The Haunting World of 'Liminal Spaces'

In the late hours, when Moscow quiets down and the rush of the crowd fades away, Nikita Parnyuk finds solace in photographing the empty spaces of the city. Beneath the dark atmospheric visuals in his images lies a layer of emotional depth — one that can either unsettle or soothe.

In this interview, Nikita talks about 'liminal spaces' and how they became the main theme of his work, discussing the creative process of achieving his gloomy images, his go-to film stocks, and the personal connection he has towards the concept.

Welcome to Lomography Magazine! Please introduce yourself briefly.

Hi! My name is Nikita, I’m 31 years old, and currently based in Moscow, Russia. I work as a civil engineer in the design of nuclear power plants and shoot on film as a hobby.

When and how did you get into film photography? Tell us about your photographic journey.

I started taking photos with my first Sony Ericsson cellphone when I was 13. Everything that surrounded me got into the frame: pets, the nature of my native land, the beauty of sunrises and sunsets. After graduating from university, I moved to Moscow and bought my first DSLR there (fun fact: the camera was bought with money left over from an insurance payment for a minor accident I had with my car). Then I saw one of my friends post a photo of himself taken on film and captioned it "At least someone in this world still remembers what analogue is." This phrase inspired me and I immediately went to buy a film camera.

When I first came to Moscow, I was immediately impressed by the beauty of the metro, especially in the late hours, when the rush of people dies down. After some time, the idea of ​​combining my love for photography and the empty subway appeared. This is how a unique direction in personal creativity was born.

How would you describe your style as a photographer?

It's hard for me to answer this question. I like the phrase "techno-noir" but I don't know if it is applicable to my work. The closest direction I could find is liminal spaces.

Many of your photos follow a "liminal spaces" theme. What is your personal definition of “liminal spaces”? What makes you drawn to this concept?

Liminal spaces are unnaturally empty spaces. I conditionally divide the art of the liminal spaces direction into two categories: that which evokes a feeling of anxiety and worry, and that which, on the contrary, calms and can even give a feeling of nostalgia. I would be interested to know which of these categories other people would classify my work into.

What was the first photo in this collection? How did you discover the style? When did you start committing to photographing “liminal spaces”?

I have a photograph taken with my very first roll of film. It shows the lights of a lone car in the middle of an empty, foggy highway at night. I still consider it my best work. In general, this question can be answered like this: I took pictures for a long time without knowing that I was shooting liminal spaces.

Tell us about your end-to-end creative process. Are you more systematic or intuitive? What techniques do you have for shooting this concept?

My approach can be both systematic and intuitive. For example, I recently shot the metro in St. Petersburg, having prepared in advance and marked on the map which stations I needed to visit. As for the intuitive component, I try to take a compact film Ricoh with me more often, so that I have something to shoot with if I feel that a good shot can come out. Of course, you often have to wait a long time until there are no people in the frame, so I like to shoot late in the evening.

Do you have favorite film stocks or cameras that help you achieve the atmosphere you're looking for?

I like the results of shooting on CineStill. Once, I got very atmospheric photos on expired Fuji Eterna. Of course, Lomography Redscale was a very pleasant discovery.

How was your experience with the Lomography Redscale? What other Lomography products have you tried?

I liked this poisonous orange color in one of the subscribers' photos. I immediately decided that I should try shooting with it and the result really pleased me. It turned out to be something post-apocalyptic and very dramatic.

I also recently managed to shoot with the LomoChrome Turquoise. Thanks to the wonderful color palette of this film, the underground world of the metro seemed to turn into an underwater one, which gave me an association with Atlantis.

I also plan to shoot with the LomoChrome Metropolis. I think it will turn out to be something interesting.

Can you recall an interesting or memorable experience while working on one of your photos?

I emailed the Moscow Metro, saying that I had a lot of photos that I wanted to show people. Not expecting anything, I was surprised when they responded with an offer to host my own exhibition and even gave me the opportunity to take pictures of electric trains at the depot.

How much of your personal identity — your emotions, your philosophy — do you think is visible in your photos?

I think that any art is a reflection of the deep layers of the author's psyche. Having studied the concept of liminal spaces, it was no surprise to me that I chose this as my main style. To tell the truth, I am an anxious person and have been struggling with mental problems for a long time. I think the contrast between light and shadow, and the perspective of the frame receding into the distance — which are present in most of my photographs — symbolize the path from darkness to light that I take. At least, I want to believe so.

Is there a project or theme you’re planning to explore next in your photography?

I would like to pay more attention to the night city, the lights of evening lanterns, and road romance. I would also like to release my zine.

Check out Nikita's Instagram and website to see more of his work on 'liminal spaces'.

written by francinegaebriele on 2025-06-10 #gear #people #dark #moody #cinematic Share Article