For Alena Novgorodtseva, photography is an art that she experiences internally before sharing it with her audience on a global scale.
In an Instagram post earlier this year, she shared a photo of a closed wooden box sitting on a wooden chair. Covered furniture and a single rose highlight the photo, a shot filled with all the seemingly simple and still objects. She says the box is filled with carefully arranged photographs from the 1960s to 1980s, containing memories from a loved one's life. “For days, our family looked at them and remembered them...” In her context, the still photo suddenly took on much more weight and beauty.
“This is the second photo work shot for the Enlightenment Club film photo marathon,” she writes. “The topic was the same as last time: enable associative thinking. We have all heard the statement more than once that photography is a reflection of the author’s state of mind. This is exactly how I work."
The photo work “Memories” was also published in PhotoVogue, with the possibility that this photograph will be awarded by the jury of an international photo competition in the future. “Keep going, don't give up on what you want, take one step at a time and achieve your goal,” she says.
The Ukrainian photographer says that creating her digital portfolio anmade.photo helped her achieve her goal of expanding beyond the Kyiv art scene and getting featured in publications and competitions around the world. She adds that the .photo domain gives her portfolio a professional edge.
“Photography is the main thing I do, so I chose the domain name with meaning,” says the artist.
Novgorodtseva says that while photographers are known to take the initiative, you can turn to experienced web designers to take your digital portfolio to the next level. “If you can't do it yourself, find a professional to help you. This should not stop you . . . if there is a goal, then you need to find the means to achieve it.” When it came to bringing her website to life, she asked a friend to host the website and embed links into her social media profiles. Since its launch, she has handled the design and updates herself.
An active and official presence on the Internet has helped her book meaningful portraits and event projects, which are no less valuable to her than winning global photography competitions. She says serving her clients is a rewarding experience, even long after the photo shoot is over. “Sometimes I go into the houses of people I have photographed and am happy when I see large format printed portraits located on the walls of the rooms. For them, this is a memory for many years. These photographs will remain for their children. It's worth working for. This is my mission."
Her digital efforts are paying off. Since the beginning of 2024, Novgorodtseva’s photography career has been gaining momentum. On January 10, she announced another victory in the photo competition.
Novgorodtseva told her followers that her photograph, titled “At Home,” won the gold medal in the ‘Special Smartphone Photography’ category at the Tokyo International Photography Awards.
“I am very happy about my victory in the Tokyo International Foto Awards!” Novgorodtseva told us. “This is the achievement I strived for when submitting my work to competitions.”
She advises aspiring photographers to believe in themselves and trust their craft. “The most important thing is to believe in yourself and not stop!”