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FRAMINGHAM – Gateway Camera Club will host a lecture on Flower Photography with Polina Plotnikova on Tuesday, February 7 via Zoom at 7 p.m.
They say that a photographer is either a picture taker or a picture maker. If so, Polina is firmly in the picture maker’s camp. London-based, Polina’s interest in photography began with her first camera, at the age of 15. In high school, she opted to major in Botanical Studies because of her interest in plants. She went on to study the History of Art at Moscow’s State University, and worked on numerous photography projects, curating exhibitions, presentations and panels, said a press release from Gateway Camera Club.
“It comes as no surprise that Polina has naturally followed a path of photography. In her early days in London, Polina worked with picture agencies and libraries, processing submissions and managing production. She joined the highly acclaimed photographer and designer, Henry Wilson to run his archive and digital assets and after a handful of years, she reached a point where she started to take her own work more seriously,” said the press release.
“Her style, developed through her love and knowledge of the arts, has given her the ability to build an impressive portfolio of still-life and flower photography; a body of work that has attracted a great deal of attention. Polina’s awards are many. She holds photography distinctions with the FRPS and EFIAP, 4 RHS Gold Metals and 4 RHS Silver-gilt, as well as many national and international awards to her credit,” said the press release.
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“As a tutor, Polina is very much in demand. She runs regular workshops covering many aspects of creative photography and is an international ambassador for Lensbaby optics. She thinks of herself as a studio photographer. As much as she enjoys outdoor photography done by others, it is not something that she feels inspired by, or confident in doing. Her usual approach to creating a new image means constructing it in her head first – visualizing the overall composition, the objects she is going to use, the overall colour scheme, the lighting, the background, etc,” said the press release.
“Flowers and still life are her favorite photography subjects. Still life in particular is perfect for a perfectionist like Polina – no one fidgets or makes faces, no sudden gust of wind or some other quirk of ever-changing weather can spoil your shot. But, by the same token, you cannot count on something interesting that just happens all of a sudden – it is all up to you; the choices are infinite, and the final result is entirely in your own hands,” said the press release.
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“The approach to flower photography that Polina takes is somewhat similar to that of a portrait photographer – for every flower and plant that she photographs, she always try to find its unique look, study its mood and character, and ultimately unlock the hidden beauty of her models. A successful flower portrait attempts to discover something unique in a flower, something hidden or not necessarily obvious at first sight,” said the press release.
“While appreciating the natural beauty of plants and trying to stay true to their original look, Polina does not limit her point of view to purely botanical. Instead, she tries to lift a flower off its typical setting and put it into indeterminate space, where its beauty can be seen in all its purity,” said the release.
Gateway Camera Club membership consists of beginner, intermediate and advanced photographers.
The Club’s goals are to share ideas, knowledge and insight; to help improve the skills and abilities of our members and to have some fun while enjoying photography.
The Club is very active and we meet on most Tuesdays.
Please visit www.gatewaycameraclub.org for more information.
The Club is currently meeting mostly via zoom and occasionally hold hybrid meetings.
If interested in attending a meeting, please email gwinfo@gatewaycameraclub.org
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