"Hidden in Plain Sight: Echoes of Humanity."
We pass by mannequins every day without a second glance—silent figures posed, draped in fabric, mimicking us.
In this series, I photograph mannequins in a way that makes them appear startlingly alive. Under the right conditions of light, framing, and posture, their stillness takes on an eerie humanity. A tilt of the head, the suggestion of an emotion, the echo of a gesture—these images ask: what makes a body feel real? And what are we projecting onto these lifeless forms?
Mannequins are designed to resemble us, but only just enough. They embody idealized shapes, generic beauty, and standardized identities. In a world saturated with images and simulations, it becomes difficult to separate what’s real from what only looks real. These figures, frozen in carefully curated stillness, serve as metaphors for how much of our own presence can be performative — posed, dressed up, hollowed out.
The series connects to the theme Hidden in Plain Sight by highlighting the quiet, haunting presence of something we’ve learned not to see. These mannequins stand where we stand, wear what we wear, but they also reflect what we might be losing: spontaneity, imperfection, aliveness.
They echo us—our gestures, our aspirations, even our silence—revealing how easily we overlook the human condition when it becomes too familiar or too artificial to notice.
"It's the story behind the image that matters most."
Hi, I’m Boris — a self-taught photographer from Minsk, Belarus, now based in Philadelphia.
My journey began unexpectedly while modeling for a small studio in Berlin, where I became mesmerized by the darkroom process and the magic of silver gelatin prints. That fascination sparked a passion for photography that’s taken me around the world, capturing people, places, and moments that have shaped my life.
Over the past 8 years, I’ve developed a deep love for storytelling through imagery — where every photo is a chance to freeze emotion and meaning in time. Along the way, I’ve worked behind the scenes as a gaffer and production assistant for one of Philadelphia’s top studios, contributing to high-profile shoots like a Harper’s Bazaar cover and a Vogue feature. These experiences sharpened my technical skills and taught me what makes a shoot truly successful.
Today, I my practice centers on conceptual photography series that explore identity, intimacy, and the human condition through layered visual storytelling.