Why Chosen:
I chose the Russian Moscow based photographer Katerina Plotnikova because her work is a study of fairytales in reality thus encompassing the ideology of surrealism as the juxtapositions of reality and unreality of the dream-like enchanting worlds. Additionally, the stylistic components of Plotnikova's work is important to me; the saturation and use of hues create a soft safe dream world, her backdrops employ real locations such as forests and nature to create a natural flow to the images and the eerie undertones tie in well with a few of my own ideas for my project. Plotnikova aims to capture her wildest imaginations through the photographic lens. Katerina Plotnikova states herself that her work is "another tale of wonderland".
Plotnikova captures all of her image using a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 50mm f/1.2L lens with the subjects such as wild animals all being trained animals used directly in the photoshoots rather than added post-production in Photoshop.
Another reason that I have chosen Plotnikova is due to her inspirational photographers; Tim Walker, Annie Leibovitz and Adam Smith are all significant to her work in the same way that Tim Walker is to me.
Examples of Work:
Denotation: The embrace between an animal and a human occurs central to the composition of the photograph. The saturation is naturally muted but has hints of a warm hue which creates a serene world. The depth of field leaves the foreground as the main focus whilst the background is blurred possibly to alleviate the connotations of the dark and harsh horizontal lines of the trees in the back.
Connotation: The reunion between humanity and nature in a neutral ground of a forest. The dream world of animals with human characteristics.
Context: Plotnikova travels all around and is always thinking about the way to create the supposed impossibilities of her photoshoots such as the employment of real animals. The animals are trained and either pets of peers or found after extensive searching.
Denotation: The image is a ghost holding a young subject centrally within the framing of the photograph. The hue is blue which evokes an eerie sense. The supernatural subject is opaque and the background can be seen through the subject. The leading line of the path takes the audience through the scene and also creates a sense that the viewer is in fact in the photograph themselves facing the subjects.
Connotation: The leading line of the path leads the viewers attention to the isolation of the location with the subjects eliciting an eerie atmosphere. The ghost could be an angel receiving the spirit of the young person or it could be a study of worldwide cultures such as the beliefs of the spirit world shamans or other culturally diverse equivalents.
Context: This image may depict a Russian and Slavic folklore spirit related to children such as the nightmare spirit Nocnista/ Polunocnica who torments children at night. Although the spirit could easily be a good spirit too protecting the child rather than tormenting; the shape is unclear and could be two spirits such as the Zorya who are two guardian goddesses who look after Simargl the doomsday hound.
Denotation: The subjects are in a surreal environment where they are seated in amongst the tree line. The colours of the background are lowly saturated to create the dream-like surreal quality whilst the subjects are more highly saturated signifying their importance to the piece. The composition is unbalanced due to the positioning of the subjects.
Connotation: The fairytale of Rapunzel is conjured upon in this image with the lengthy plaited hair and the towering isolated subjects confroming to the 'nurturing' mother like character from the story by brother's Grimm.
Context: Plotnikova often focuses on stories that she can adapt into images of her own creation. Many fairytales are used as inspiration.
Denotation: The subject is directly addressing the audience through eye contact which is aided by the depth of field which blurs the background. The use of the animal changes the composition of the piece and works well with the lowly saturated and natural hues of final outcome.
Connotation: This image appears to imply the story of Adam and Eve. The subject is a representative of Eve in the natural garden of Eden manipulated by the snake.
Context: Plotnikova travels all around and is always thinking about the way to create the supposed impossibilities of her photoshoots such as the employment of real animals. The animals are trained and either pets of peers or found after extensive searching.
Denotation: The embrace between an animal and a human occurs central to the composition of the photograph. The saturation is naturally muted but has hints of a warm hue which creates a serene world. The depth of field leaves the foreground as the main focus whilst the background is blurred possibly to alleviate the connotations of the dark and harsh horizontal lines of the trees in the back.
Connotation: The reunion between humanity and nature in a neutral ground of a forest. The dream world of animals with human characteristics.
Context: Plotnikova travels all around and is always thinking about the way to create the supposed impossibilities of her photoshoots such as the employment of real animals. The animals are trained and either pets of peers or found after extensive searching.
Denotation: The image is a ghost holding a young subject centrally within the framing of the photograph. The hue is blue which evokes an eerie sense. The supernatural subject is opaque and the background can be seen through the subject. The leading line of the path takes the audience through the scene and also creates a sense that the viewer is in fact in the photograph themselves facing the subjects.
Connotation: The leading line of the path leads the viewers attention to the isolation of the location with the subjects eliciting an eerie atmosphere. The ghost could be an angel receiving the spirit of the young person or it could be a study of worldwide cultures such as the beliefs of the spirit world shamans or other culturally diverse equivalents.
Context: This image may depict a Russian and Slavic folklore spirit related to children such as the nightmare spirit Nocnista/ Polunocnica who torments children at night. Although the spirit could easily be a good spirit too protecting the child rather than tormenting; the shape is unclear and could be two spirits such as the Zorya who are two guardian goddesses who look after Simargl the doomsday hound.
Denotation: The subjects are in a surreal environment where they are seated in amongst the tree line. The colours of the background are lowly saturated to create the dream-like surreal quality whilst the subjects are more highly saturated signifying their importance to the piece. The composition is unbalanced due to the positioning of the subjects.
Connotation: The fairytale of Rapunzel is conjured upon in this image with the lengthy plaited hair and the towering isolated subjects confroming to the 'nurturing' mother like character from the story by brother's Grimm.
Context: Plotnikova often focuses on stories that she can adapt into images of her own creation. Many fairytales are used as inspiration.
Denotation: The subject is directly addressing the audience through eye contact which is aided by the depth of field which blurs the background. The use of the animal changes the composition of the piece and works well with the lowly saturated and natural hues of final outcome.
Connotation: This image appears to imply the story of Adam and Eve. The subject is a representative of Eve in the natural garden of Eden manipulated by the snake.
Context: Plotnikova travels all around and is always thinking about the way to create the supposed impossibilities of her photoshoots such as the employment of real animals. The animals are trained and either pets of peers or found after extensive searching.
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