Tuesday, November 24, 2009
bill viola "bodies of light"
one of the highlights of the thanksgiving weekend was attending bill viola "bodies of light" at james cohan gallery.
four dark rooms with tall, rectangular plasma hi-def screens; ghost-like milky nude bodies emerging through the other side of the water. slow motion, ethereal mood; voyeuristic, ambiguous feelings. beautiful, deep, inspiring.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
milk&honey
in continuance of a very successful collaboration with hair stylist linh ngyen (look for our "dreamers" story in november issue of ROUGE magazine) we got together again this month to do another ethereal hair story.
this time it was about movement. our model was pernilla from NY models. linh created beautiful airy textures on pernilla's strawberry blond hair while anetta klemens did magic to make model's skin glow.
some shots look like as if they were done underwater. the colors are muted and soft - milk and honey.
sneak preview of the 9-pages story below.
this time it was about movement. our model was pernilla from NY models. linh created beautiful airy textures on pernilla's strawberry blond hair while anetta klemens did magic to make model's skin glow.
some shots look like as if they were done underwater. the colors are muted and soft - milk and honey.
sneak preview of the 9-pages story below.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
lie sang bong
today i've attended press show of lie sang bong at blank space. his 2010 S/S collection is literally out of this world: something between neo-romantic star-wars and alice in wonderland; with dominating colors of shimmering silver and black, sheer white and quasi-translucede nude; strong geometric shapes with over-sized romantic ornaments.
my favorite pieces from the collection:
linhardt design
i was walking along 3rd avenue up towards 14th street when something unusual in a shop window attracted my attention. it was a vintage gas mask, and a silver a-la freddy krueger glove next to it. it made me stop and cling to the window trying to desipher what kind of store it could be. only then i start noticing pieces of beautiful extravagant yet modern looking jewelry.
lisa linhardt's jewelry design boutique is a must-see and yet another reason to love new york. lisa designs jewelry herself, as well as she features in her store other artists whose work is in the same direction as hers which means using recycled metals, eco-friendly materials, and ethically sourced gemstones. i fell in love at first sight and couldn't resist a temptation to buy on the spot lisa's signature "bullet" ring which you can see on alicia keys for the cover of "billboard" at as well as on gisele bundchen at numero magazine#101.
lisa linhardt's jewelry design boutique is a must-see and yet another reason to love new york. lisa designs jewelry herself, as well as she features in her store other artists whose work is in the same direction as hers which means using recycled metals, eco-friendly materials, and ethically sourced gemstones. i fell in love at first sight and couldn't resist a temptation to buy on the spot lisa's signature "bullet" ring which you can see on alicia keys for the cover of "billboard" at as well as on gisele bundchen at numero magazine#101.
visit at: 156 First Ave., New York, NY 10003
Thursday, November 5, 2009
dreamers @ ROUGE magazine (november issue)
8 pages spread with "dreamers" (jae, samantha, tianna @ major models) in ROUGE magazine november issue:
Monday, October 26, 2009
juliapogodina.com
with a little delay caused by my recent move from one studio space to another i am happy to announce a long-anticipated switch from using "nymfea" (aka nymfea photography studio, nymfea.com, nymfea.blogspot.com, etc.) as my professional alias to my own name where applicable (that is: julia pogodina studio, juliapogodina.com, juliapogodina.blogspot.com, etc.) it will be followed by redesign of my website, business cards, and promo materials which is currently work in progress.
nymfea.com is working as a forward domain for next couple months (same with emails) and will cease to exist in 2010. i will be sending official newsletter with new contact information later this month.
nymfea.com is working as a forward domain for next couple months (same with emails) and will cease to exist in 2010. i will be sending official newsletter with new contact information later this month.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
interview for ROUGE magazine (september issue)
one of the best gifts for my 30th birthday this september was a 4-pages long interview for ROUGE magazine. 
i have a long-term relationship with ROUGE, and i dearly love this glossy bulgarian publication for its quality and very personal, warm attitude of people who work there.
for about an hour i talked to natalia georgieva, one of ROUGE's editor, over the phone. she was curious to know about my childhood back in russia, about my experience being a lawyer, and how i became a fashion photographer at the end, about my vision, goals, and dreams. for me this interview (one of the most deep and detailed interviews i ever gave) became sort of journey into myself. answering natalia's questions i came to understanding of many events and coincidences in my life.
i won't bore you with translation of all 4 pages (alas for my english-speaking readers even though given originally in english my interview was translated into bulgarian which i myself hardly understand) but give you just a little tease consisting of first 3 questions (which is something i never publicized before):
1. Let’s start with your childhood. You grew up in St Petersburg. What was your childhood in Russia?
Actually, my childhood was split between St.Petersburg (where my parents moved shortly after I was born) and Nerekhta, small town in the province of Kostroma, 4 hours by train north-east from Moscow where all my family, both mom’s and dad’s side, still lives. Most of the time I lived with my parents in St.Pete but in summer it was always time to go to my grandparents. It was like living 2 different lives – in St.Pete my childhood was filled with weekly visits to children’s theaters and museums, art school where I was taught to draw since I was 6, my father’s restoring workshop where I was allowed to stamp on little round metal plates, my mom’s sewing machine and hand-made toys and clothes she was making for me since I was little, my parents’ extensive library with art books my dad used to collect. While at my grandparents life was more simple and close to nature: they had a house and little garden, as well as chickens, rabbits, and a goat, and I enjoyed spending time there taking care of animals, or riding my bike, or going fishing with my grandpa, or spending time at the clinic where my grandma used to work.
2. Tell us more about your parents? What do they do?
My dad is an antique restorer, he works with metal; He used to work for both private antique stores and museums, including restoration of the Peter&Paul’s chiming clock. He is also a jeweler (but he only makes jewelry for me and my Mom) and a very good photographer himself. (Since early childhood I vividly I remember his Zenith camera he took with him everywhere and spending nights with him printing pictures in our blacked-out living room)
My mom got her degree in nuclear engineering but since I was a sickish child and could barely attend kindergarten she quit her job and stayed with me at home. Thanks to her I learnt to read and write before going to school, as well as for years she used to be our home fashion designer making beautiful, perfectly fitting clothes for all our family. Later on when I was already going to high-school she got herself a job as a secretary in St.Peterbsurg State University, and couple years ago she, being 52 y.o., undertook a degree program in accounting and changed her career drastically. I am very proud of my parents, they have always been my role models and most important people in my life.
3. Do you come back to Russia nowadays? Has it changed? Would you like to live there?
I usually go to visit my family once a year. For the past 5 years since I am in United States the country has definitely changed but so did I, and my perspective of the world. It’s hard to say which is more. I was happy there and never intended to leave but it happened so, and I have neither regrets nor plans to come back to Russia anytime soon. I started new life here, and for what I do right now it is better to be in New York. It was a conscious and very reasonable decision. In couple years it might change and I might move to Europe or somewhere else– I don’t know. I guess I am a rolling stone, I’ve always been, for me it’s hard to settle in one place, doing just one thing. But no matter where I live and what I do I am proud to be Russian.
i won't bore you with translation of all 4 pages (alas for my english-speaking readers even though given originally in english my interview was translated into bulgarian which i myself hardly understand) but give you just a little tease consisting of first 3 questions (which is something i never publicized before):
1. Let’s start with your childhood. You grew up in St Petersburg. What was your childhood in Russia?
Actually, my childhood was split between St.Petersburg (where my parents moved shortly after I was born) and Nerekhta, small town in the province of Kostroma, 4 hours by train north-east from Moscow where all my family, both mom’s and dad’s side, still lives. Most of the time I lived with my parents in St.Pete but in summer it was always time to go to my grandparents. It was like living 2 different lives – in St.Pete my childhood was filled with weekly visits to children’s theaters and museums, art school where I was taught to draw since I was 6, my father’s restoring workshop where I was allowed to stamp on little round metal plates, my mom’s sewing machine and hand-made toys and clothes she was making for me since I was little, my parents’ extensive library with art books my dad used to collect. While at my grandparents life was more simple and close to nature: they had a house and little garden, as well as chickens, rabbits, and a goat, and I enjoyed spending time there taking care of animals, or riding my bike, or going fishing with my grandpa, or spending time at the clinic where my grandma used to work.
2. Tell us more about your parents? What do they do?
My dad is an antique restorer, he works with metal; He used to work for both private antique stores and museums, including restoration of the Peter&Paul’s chiming clock. He is also a jeweler (but he only makes jewelry for me and my Mom) and a very good photographer himself. (Since early childhood I vividly I remember his Zenith camera he took with him everywhere and spending nights with him printing pictures in our blacked-out living room)
My mom got her degree in nuclear engineering but since I was a sickish child and could barely attend kindergarten she quit her job and stayed with me at home. Thanks to her I learnt to read and write before going to school, as well as for years she used to be our home fashion designer making beautiful, perfectly fitting clothes for all our family. Later on when I was already going to high-school she got herself a job as a secretary in St.Peterbsurg State University, and couple years ago she, being 52 y.o., undertook a degree program in accounting and changed her career drastically. I am very proud of my parents, they have always been my role models and most important people in my life.
3. Do you come back to Russia nowadays? Has it changed? Would you like to live there?
I usually go to visit my family once a year. For the past 5 years since I am in United States the country has definitely changed but so did I, and my perspective of the world. It’s hard to say which is more. I was happy there and never intended to leave but it happened so, and I have neither regrets nor plans to come back to Russia anytime soon. I started new life here, and for what I do right now it is better to be in New York. It was a conscious and very reasonable decision. In couple years it might change and I might move to Europe or somewhere else– I don’t know. I guess I am a rolling stone, I’ve always been, for me it’s hard to settle in one place, doing just one thing. But no matter where I live and what I do I am proud to be Russian.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
interview with mitch de leon [SlashMaraud]
excerpt from my interview with mitch de leon
SHARE 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JULIA POGODINA BUT WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
That’s my favorite question! It’s also the most difficult one *)
Hmm, three things.. Let me see!
1) So why “nymfea?” Despite of numerous associations you might have with this word, originally Nymfea was a boy – the main character of Sasha Sokolov’s novel “School for fools”; this boy suffered from split personality and irrevocable daydreaming, and every time he wanted to escape the harsh reality he “dissolved into Nymfea, a water lily with long brown stems” to travel along Leta river to the neverland where Leonardo was drawing his Mona Lisa and pearl-like dragonflies were circling above the water. I fell in love with the story when I was 14, and I wrote my own one inspired by Nymfea. That story won 1st place at the city literature contest, and during the time along with many coincidences, mysterious signs, and romantic stories “nymfea” became my intimate nickname and second self.
2) When I was 21, I was a managing director of Nabokov museum in St.Petersburg. It was the most romantic job one could have! Museum is located in Nabokov’s family house on Bolshaya Morskaya street where Vladimir Nabokov was born and his family lived before revolution. One of the most precious exhibits there were: his father’s encyclopedia on butterflies with young Vladmir Nabokov’s color pencil drawings; his pince-nez he wore later in life for occasions of picture taking (in reality he had a perfect eyesight!), and first edition of “Lolita” with his handwriting on the front page. It was magical to hold these things in your hands, to be so close to the life story of his amazing talent.
3) I don’t like chocolate! Unless it is a white one *)
full version of the interview can be read here
SHARE 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JULIA POGODINA BUT WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
That’s my favorite question! It’s also the most difficult one *)
Hmm, three things.. Let me see!
1) So why “nymfea?” Despite of numerous associations you might have with this word, originally Nymfea was a boy – the main character of Sasha Sokolov’s novel “School for fools”; this boy suffered from split personality and irrevocable daydreaming, and every time he wanted to escape the harsh reality he “dissolved into Nymfea, a water lily with long brown stems” to travel along Leta river to the neverland where Leonardo was drawing his Mona Lisa and pearl-like dragonflies were circling above the water. I fell in love with the story when I was 14, and I wrote my own one inspired by Nymfea. That story won 1st place at the city literature contest, and during the time along with many coincidences, mysterious signs, and romantic stories “nymfea” became my intimate nickname and second self.
2) When I was 21, I was a managing director of Nabokov museum in St.Petersburg. It was the most romantic job one could have! Museum is located in Nabokov’s family house on Bolshaya Morskaya street where Vladimir Nabokov was born and his family lived before revolution. One of the most precious exhibits there were: his father’s encyclopedia on butterflies with young Vladmir Nabokov’s color pencil drawings; his pince-nez he wore later in life for occasions of picture taking (in reality he had a perfect eyesight!), and first edition of “Lolita” with his handwriting on the front page. It was magical to hold these things in your hands, to be so close to the life story of his amazing talent.
3) I don’t like chocolate! Unless it is a white one *)
full version of the interview can be read here
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
NYFW SS2010
well, now i know that the main advantage of local fashion week (in comparison to the ones in far away cities/countries) is that you get invited to many shows since you know lots of people, but the main disadvantage of it is that since you are "at home" and fashion shows are not part of your job (we won't put a tag "job" on networking, even though sometimes it feels this way), it is really hard to find time in your working schedule to attend all the shows you've been invited too. ah, sweet vicious circle and recurring dreams about cloning myself!
from the shows and events i managed to attend nevertheless, i wanted to mention beloved PORTS 1961 (can't wait to see this japanese inspired nude-colored collection in stores and on my stylist's racks! i especially liked the shoes and back details on dresses and jackets) and custo barcelona (while not being too crazy about patterns and cuts of the women's collection i find men's collection to be very photogenic and sleek), and to applaud to the great idea of fashion night out which finally brought high fashion out to the streets - literally! for the first time fashion week felt not like a private event for the selected group of people from the industry, but as an all-city festival celebrating fashion in style.
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