Real Artists, Real Stories: Jevgenjis Scolokovs, Latvian Photographer Of The Year

Jevgenjis Scolokovs, was selected to be part of our newest blog series Real Artists, Real Stories. He has won many contests and has even gone on to win Latvian Photographer of the year.

Born and raised in Latvia, Jevgenjis Scolokovs became infatuated with taking photographs at an early age. Because it was then part of the USSR, obtaining foreign cameras was next to impossible. Although the likes of Zenit or Smena cameras (Soviet era) were phenomenal devices for capturing images, the idea of owning a foreign Kodak camera inspired Jevgenjis to scavenge for copper as much as he could until he raised enough money to secure his first Kodak Film camera – using it not to produce phenomenal images, but to document the life of his friends and family. Since those days, Jevgenjis has honed his craft, won photography contests and has continued to create imagery that inspires his heart.

Jevgenjis has spent much of his life photographing his travels and what he loves most, nature. When questioned about his transition from an amateur to a professional his response was: "In Russian, the word “amateur” has the same root as the word “love"... So “amateur” means that person does something because he loves it, not because it earns them money."

More info: yaguniversity.tumblr.com