Portraiture: Artist Study

All images without specification are by Katerina Plotnikova

Katerina Plotnikova’s introduction into photography was more ordinary than most. She had been painting since she was young (around 6 years old), with a form of art already being constant in her life.  Later on, she enrolled in a university with a specialization in advertising design. This is where Plotnikova was initially introduced to the world of photography, which was part of the course load.  Her passion for painting helped her discover her own voice in photography, something that she claims is “still prevalent in [her] life to this day.”

She finds inspiration for her work from a multitude of places. It is not uncommon for Katerina to visit home improvement and hardware stores to find inspiration. She also travels to flea markets to find inspiration for her photography. Secondhand stores, and even garbage bins, are all on her list of places of inspiration. Despite her wide variety of inspirations, she still finds nature more intriguing than anything, especially landscapes. Her work is influenced by photographers Tim Walker, Annie Leibovitz, and Adam Smith, with whom Katerina looks up.

Image by Tim Walker                                                    Image by Annie Leibovitz

There is a clear resemblance between the works by these photographers and Katerina’s own work. She also commonly uses a front-on lens, where she photographs her character’s head on instead of using angles. Katerina makes a deliberate choice of colour in the clothes the model is wearing, taking into account the animals, as well as the model’s skin, hair, and eye colour, to complement the image. This is evident in the image taken by Tim Walker. Despite the composition being standard, the affinity between the colours of the model’s hair, the clothes on her back and the flowers complements the image perfectly. The inclusion of emphasis on subtle emotion in the model’s features makes for an outstanding image. There is also a resemblance between Annie Leibovitz’s work and Katerina’s. Leibovitz employs soft lighting and strong representations, with some images featuring a dark ambiance, as seen in the provided image. This is starkly similar to many of Katerina’s own works, some of which borrow a similar lighting and style but with the inclusion of animals.

This is an image by Katerina that resembles the works of Annie Leibovitz. It takes the dark lighting and the blackened edges of the photo and takes it into her own style. It includes a similar soft lighting and a powerful message with the imposing presence of the elephant. However, despite many similarities between her work and those who inspire her, Katerina also draws on her own vision. The variation of colour and more dynamic composition, along with her use of complementary colours, boost her photographs to an almost mystical nature.

This photograph by Katerina Plotnikova embodies many of the qualities that define her work: a blend of fairytale surrealism, emotional stillness, and carefully sculpted visual harmony. The camera is positioned directly overhead. This is a more “ordinary” approach to camera angling, but it is a choice that creates an intimate, almost ethereal perspective. This angle removes external context, allowing the viewer to focus solely on the relationship between the model, the snake, and the surrounding natural textures. It protrays an idea of harmony between people, animals and nature. The specific use of a redheaded model and an orange-colored snake with high color saturation for a big color pop alludes to a relationship between the snake and the girl. Plotnikova uses a shallow depth of field, softening the background into a gentle blur so that the sharpest details—the model’s eyes, freckles, and the snake’s head—become the visual anchors of the image.

Colour plays a central role in shaping the photograph’s mood. The model’s vivid red hair spreads across the frame like a glowing halo, while the snake’s orange scales echo that warmth in a subtler, patterned way. These warm tones contrast dramatically with the cool aqua-blue of the dress, creating a complementary colour palette that feels both striking and harmonious. The greens of the grass and wildflowers act as a subdued backdrop, allowing the key colours to stand out without competing for attention. Plotnikova’s colour choices feel deliberate and painterly, connecting to her background of art and giving the scene the visual richness of a storybook illustration. Her photos often have a mystical, artistic feel to them.

The composition is equally deliberate. The model is centred, her pose calm and symmetrical, while her hair creates an organic, spiralling frame around her head. This specific composition brings attention to the model, but the quick attention snag is smoothed out by the more organic and shapely way the model’s hair fans out around her face. The snake becomes a compositional line, forming a gentle S-curve from her forehead down through her hands and into her lap. This fluid shape guides the viewer’s gaze naturally through the scene. Instead of tension or fear, the model’s relaxed grip and steady expression suggest acceptance and connection, allowing the serpent to feel less like an intruding creature and more like an integral part of the image, further solidifying the idea of connection to nature.

Perhaps the most striking element is the harmony between the model and the snake. In typical Plotnikova fashion, the human-animal relationship is depicted not as threatening but as intimate and mythic. The serpent’s coloration blends beautifully with the model’s hair tones, making it seem like an extension of her presence rather than a contrasting element. The calmness of the pose, the softness of the light, and the careful placement of the snake all contribute to the sense that girl and serpent exist in a shared, symbolic stillness.