Meet Oleg Bolotov

Today we’d like to introduce you to Oleg Bolotov.

Oleg, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for photography started after I finished graduate school at Boston University in 2011 and went on a trip through Asia with my friends. I’m a cinematographer by trade and mostly worked with video throughout grad school but when I was in Beijing, China, I started to take photography seriously. My background in cinematography made it a natural transition for me to fall in love with photography. However, I quickly realized that photography much, MUCH different than video work I’ve been doing. The challenge became quite real but never daunting as it was a side passion. I took my time, experimented A LOT and really learned what kind of photographer I want to be. As luck would have it, around this time is also when my father passed down his 35mm Zenit camera and lenses to me and I started doing film photography. To me, film photography is the ultimate challenge. It’s unforgiving and the mistakes cost you everything when you’re shooting film. I found that to be the most effective way to learn. So as I was doing digital photography, adapting the m42 Soviet lenses onto my modern camera bodies, I was doing film photography as well. The combination of the two is when I find photography the most fun.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never been anything but fun for me. Photography was not my “trade” so there was no pressure to reach the goals that I quickly set out for myself. I won’t reach those goals, those ambitions to be photographer that I want to be, for a long, long time. So that took a lot of pressure off and I just have a great time learning more and more. It’s a bit different in professional/commercial photography work in that there’s an unavoidable stress that comes with delivering a product to someone that’s paying and expecting the best. But even in that, I find that stress goes away as soon as I remind myself that it’s just me and my camera.

Oleg Bolotov – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I don’t specialize in anything but I’m interested in everything. Whatever “category”, it’s a challenge and that motivates me to pursue different styles and subjects. I always like to experiment, whether it’s adapting vintage lenses, using tilt shift, time lapse, I love it all and that’s where I feel the most fulfilled.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moments I have are when I see my photography making a difference in someone’s life. Those are the moments that truly count because they’re always honest and emotional.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://500px.com/olegbolotov/galleries
• Phone: 3106610367
• Email: oleg@auspiciousphoenix.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolotovcocktail
• Other: https://www.auspiciousphoenix.com/contact

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