Ekaterina Bazhul

How did the decision to start photography in 2024 change your personal and creative life?

My decision to take up photography changed my whole life. I have always tried to look at people and nature from a different angle, I have always been interested in deep moments. Photography allowed me to show myself and others without words that it is possible to be different. With the help of photography (I photograph a lot of women in the nude art genre) I have revealed myself from different sides. Realizing that every woman is different and I manage to find beauty in completely different women, I accepted my different features. I felt a great acceptance of myself and different parts of myself, acceptance of different women and men. This profession has liberated me a lot and made me realize that there are no boundaries. It had a great impact on my creative development, as I began to realize ideas that I would not have dared to do before. It also affected my life in general, because I started to treat my family, my husband and my son in a completely new way. Photography allowed me to go deeper into a person, to feel his gut, sometimes to get away from the visual story and feel the soul, which allowed me to see very subtle and intangible things in a solid sense.

Could you describe your typical process when you create a new series—from the first idea to the final image?

Usually I don’t put any initial meaning into the shoot, I just shoot. I like to do different plans, but more close-ups, I really like to do shots lying on the ground, from below. I like to participate in the process myself, so I always show the model how to stand up, lie down, if I ask her to climb somewhere, I first test it on myself to see if it’s possible. In the process of shooting I observe the model, sometimes I ask her personal questions, for example, what she feels at this moment, I am a very sensitive person and in the process of shooting I try to emotionally immerse in the state of the model. I don’t do retouching, I like to do cropping, and to crop on the most unusual places, I like to explore color, so I do color correction. In a series I do each frame separately and never use one preset for the whole series, because I believe that each frame carries its own vibe and speaks about a particular moment and the whole series simply can not be in one color. I try to do the series quickly while my emotions and feelings are fresh. Sometimes it can be ready on the day of the shoot, sometimes I wait for the right state within myself for the series. I like to put all the photos in the series in the order in which they were shot, so that the story I want to show in the series is true, dynamic and as it was at that moment.

Do you prefer to work spontaneously or to plan each composition in detail?

I like to give myself some time before shooting. Since I shoot a lot outdoors, I like to visit a location beforehand, to understand what it means, how it feels. I like to prepare myself emotionally, be inspired by art, sometimes learn something new before the shoot to try it out. So yes, I like a little preparation, but not in terms of composition.

Your work explores the idea that “we are nature itself”. How do you translate this belief into visual language?

I try to visually fit a nude figure into a space or a natural object, such as a rock, so that the image gives the feeling that the figure has always been there. So that the shot doesn’t look like it was planned on purpose, but gives the feeling that it has always been there. When working with a model, I often ask her, for example, when she is next to a tree or a stone, to try to become it and improvise. I believe that such a moment in terms of energy or “spirit” also immerses you in the context of nature itself, it can be felt in a non-verbal way.

What does nude photography mean to you beyond the obvious visual form?

For me it’s a very vulnerable genre and it’s just as strong! For me, nude photography is about the present moment, without masks, without personal style in clothes, without roles, it’s about honesty, about the possibility to be naked mentally, about emptiness, about acceptance and the power to be yourself. This genre for me is about the ability to accept your flaws, about revealing your new sides, about exploring yourself, your feelings. Nude photography for me is about the fact that you have to think when you look at it. It evokes a lot of different emotions from excitement to disgust, it makes you look at yourself from different sides, from all the models you shoot. It’s a genre that shows you have the utmost confidence in yourself as a photographer. For me, Nude photography is power!

In your opinion, what makes the female body a powerful metaphor in contemporary art?

For me the female body in contemporary art is a metaphor for almost any aspect of our life, through the body you can see absolutely everything, but since I associate the female body more with nature, I can say that the body is like a whole planet and this is the biggest metaphor for me. A woman lives through different cycles like a planet from spring to winter, the body has different surfaces like mountains and plains, it can be compared to the landscape of a planet. Rivers with wrinkles, any imperfections with skin imperfections. Any natural pattern, like the texture of a leaf, with skin and its circulatory system and so on. The emotional part of our body can be compared to different weather phenomena: hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, elements and at the same time natural silence. A woman, as a whole planet, includes absolutely everything and also connects nature and civilization with the help of her body.

How did participation in exhibitions—from New York projections to shows in Bali and Russia—shape your view of your own art?

Participating in various exhibitions strengthened my self-confidence and allowed me to develop my own style. Since I have only been involved in photography for a little over a year, these exhibitions gave me tremendous self-confidence. I am pleased that there are people who share my worldview and principles, who become involved in my creative work. I have made many new acquaintances in the field of photography. All of this has allowed me to dream, plan my development in this field, and take further steps in this direction.