Polina Plotnikova is a Sussex-based fine art photographer whose practice centres on flowers and still life as vehicles for emotional expression rather than botanical or descriptive record. Working primarily in the studio, she approaches photography as an act of construction: images are conceived mentally and then carefully realised through controlled lighting, composition, and colour.

Flowers in Polina’s work are treated as individual presences rather than decorative motifs. Isolated from their natural environment, they assume a portrait-like quality, revealing gesture, fragility and character. Through this deliberate removal from context, the familiar becomes quietly unfamiliar, inviting a slower, more contemplative form of looking. Her photographs emphasise subtle tonal transitions, sculptural form, and a restrained palette that supports mood rather than spectacle.

Still life occupies a parallel space in her practice. These compositions draw on a long visual tradition — from classical still life painting to the tonal sensitivity of modern fine art — yet remain firmly photographic. Polina’s images resist narrative excess; instead, they rely on balance, rhythm and light to create an atmosphere that is intimate, precise and timeless.