Getting Started with the Vibe
So, I stumbled across some pictures the other day, work by this Natalia Petrova. Wasn’t really looking for anything specific, just browsing, you know? But her stuff just stopped me. It wasn’t flashy or anything. Just… the mood. Lots of shadows, kind of quiet, made you feel something. Hard to explain.
Anyway, it stuck with me. Kept thinking about those photos. Decided I wanted to try and catch that same kind of feeling myself. Not copy her, exactly, but see if I could get that quiet, moody thing going in my own shots.
Heading Out and Fumbling Around
First thing, I had to dig out my old camera. Haven’t used it much lately. Charged the battery, found an SD card. Then I thought about where to go. Needed somewhere a bit rundown, maybe? Not too busy. Ended up wandering around the old industrial park near the river. Seemed like it might have the right atmosphere.
Went there late afternoon, hoping for that softer light. Man, it was harder than I thought. Spent ages just messing with the settings. Aperture this, ISO that. Felt like I was fighting the camera more than taking pictures. Took a bunch of shots, looked at them on the little screen. Nah. All flat, boring. Nothing like what I had in my head.
- Fiddled with focus points.
- Tried different angles, low down, high up.
- Waited for people to get out of the shot.
- Got annoyed when the sun popped out unexpectedly.
Honestly, I almost packed it in. Thought maybe it was just her specific gear, or magic filters, or something I just couldn’t replicate.
Trying Again, Thinking Differently
Took a break. Sat on a busted concrete block. Pulled up her photos again on my phone. Really looked at them. Maybe it wasn’t about the perfect settings. Maybe it was just about… looking? Seeing the light hit that peeling paint, the shadow under the rusty stairs.
So I picked up the camera again. Tried to forget about the technical stuff for a bit. Just walked slow. Looked for shapes, textures, how the light fell. Took fewer pictures this time, but spent longer setting each one up. Didn’t rush it.
Back Home: The Editing Grind
Got home, dumped the photos onto the computer. Still wasn’t sure I had anything. Started playing around in the editing software. Mostly just adjusting contrast and shadows, trying to bring out that quiet feeling. Desaturated the colors a bit on some. It’s a slow process, this part. Click, adjust, stare. Undo. Try again.
This took way longer than the actual shooting. Kept comparing back to that mood I remembered. It’s easy to go too far, make it look fake or overly dramatic. Had to dial it back a lot.
What Came Out of It
In the end, out of maybe fifty shots, I got maybe two or three that felt… okay. Not amazing, definitely not Natalia Petrova level. But they had a little bit of that quiet, slightly dark mood I was chasing. One of an old boarded-up window, another of weeds growing through cracked pavement.
It was a good reminder, really. You see something cool someone else made, looks effortless. But trying to do it yourself? It’s a grind. You learn by doing, by failing, by fiddling around until something clicks. Didn’t master her style, not even close. But I learned something about looking, about being patient, and about how much work goes into getting a simple feeling across in a picture. Worth the effort, I guess.
