One of the unsung heroes of the fashion world is the photographers. Masters of light,
space, color, and mood, fashion photographers can capture fashion in its rawest form--art. Their photographs fill the pages of fashion magazines, glow on vibrant billboards, and dance across videos but often go unnoticed. One photographer on my radar, however, is Elizaveta Porodina.
Elizaveta is a Russian photographer working with the likes of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ to bring readers a rich display of the avant-garde. Raised in Moscow, and learned in Moscow, Porodina has a background in clinical psychology. Manifested in her photography, she creates photographs that are deeply psychological and visually challenging. Take for example her work “Franzine”.
The photo is both visually and psychologically complex as the model’s face is fragmented and distorted, instilling a sense of intrigue yet confusion in the viewer. She stares coldly at the viewer, inviting us into her thoughts and mood. This photo can be compared to the likes of masterful portraits like the Mona Lisa or Girl with a Pearl Earring because of its deep psychological presence. By doing this, Porodina’s photos appear dystopian and disconnected from our reality. Her other work also has the same effect.
On the cover of fashion magazine SSAW, Porodina's model is cloaked in an elaborate black cloak with a
series of large, cascading bows. But what brings the model to life is the use of color and lighting. A misty cloud of blue adorns the model’s head with a background of wispy green and spots of red, reminiscing biblical paintings of the Madonna by artists of the past. It lies somewhere at the crossroads of Art Deco and 1960s avant-garde aesthetics while creating something completely unique. Her work is special in its ability to challenge typical fashion photography with subversive colors, unconventional poses, and connections with the past.
Porodina’s photography truly puts her at the cutting edge of fashion photography by embracing such ideas of androgyny, abstraction, and absurdity.
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