Elena Nikitina. Photo Artist. Film photography. Prints

My name is Elena, and I’m a documentary photographer

I was born in Moscow in 1979 and live here up to now.

I travel a lot and photograph in Russia and all over the world. And i just live photographing.

My main but not the only medium in photography is black-and-white film, narrow and wide.

I develop films and print photographs myself.

I’m a photographer documenting reality with artistic touch. My main sphere of photographic interest is documentary photography, also travel and street. Non staged scenes and moments of real life, interaction between people and with space around them, their emotions and feelings are the main objects of my observation. I don’t mix up with people and process but I keep close to the scene or person. If a scene takes place out of my lens' coverage so it’s not my shot. I prefer not to hurry but just watch merging with space, its energy and heroes.

I’m a member to The Union of Photo Artists of Russia and ILFIAP EURASIA.

I’m a winner of Russian and international photo contests, including Female in Focus by British Journal of Photography, and a participant of individual and group exhibitions in Russia and USA.

My photographs were published in different mass media including F-Stop Magazine, StyleCruze Magazine (cover), Artells Magazine (cover+interview).

My Approach

I photograph consciously, without duplicates. I call this approach “film thinking”.

It stemmed from my experience of film shooting and turned into my global conscious approach for shooting not only film but digital cameras as well (including mobile phone camera).

Focal length of my main fixed lens is 35mm and I prefer cropping scenes while photographing, not after. Yes it’s a kind of challenge to myself but it requires more concentration and discipline as well as film shooting itself which is definitely helpfull in feeling a “right” moment. I can make minor corrections over a negative while scannig — right the same as could be effected in a darkroom.

Why film photography? Just because I deeply enjoy it. As well as its propriety to stay documentary genuine and to carry real light of a real life moment through time.

To Photo Gallery about Russia

CV

Media

Black-and-white and color film narrow, wide

Education

2020-2023 Photo school “Photography with sense”, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia

2015-2018 Institute of Professional and Amatuer Photography, Moscow, Russia

2014-2022 Workshops, master classes by Aleksey Myakishev, Georgiy Kolosov, Vladimir Vyatkin, Valery Shchekoldin, Victor Kolar (Czech Republic), Arthur Jonauskas (Lithuania), others

2013-2019 School of contemporary photography “PhotoPlay”, Moscow, Russia

1996-2001 International University (jurisprudence, speciality in civil law), Moscow, Russia

Title

2023 Member of ILFIAP EUROASIA (regional representative of FIAP in Russia)

2022 Member of The Union of Photo Artists of Russia (Moscow branch)

2017 Member of International Association of Children and Family Photographers, Moscow, Russia

Personal Exhibition

2017 “Unity of Cultures” with support of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery, Moscow, Russia, a series of photographs about the Russian North

Group Exhibitions

2023 6th Chania International Photo Festival, Greece

2021 “The Print Swap”, The Feature Shoot (Great Britain), New York, USA

2019 “Female In Focus”, British Journal Of Photography (Great Britain), New York, USA

2018 “My Universe”, the Public Chamber of Russia, Moscow, Russia

2018 “The Print Swap”, The Feature Shoot (Great Britain), New York, USA

2017 “Portfolio 2017”, Atlanta Photography Group, Atlanta (Georgia), USA, the project “Summer Weekdays of Muscovites”

Cooperation with Leica Boutique Odissey, Moscow, Russia

Photographs are in private collections in Russia, Great Britain and in collection of Atlanta Photography Group museum, Atlanta (Georgia), USA.

Publications Interviews Covers (selected)

To Photo Gallary about World

Contact Me