PHOTOGRAPHY
PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
BY LIUBA TRAVKINA
WHY FILM
Film draws me in for several reasons. The first is the high level of engagement. A limited number of frames, the impossibility of reshooting — these impose constraints. Or so it seems. But that's only an illusion. On the other hand, this constraint reveals itself through maximum engagement in the moment: coordinating shutter speed and aperture, not forgetting ISO, and pressing the shutter quickly. At first, there's stress, but then a deep thrill sets in, flowing into pleasure.
The second reason for my love of film is control — or more precisely, the fact that it isn't entirely in my hands. Yes, I can control the settings, but film returns what I've seen through its own optics: with a particular color, grain, a blown exposure, an unexpected splash of color or contrast. In this sense, it becomes something like a co-author. And together, we're a team.
The second reason for my love of film is control — or more precisely, the fact that it isn't entirely in my hands. Yes, I can control the settings, but film returns what I've seen through its own optics: with a particular color, grain, a blown exposure, an unexpected splash of color or contrast. In this sense, it becomes something like a co-author. And together, we're a team.
Indian vibe
High-contrast film to show the country of the same quality.
Cinematic Kathmandu
The city is like an old times movie especially throught the film colors.
IMPERFECTION
IS MY QUEEN
IS MY QUEEN
Another reason I choose film is imperfection. Film lets me highlight imperfections from a completely different angle: they become beautiful, warm, magnetic. The idea of imperfection feels deeply close to me, because perfection frightens me with its unreachability and sterility.
I myself am imperfect by every measure, and for me, showing not-quite-perfect things through the camera lens — frames, moments, colors, compositions — is a kind of self-acceptance, a way of finding beauty in myself.
I am an ambassador for imperfection and for loving it!
I myself am imperfect by every measure, and for me, showing not-quite-perfect things through the camera lens — frames, moments, colors, compositions — is a kind of self-acceptance, a way of finding beauty in myself.
I am an ambassador for imperfection and for loving it!
Acid Bangkok
It is an acid fantasy based on expired film.
You are to decide whether it is a utopia or a dystopia. They both look alike at first sight: blazing sun, colors burnt to the maximum, sci-fi mood.
You are to decide whether it is a utopia or a dystopia. They both look alike at first sight: blazing sun, colors burnt to the maximum, sci-fi mood.
Red alert in Bangkok
The name of the film — Phoenix — speaks for itself with burnt red.
WHERE I WANT TO GET TO
What I've achieved so far is more a series of accidents. Going forward, I want to learn how to create deliberate, cohesive series — from the idea for a shoot all the way to an exhibition. And I will absolutely get to the human being in close-up!
But at the same time, I don't want to slide into perfectionism, give up chance, or refuse to let reality interfere with my plans. I want to explore what lies between chance and intention, between a suddenly caught frame and a constructed one.
But at the same time, I don't want to slide into perfectionism, give up chance, or refuse to let reality interfere with my plans. I want to explore what lies between chance and intention, between a suddenly caught frame and a constructed one.
One day in Erevan
The coziness and vivid colors of Fujifilm perfectly reflect daily Erevan.
