There are many terms used to describe the work of Russian photographer Maria Petrova. Most of the time, they are connected to death and creepy scenes; fascinated by horror stories, she takes her camera and captures dramatic dark photographs. Since these are works you won’t easily forget once you’ve seen them, we invited Maria for an interview, and she was kind enough to enlighten us with some insights on her inspiring, melancholic work.

Hello and thanks for accepting my invitation. Let us know you…how would you describe your art, since when are you a photographer?

Hello. My name is Maria Petrova, I live in Russia in a small city of Ryazan. I have been photographing since 2015. My art is dedicated to dark aesthetics – it is melancholy, the theme of death, dreams and nightmares.

Exactly what it is you want to express through your photographs, and how do you actually get your photographs to do that?

I try to express the emotional experiences of my characters, their fears and sadness, a sense of loneliness and doom, a ringing emptiness inside. But sometimes my characters can also have hope. I often use the theme of death, as it is the most mysterious and unsolved part of our life, and it inspires me very much. Still quite a large part of my creativity is created based on my dreams. Every dream for me is like a life lived separately.
I always take photos intuitively, trying to create a mood in the photo through posing models and various details.

What is your favorite subject to photograph?

I have several beautiful and fragile muses with whom I embody my ideas. I also often implement ideas through self-portraits.

What kind of gear do you use?

I take photos with a fairly simple camera – a Canon 650 and several lenses: Canon 50mm 1.8, Lensbaby Composer PRO and Helios 40-2.

What are sources of inspiration?

I am inspired by nature, music, books, dreams, death, the Victorian era, painting, and much more.

Did you had collaborations with any bands?

Yes, I have had several collaborations with music groups and designers.

From your point of view, what makes a good picture?

Something unusual, something that evokes emotions, atmosphere and mood.

All copyrights: Maria Petrova

Follow her work on: Instagram | Facebook

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Miruna Vitriol

Enthusiast writer at CVLTARTES
I am trying to become a better person by embracing my own weirdness.