Member Moment: Anastasia Lavrenyuk

Anastasia Lavrenyuk is an active member within the community! She is a Film Club Member as well as a Student Ambassador and is regularly at PhotoLounge events. Her work caught our eye when she participated in a portfolio review with us and since then we have loved seeing her photographic eye blossom. Scroll down to see some of her images and read our interview with her.

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of traffic light n Philadelphia

PL: What got you interested in film photography?

AL: It all started when I found an old camera at my grandmother’s place. It was Zorki-6, a Soviet camera made in the 1960s. I borrowed it, shot my first film – and was amazed by the result. The photos were very beautiful and aesthetic without me doing almost anything. And so I continued – it was too mesmerizing to stop.

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 at night of ferris wheel and Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of sunset silhouetting a sky line

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of silhouetted flowers against boats in background

PL: What type of camera do you shoot with, and what kind of film do you usually use?

AL: I shoot with an automatic Canon EOS 300 that my classmates gave me as a present in my last year of high-school. They believed in my talent and wanted to support it, and I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have friends like this. I usually use colored Fujifilm – it was the easiest for me to get at the time, and now I’m just used to it, although I’m trying to experiment! Every roll of film is a little bit different, and I love this magic.

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of interior

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of four people in graduation cap and gowns at the University of Pennsylvania

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of person reaching up at leaves in a tree

PL: Some of your photos feature people candidly or in posed positions. What do you like about photographing people? What is challenging about it?

AL: Until this year, I was terrified of taking photos of people. I only shot them secretly, while no one was watching, and so the photos were way more candid. Nowadays some people have started asking me to take photos of them, and so I’m learning how to do it in a more professional way. I realized there’s nothing scary about this, and in some ways it’s even easier – I can set up a better shot without waiting for the right moment.

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of buildings on a street

Double exposure photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of street and shoes

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of Tarot store on street corner in Philadelphia

PL: Many of your photos capture smaller details within an urban setting. How would you describe your style of photography?

AL: I do love looking for details. When I just walk around the city, I don’t notice much. But when I walk with a camera or at least a shot in mind, I start seeing so much more, as if a different city opens up to me. I try to strike a balance between aesthetic landscape photography and more realistic street photography.

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of roses outside someones townhouse

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of detail in the Philadelphia Magic Gardens museum

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of hanging lights between skyscrapers

PL: Many of your photos also have a strong composition. When photographing, what are you thinking before you click the shutter?

AL: Composition is my best friend. I like strong lines and the ⅔ rule, it allows me to make any photo immediately more interesting. I also think a lot about the color harmonies – basically, which colors would go together the best, – and a good light. But quite honestly, I usually just click and see what the film would bring to me ;)

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of person standing outside doorway

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of person outside Philadelphia Museum of Art

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of plant in room by a window

PL: Out of all of these photos which is your favorite and why?

AL: Probably the one with the sunrise light, a plant and a skyline in the window. It was shot in my building the day when I returned back to Philadelphia, and at the airport someone told me “welcome home.” Since Philly is my second home now, and all last year I spent trying to make it feel like home, it was very significant to me.

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of person standing in a park

Photograph taken with Canon EOS 300 of Anastasia Lavrenyuk

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