Distorted realities with Aleksandr Babarikin
Short profile
Aleksandr Babarikin is originally from Belarus and now lives and works in New York. He works as a software engineer, but for a few years now, photography has been his passion and he is enjoying increasing international success. His Instagram account alone has over 150,000 followers who love his intuitive and spontaneous approach. Aleksandr explores the streets with his camera, observing everyday life and often waiting for hours to capture unexpected, authentic moments.
In the interview, he talks about his approach to photography, his inspiration and his first and only camera.
6 QUESTIONS TO ALEKSANDR BABARIKIN
Can you tell us a bit about how you came to photography?
I started photography three years ago, making a completely spontaneous decision to buy a camera. The more I noticed beautiful things around, whether it be a picturesque landscape or an ordinary moment of life, the more I wanted to take possession of them, as if to take them with me. Therefore, the desire to possess reality is what developed my interest in photography in the first place.
Photo: Aleksandr Babarikin
Please share something about your images. What is your special interest? How do you choose the colors, composition, themes etc.?
I think my interest in photography has changed over time, at first it was about capturing the moment, and then it began to slowly dissolve into creating a new form based on what pleased my eye - a place where I resort to abstractions. My colors and themes are inspired by everything that surrounds me, whether it be a painting or trash on the road.
Photo: Aleksandr Babarikin
Where does this interest come from?
It’s said what's inside comes outside, I tend to think about the voyage of time - a bygone past and an unpromised future, all these existential themes.
How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Films, books, or magazines? Or what surrounds you?
I have quite a lot of influences outside of photography, probably the main one is painting, in particular French Impressionism. In cinematography, I gravitate toward nostalgic dreamlike visuals, such as films made by Andrei Tarkovsky and Wong Kar-Wai. Another important source that has shaped my creative perception is Japanese animation, I think that's where the surreal, dystopian aspect of my photography comes from.
Photo: Aleksandr Babarikin
What was your first camera?
Fujifilm x100v - first and current.
What else should we know about you?
Aleksandr Babarikin (b.1997) is a Belarusian photographer, based in Queens, New York.
