DARIA BELOSTOTCKAIA & SAM DEERE
From Russia and Australia. Live and work in Berkeley, US.
Daria Belostotckaia was born in Moscow. Sam Deere was born in Adelaide, Australia. They met in Oxford and now live in Berkeley, California.
Daria is a developmental psychologist and studied photography under Annie Leibovitz. She is inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastão Salgado, and Dianne Arbus. Sam is a programmer at a non-profit. He has a camera and sometimes uses it.
About S+D
We’re an Australian and a Russian, who met in Britain, married in Denmark, and live in the US. We have different mother tongues and cultures, we fell in love separated by 9000 kilometres. But still, it’s strangely easy to find understanding in ways that aren’t always obvious — love is very vocal when it’s hidden, little moments are big. This is a documentary of daily moments — the small events, niceties, daily rituals, and intimate moments that make up a life full of love. It can be a challenge to show romantic love. One popular conception is in cutesy, pastel images that show plenty of sweetness, but less of the ordinariness, the quiet daily romances of coexistence. These moments from across an ordinary day tell a small part of the story of our love for each other. We chose to shoot close (50mm lens on a full-frame Sony A7), keeping the focus on the details. In Denmark, before our wedding, we learned about the concept of ‘hygge’ — creating cosy spaces, places of safety and comfort. We lit our shots in the same way — with fairy lights, candles, and warm, diffuse lamps. The low light creates grainy shots, shadows, and darkness. Love doesn’t have to be bright to be safe.
