Hello!
My name is Denis Churin.
I was interested in photography while working as a seller-consultant in the photo equipment store in Saint-Petersburg (Russia) in 2002. Naturally, nobody taught me photography theory or the laws of composition, and of course, I thought I don’t need it at all. “Talent is the main thing!” I told myself and was very surprised by losses in photo contests.
From 2003 till 2008, I almost didn’t take photos because I participated in the Underbiz rock band (now Raizer) as a bass guitar player. But I still dreamed about my own camera. Fortunately, I bought my first one in the summer of 2008. Of course, this camera was DSLR because I knew many cameras as a former seller. But as always, wide photo equipment knowledge doesn’t guarantee you will make masterpieces. As for me, I made mediocre images. Honestly, a lot of it was awful, with very few not-too-bad photos, and it was like a faint light at the far end of the tunnel.
Almost simultaneously, I started doing commercial product photography for my employer (let’s call it additional duties), which obviously improved my photography skills. Moreover, leaving the rock band in the spring of 2009 gave me time for creative photography.
Finally, at the end of summer 2015, although I successfully passed the entrance test, I was refused a study permit at Niagara College (I wanted to study photography) and felt absolutely tired of my work as a boat equipment seller. In addition, I had some tiny achievements in creative photography at that moment. Furthermore, an acute feeling of sand of time leaked out of my fingers into emptiness. Therefore, I decided to change my work and life: I left my job and became a self-employed photographer. I still earn most of my money for a living doing commercial photography (interiors and products), and if that’s what you’re finding, go to my other website – Best Room Studio. But fine art and landscape photography take increasingly more time each day, and if you were searching exactly this, welcome to Portfolio and Fine-art sections.
If you want to purchase any of my digital or print photographs, click here or connect with me.
Thank you for your time!
Participation in exhibitions and contests, awards, and publications:
2023 – Two photographs were included in the “Natural World Heritage Sites. Russia. Part 2” photo album
2020 – Finalist in the III World Eco Photo Contest by the Russian Union of Wildlife Photographers
2020 – Finalist of the “Water of Russia is the Water of Victory” all-Russian photo contest
2020 – Participant in the “Art Geography of the Leningrad Region” exhibition (St.Petersburg, Russia)
2020 – Finalist in the “RGB” international contest of visual arts by the Moscow Government Culture Department
2019 – Finalist of the “Interior Design” photo contest by Viewbug international photo community
2018 – Winner of the “Show How Beautiful Is This World!” photo contest by “MIR” TV and Radio Company (Russia)
2016 – Finalist in the “Northern Beauty” photo contest by “National Geographic Russia” magazine and a participant in the “Northern Beauty” collective exhibition in the “Galereya” mall (St.Petersburg, Russia)
2013 – Joint winner of “10 years and three centuries of Russia and South Italy relationships” photo contest in “Art Photography” nomination
2012 – Participant in the 2nd Photo Biennale “Contemporary Photography” by The State Russian Museum (St.Petersburg, Russia). The photo is included in the museum’s collection and published in the Biennale catalogue
2011 – Participant in the “Space” collective exhibition in the “StART Academy” gallery (St.Petersburg, Russia)
2010 – The portrait of a photographer Valery Degtyarev published together with the report of his creative evening (the report is by me too) in the newspaper “The Photos of Saint-Petersburg” (№1 (189) 2010)
2009 – Joint winner of the photo contest by Kodak and “The Consumer. Photo & Video Cameras” magazine
2005 – Participant in the collective exhibition in the “Vladimir Mayakovsky memorial library” (St.Petersburg, Russia)
2004 – Participant in the collective exhibition “Sky” in the “Nickolay Chernyshevsky memorial library” (St.Petersburg, Russia)