Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Belenko.
Hi Dina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi! My name is Dina Belenko. I’m a still-life photographer, deeply interested in the life of mundane, ordinary things and their surprising ability to express complex concepts in relation to humans.
Things can tell what they saw, who held them, who accidentally broke them, and who lovingly gathered up the pieces and repaired them. In every single thing, there is a sense of human presence, something invisible but clear. I’m trying to unravel these stories and retell them through the language of photography.
My interest in photography began with a simple, cheap film camera – a gift from my parents. There wasn’t a photography genre I didn’t try. Maybe I just liked the sound of the shutter. I started with snapshots of friends, flowers, and landscapes but slowly progressed to developing my style and controlling the finer aspects of visual narratives.
Now I can not only express captivating and magical stories through mundane objects, I can teach others how to do it in the most fun and efficient way. I work as a prominent educator with thousands of students all over the world, teaching creative thinking and revealing the secrets of her trade.
Also, I write tutorials for platforms like Affinity Spotlight and 500px, helping novice photographers to find their own style and discover new magical tricks in still life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The move from my hometown to Los Angeles, fleeing the war between Russia and Ukraine, has profoundly impacted my artistic perspective. I transitioned from whimsical themes to more personal subjects, focusing on homesickness, lost roots, and the sense of home. My current work uses objects from my homeland as a lens to explore and understand these complex emotions. I aim to examine them under intense medical lights to understand this pain and maybe even find a cure.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Imagine a D&D character sheet for a photographer. Instead of Dexterity or Wisdom, you have points in Artificial Light or Post-Processing. I’ve definitely maxed out my stats in Idea Generation. Making sketches and coming up with new stories, as well as finding new ways to use unusual materials, is my favorite part of the process. And I’m very proud that I can not only do this for myself and my clients but also teach almost anyone how to come up with original ideas using several simple techniques. You can pick any of my students on the spot, ask them to make a dozen sketches, say, about a coffee cup, and they will do it in five minutes.
I’ve written a few books on photography techniques, but the one that really stands out to me is “Your Pocket Idea Generator: Journal of Prompts and Ideas.” This little gem is all about kicking your idea-making skills up a notch. It’s packed with tips to snag inspiration from the world around you and prompts that’ll flex your creative muscles. Plus, there’s plenty of blank space for sketching, so you can jump on any prompt that grabs you. It’s designed to make the ordinary extraordinary, one sketch at a time.
What’s next?
Moving forward, I’m keen on exploring more opportunities in book publishing, especially connecting with publishers and editors in LA.
So, dear publishers and editors! If you’re interested in collaborating on some innovative projects, feel free to reach out. Let’s see what we can create together.
Pricing:
- 22$ Your Pocket Idea Generator: Journal of Prompts and Ideas
- 18$ Space for Chaos: The Free-Spirit’s Weekly Planner
- 30$ The Ultimate Guide to Splashes
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dinabelenko.pro/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinabelenko/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dinabelenkophotos
Image Credits
Dina Belenko
