About & Contact

Photography, without a doubt, is an art. I, however, have always wondered whether we only take aesthetically beautiful pictures or whether photographs, in some way, can reflect the author's character and vision of the world. While arranging images for the Web site I discovered that there was a perceptible consistency between the collection presented here and my inner self. This relationship, however, is not necessarily readily apparent to a detached viewer. My long-term artistic goal, therefore, is narrowing this gap to the extent whereby my work truly bears my signature.

At the same time, photography, as well as the way I practice it, is also a sort of a refuge, a kind of a buffer that can cushion potential volatility and possible impacts in other, more outer-world-dependent, aspects of life.

Containing more than one hundred photographs (some posted together with essays), the Gallery is constantly evolving as I gradually develop as a photographer and replace some of the images with better ones. It thus represents my aesthetic perception and level of technical skill at any given time.

Please visit the What's New page for information on latest updates as well as occasional comments on current events or experiences of my life and not only.

The Essays & Reviews page contains essays (on photographic topics and otherwise), technical reviews of some of the photo equipment that I used to use or employ at the moment, as well as other supplementary information.

I love Far East. Though a Russian national, I have lived, studied, worked and traveled in Mainland China for over ten years. As of now, most of the photographs on this Web site were taken here. Consequently, they present not only images as such, but, indirectly, a long-term commitment to this country. I hope that this Web site might be of interest not only to my friends and those interested in photography, but also to anyone related to The Middle Kingdom in any way, be it through a one-week trip or a life-long academic quest.

Your comments, suggestions and critique are welcome and will be highly appreciated - you can always reach me on oleg@olegnovikov.com.

Thank you for visiting.