Vlad Voloshin: Photographer - NY, Usa

Vlad Volshin's self portrait

Vlad Voloshin: "Some of that “real me” you can see in my photographs – after all, to a certain extent, they are self-portraits"

Elvira

BPP: Who are you?  And who you really are?

Vlad Voloshin: I am Vlad Voloshin, a New York photographer and occasional filmmaker. I specialize in illustrative and conceptual photography, with a strong interest in anything related to the early to mid-twentieth century aesthetic.

The second part of the question somewhat baffles me now, since I am not sure who I am “really”. It is the “really” part that has been so elusive for me over the years. I recently started to practice meditation, so perhaps in a few years I will know the “real” self, although I already have a sense that it is completely unimportant. Some of that “real me” you can see in my photographs – after all, to a certain extent, they are self-portraits.

 Amber

Tiana

BPP: If you could say something important to others who were listening, what would you tell them?

Vlad Voloshin: I think, one of the most important things for people at this point of time is to recognize interconnectedness of everything in this world. If everyone could somehow begin to realize that we do not exist independently from flora and fauna that surrounds us, that everything in nature is closely connected, and that no “true” hierarchy in nature exists, then maybe we will slow down plundering of the planet and will reduce violence towards every form of life.

Chell

 Heidi

BPP: What is your true dream, the one that keeps you up at night and if one day it were to come true you would feel peace and calmness in your heart?

Vlad Voloshin: My true dream is to wake up, if possible, to a new reality where I can live and enjoy the present moment without being constantly distracted with thoughts about the past or probable future, without too many distractions, and fears. I hope someday I can approach this state and then I will achieve peace and calm. However, this idea doesn’t keep me awake at night - photography does. Yet, I don’t have any particular idea, project or goal that would be a pinnacle of my achievement at which point I would calm down. Rather I derive peace and calm from the process of making images- photography itself is the dream - even though paradoxically pursuing this dream can produce anxiety. I am trying not to get too attached to results of it all.

Nikki

Veronica

BPP: How is life currently for the people in your country and what would you wish for them and for the planet at large?

Vlad Voloshin: I live in the USA so I would say that, for majority of the people here, life is great. I appreciate American friendliness and New York’s truly cosmopolitan spirit. For the US, I wish we can somehow ditch the bad habit of overreliance on cars, at least a little bit and I really miss European public transport system. Also, less violence would be nice, same goes for the planet, at large.

Kate

Tiana

Amber

BPP: If you had a chance to be a child again would you choose the same life?

Vlad Voloshin: Yes, I would choose the same childhood, for the most part. Most of it was very nice as I grew up in Moscow during late 70s, early 80s, when crime was very, very low. I would skip the time I did in kindergarten, I am a homely person, so I didn’t fit into that communal atmosphere and missed my family. Other than that, I spent my preteen years, doing various sports, it was all free, and running around the streets of my neighborhood. I only got mugged once, by a group of kids from another neighborhood.

 Bride

Fortwalk

BPP: What was the exact moment that you realized what you wanted to do with your life? How did you feel at this very moment?

Vlad Voloshin:   I did various things in my life. First career path was medicine. Predictably, my decision was based on some family members’ careers. I was too practical to think creatively, also the life of artist terrified me, as my mom was, at that time, a freelance decorative artist and interior designer. In addition, I didn’t think I was all that creative and learning to draw from my mom scared rather than inspired me. As for the photo-cameras, they seemed way too complicated; to grasp the relation of shutter speed, film speed and aperture was beyond me somehow, not that anyone tried to give me a good explanation.

So my early encounters with photography were not too encouraging. Even though when I was fourteen, my cousin and I spend a few weeks of one summer printing porno images in a makeshift dark room housed in my grandparents’ bathroom, the best part that was not the porno, which was quite terrible, but that we felt like rebels, since pornography was against the law in the USSR. Yet, even that didn’t get me into photography at the time.

The change came much later in the USA and grew out of my newly found passion for art, my disenchantment with the practice of medicine in the US, and realization of inner freedom. I began my path as photographer in 2000 and never looked back. I have no regrets and I believe that I lead an authentic life, which is all that matters.

Sienna

BPP:  Would you like to tell as something we didn’t ask?

Vlad Voloshin: Here I would like to use the space as an opportunity to mention that my works are not the product of some solitary artist, but rather are a product of collaborative effort. They would not exist if it were not for all the models, make-up artists, and hairstylists, to whom I am most thankful. Also, I am grateful to an entire artistic community for the wealth of ideas and creative spirit. And thank you BPP for this interview.

 Katya

 Olga

 Porcelain

Tiki

Vlad Voloshin's drawing for BPP

 Vlad Volsoshin's self portrait

If you want to learn more about Vlad Voloshin, please visit:

http://www.luminousblue.com/

Photos copyright © by Vlad Voloshin. All rights reserved.

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