Spotlight | Liliia Beda
SPOTLIGHT
Liliia Beda
About Liliia
The young photographer Liliia Beda was born in Donetsk, where she lives to this day. She confesses that photography came into her life in a whirlwind in high school and in a short time became her raison d’être.
Her first photography teacher was a friend studying photography at art college. Once she saw her friend’s work and was inspired by her example, she wanted to create her own. She turned to her friend for advice and support. And so, little by little, photography has become one of her main occupations.
Since early childhood, Liliia has been fond of folklore, especially Slavonic, Celtic and Scandinavian. This led to a desire to embody in photographs the images of maidens from medieval literature, knights and elves. But her work does not stop there. The girl does not like to limit herself and works in different genres.
Donetsk photographer’s main source of inspiration is people, their inner world, so vast and frank. Spiritual buoyancy is fostered by painting. This type of art is an integral part of Liliia’s life and is closely intertwined with photography.
Pre-Raphaelite art had a huge influence on the photographer. According to her, painting is one of the main resources that drives her to work on herself and her ideas. One cannot fail to mention the immense contribution of books which left an imprint on her mind and determined the further development of her path as a photographer and painter. Anne Rice, Fitzgerald, Dumas, Poppy Bright, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare and other authors, all greatly loved by the girl, enriched her spiritually and diversified her work with new ideas and images.
Liliia takes a responsible approach to the filming process. The photographer discusses the idea of the shoot with the model, and then they prepare props together, looking for suitable clothing and locations.
During the photo-shooting process, Liliia selects the appropriate colour scheme, but tries not to over-expose the image to any unnecessary correction. Sometimes she prints out the photos, paints them with gold paint, scans them, and only then does the processing. In some ways, this creative technique is akin to painting. The photos by the Donetsk master of reincarnation inspire painters to create paintings. There is evidence of it: the girl often receives drawings from people all over the world based on her photos. And it can’t help but be gratifying, as one of the goals of the photographer is to inspire people to create.
About Liliia’s Work
When and how did your journey as an artist begin?
It all started when a friend of mine, who was studying at art college, brought me along to a photography class. There she showed me her work. They impressed me so much that I decided to put up a small still life myself and take a picture of it. I borrowed my parents’ camera, and that’s how I came into the world of photography. My teachers have been great painters, photographers and classics. In terms of composition, I am guided by paintings. I study in them the staging of light, composition, color schemes. It’s all made up of details that shift into a huge, time-consuming painting.
Could you describe a bit about the type of photography you pursue?
I’m impressed by the genre of fine art photography. But I also work in the fashion style.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
My aesthetic consists of paintings, reconstructions of historical and artistic characters, magic and fashion.
What inspired you to pursue photography?
I am inspired by people. I love capturing their natural beauty.
Specific Projects
The most time-consuming project I had was with the designer. I had to come up with a concept to present a new clothing collection. We decided to shoot in an art museum. I had to find a specific type of model and think through the concept of the shoot.
I am a painter, so it was a pleasure to take a series in an art museum. When a contemporary model stands in front of a masterpiece, there’s something magnetic about it.
View more of Liliia’s work: Instagram