a composite right can be a challenge. What do you think the trick is to mastering composition?
I try to keep only the most needed things in the frame, those that would work for the shot, and get rid of all unnecessary stuff. Somehow I feel that the question “Why do I need this thing?” is very important. If the object doesn’t become a part of the story and is not affecting the composition in any way, then maybe the shot will be better off without it.
There are many photographers starting out, who don't have the money to buy the camera gear they want. What advice can you give to them?
Never blame your equipment. I started with a soapbox and a window. Granted, my photos were atrocious, but only because of luck of skills, not because of equipment. So never allow material to control your imagination. We often think to ourselves, “If I had this kind of camera…” or “If I had this prop…” But you already have everything you need. You have an imaginative mind, so use it! Photos do not have to be realistic. If you need a dragon, you do not necessarily need to recreate a giant fire-breathing lizard, you can just cut its silhouette out of paper.
How do you feel photography has impacted the way you see the world?
I'm starting to see things in terms of stories they can tell. Is there a cup of coffee? It may belong to the astronomer and reflect the stars or lunar eclipse. Or a steam from a hot coffee can rise above it, and in this cloud kites or blimps might fly. I think it’s really fascinating: all these connections between things, their small transformations, their secret life and even simple comparisons in a “what does it look like” game help us understand how everything is set up. How does our mind work to find these connections? How does the world build them? You may imagine yourself as an explorer, like David Livingstone, in a world of inanimate objects.
On the side note, it doesn't help that thinking in terms of stories led me to tvtropes.org and now I can't watch a film without whispering Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
To get your creative eye focused, where do you draw your inspiration from?
I make lists. Here, that's the secret of inspiration! Usually I have two folders: one with nearly finished sketches (with composition and list of props) and one with notes like “Oreo cookies look like casino chips” or “Try something with mirrors”.
When you don't know what to photograph just go around your house and make a list of all the things that catch your eye. What do you see in your kitchen? Living room? Work table? Make a list of your favorite food or flowers growing near your house. Here, you can a start series right now: “10 stories about my favorite books “, “5 broken cups “, “31 autumn leaves “.
Mind maps can be pretty useful too (though I rarely us them these days), they encourage lateral thinking, making you able to see connections between things that don’t seem related; connections which you never of at first glance. Mind maps provide a structure, allowing you to work with many elements at the same time.
I find it very useful to have a collection of things you want to try (interesting objects, metaphors, compositions, schemes of lighting, tricks or effects, everything you can't do right now, but don't want to lose). There's no goal to complete it, only a defense from fear of blank page and answer to “what shall I do today? “.
What is your best photography related tip?
Ask questions. They will lead you to better understanding how to translate your story in visual language. What are these objects? How did they come here? Who brought them here? Who is the protagonist? What’s going on here? What's the main emotion? That object can represent that emotion? Express the thoughts and emotions you want to share, in a visual way. What does “joy “or “nostalgia “mean in terms of visual art? Soft color tones? Dramatic light? What could work as a symbol of it? Move in small steps and take your time with answers.
What would you like for people take away from your work?
Maybe, a feeling of something completely ordinary with a little spark of adventure inside.
What are some ‘must have’ items in your camera bag?
Let's see... My ultimately favorite tool is hot glue gun. This one really comes in handy where double sided tape cannot cope. Granted, the glue gun has its flaws, but it can handle a couple of cups, a tower of sugar cubes, lemon slices and, with some help of transparent (and retouched) supports, a stack of cups, plates, and silverware. It's a very big help for any balancing compositions and shooting “falling” objects.
And, obviously, I never go out without a pair of tweezers, double-sided tape, cotton swabs, stationery clips, and masking tape. All these things are life savers.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what is the ONE photography book you would want to have with you?
Obviously, one I haven't read yet:) But let it be “Problem and Development of the Still Life. The Life of Things “by Boris Viper. It is not about photography, but about my genre of choice, still life. And I have learned from this book more about my craft then from all my photography books combined (keeping in mind, that on the Far East of Russia good photography book is quite hard to find).
Final question, and it’s a fun one: Life has been found on another planet and none other than Sir Richard Branson is piloting Virgin Galactic and has put together a team of engineers, scientist, doctors and has asked you to come along to document the journey. The challenge is you can only bring two lenses and one camera body and two other items. What would you bring?
Oh, that's an easy one. I would bring a nice reportage photographer with me, because, first, still life photographers in general are not really good at documenting events, and second, I would be inseparable from illuminator watching the stars. I let the other guy deal with the task and enjoy the ride!
One email every two weeks
Are you interested to receive our members interviews?
We want you to be in the middle of the conversation.
Do you want to share your story
YES, I WANT TO SHARE MY STORY