[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Meet North Hollywood photographer and all-around creative human Dima Otvertchenko of Blue Hour Valley, who focuses his lens on the 818. Our NoHo Artist Feature is a way to highlight the visual artists who call NoHo home. And to say THANK YOU!
The NoHo Arts District is just one square mile, but what we do in this one square mile makes us a vibrant and creative neighborhood. Although we are known for our performing arts, visual artists comprise a significant portion of our community. Our NoHo Artist Feature hopes to encourage local establishments to incorporate more art and murals on their walls and open their doors to more art events.
So, we think more people should meet Dima Otvertchenko, one of our neighborhood’s unique creators.
Get to know Dima Otvertchenko
I originally come from filmmaking and visual storytelling, so a lot of my inspiration comes from cinema, in terms of perspective and subject matter, but equally in moody, expressive visual style. I first got into photography many years ago taking pictures of my girlfriend, but it has since become a lifelong infatuation with my self expression.
Blue Hour Valley – Dima’s local street photography series Blue Hour Valley explores the 818 at twilight.
Why blue? Why the 818?
I noticed on my sunset walks that everything really started to look interesting right after, at twilight, when the cool blues of daylight fade off and give way to the rising warm tones of manmade lighting. It’s that fleeting handoff that makes everything look just a tad surreal and magical during the slice of day we in cinema refer to as “blue hour.” I thought it would be an interesting challenge to do a project comprised exclusively of pictures taken during that window of time.
I thought the 818 would make a great focus because I would constantly see shots on Instagram of downtown, the beach, Hollywood, but everyone always overlooked the Valley! It made me want to explore it for myself and share with others what I found.
Scrolling through the Blue Valley Instagram is like a game trying to figure out where in The Valley the image is.
And when you know exactly where the image is!
How do you choose your subjects?
All sorts of ways. Sometimes I get recommendations, but most of the time I research neighborhood favorites, historical spots, local must-sees, and general oddities. Sometimes I pick a cross street I haven’t been to before and just roam around exploring. In either case, I’m just following my natural curiosity.
Do you have a favorite piece(s)?
I don’t know about a favorite photograph, but my favorite spot to have photographed at blue hour is definitely Circus Liquor with their giant neon clown. I’ve since photographed it many times, but it was the very thing that convinced me to start visually exploring the Valley in the first place. He’s our Vegas Vic – an icon of America’s suburb and quintessential example of the mid-Century programmatic architecture that the Valley would become known for. It was also my neighborhood liquor store for a few years.
Do you have a dream collab?
Bad Religion is one of the best things to come out of the Valley and was a big part of shaping this 13-year-old kid growing up in suburban New Jersey. It would be incredible to make something with them.
What are you working on now?
Like many, I’m doing my best to keep up with advancements in AI. We’re all still in that sandbox phase where we’re toying with it and trying to break it and learn how to use it in a world that it has changed forever.
Any advice to a young photographer?
A camera is a camera – use what you can get your hands on and shoot unapologetically that which gives you life. No piece of tech will replace your most powerful tool – the unique perspective you bring to your subject.
What do you like about living in the NoHo Arts District?
I love the convenience – it’s a micro-city within a neighborhood! Just about anything you need is walkable, and the Metro connects you to the city at large. I especially love the art and artists that saturate the neighborhood.
What would you like to see more of?
Affordable housing. Affordable everything. 🙂
Stay in Touch with Dima Otvertchenko
https://www.instagram.com/bluehourvalley