The soft voices of forgotten textures

I'm extremely delighted to share with you today's post, and for several reasons. Firstly & fore-mostly,  the work belongs to an amazing photographer, and a very good friend Elena Svetieva. Capturing secret moments with the eye of an angel from as long as I can remember, Elena has very kindly not only shared the work of a recent project but also agreed to a little interview. This is the first artist interview that is being featured on Nest of Pearls and words cannot express how lucky I feel that Elena has agreed to let us into her world and share her emotionally-filled and inspiring photography. Taken with an eye for detail and an immense depth of feeling for colour and contrast, the photographs are almost melancholy, as though each one is harbouring a thousand memories that will remain forever hidden under the succulent textures. I won't say any more, I'll let Elena's words and photography take you away...

Where is the location of these photos?

The photos are taken at what is now known as Silo City in Buffalo, NY. This is actually a grain elevator site that dates back to the 19^th century. Being a connector between Lake Ontario and Erie, as well as the Erie canal to New York City, Buffalo was an important city, especially in grain trade. What you get here is the combination of enormous monolithic concrete buildings that also contain beautiful craftsmanship inside, reflecting the origins of industry and factory design at the turn of the 20^th century. The decline of this site occurred in the 60s and 70s and though there is some activity, (General Mills still produces a cereal here) the majority is non-functional and deserted.

What camera and objective/s do you use?

I have simple but aging Nikon D60 – it does the job well and yet it allows you to not be too precious about going into places like these which are damp, dark  and a little precarious.  I use the basic 18-55mm lens but I imagine a macro lens would give you even better shots in places like Silo City. 

  

You get such amazing colours, contrast and detail in your shots, what is your secret to getting enough light in a place such as inside a warehouse?

When you are not working in a studio, you basically are left with your camera, your subject and the light conditions of the day. These were taken on a rainy, overcast (and cold!) day which means that what you sacrifice in comfort, you gain in the fact the light is diffused, doesn’t cast harsh shadows and so can more naturally light these spaces.

Your camera can help too – set the right white balance (so your colours don’t look washed out on a cloudy day), increase your ISO sensitivity, experiment with various shutter speeds, and ofcourse open your aperture right up. It’s times like these you have to leave the auto-settings behind and get manual.

If you set your imagination free you also see that places like these are also ironically full of beautiful colour (e.g. rust, metal sheets, dirt) and contrast/detail (broken windows, paint peeling). You have to see beauty not just in the obvious (i.e. a sunset) but in the everyday and even ugly.

Lastly ofcourse you can use even the most basic photo-editing software to enhance contrast and colour. There are purists who baulk at the thought of using photoshop, as though digitally editing your photos is somehow cheating. The truth of the matter is photos have been adjusted and manipulated to suit the artist’s (or subject’s!) vision since the very beginnings of photography. I don’t have the skills to use photoshop expertly, but if I could I would.

What motivates you to envisage such emotional photography (film, music, artists, etc...) ?

I am actually reading an interesting book now, “This will end in tears: A miserabilist guide to music” by Adam Houghtaling - in it he discusses how melancholy in music is something we seek out, not to depress us, but to give us clarity and revitalize our perspective. That’s what I also love about places like Silo City – often times they are viewed as sad and abandoned spaces but I find their quiet emptiness really allows you to immerse yourself in each shot. You also see the slow process by which nature takes over as plants creep and grow in the window, cobwebs form, metal rusts and paint peels. It’s the perfect antidote to busy, loud, urban life – a beautiful post-industrial garden.

Was this a commissioned projects or a self-defined adventure?

I was keen to go and photograph this place ever since I first saw it as an imposing and yet lonely landmark on the Buffalo waterfront. There are plans to revitalize this space, and it has been wonderfully used as an installation and performance space for artists.  My goal was to go there and capture it at this moment in time.

How often do you get time to embark on such inspiring projects?

Not often enough! It’s funny how people end up having so many photos of their trips and special occasions and yet so few of their everyday life and the city that they live in. The truth of the matter is, as a citizen of your city you alone have the right perspective (and opportunity!) to capture its most interesting moments. We need more people photographing their own city rather than hackneyed tourist shots of people faux-leaning on the Tower of Pisa.

What do you do when not capturing moments behind your lens?

I am a PhD student in Communication - I spend my days designing experiments, coding facial expressions and analyzing data.

What do you love to do when not photographing?

Photography is my number one love, but I also love travel, probably because it enables my photography and feeds my need for novel faces, places and situations. I also have a love-hate relationship with cooking and museums. I gain immense pleasure from seeing artworks I love as I do from making a delicious dish, but I hate both when they feel like an obligation.

One of your favourite quotes?

Le secret d’ennuyer est celui de tout dire (Volatire). In the spirit of the quote, I won’t translate it…

For all enquiries regarding Elena Svetieva's work or contact details please contact me at biseragondevska@gmail.com

Nest of Pearls and Elena Svetieva hold all copyright to the the above article and photography.

Please reference and link-back accordingly to the artist and this article if sharing this story.