We had the good fortune of connecting with Polina Galkina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Polina, how do you think about risk?
Let’s talk about risks. I believe it’s an essential part of everyone’s life, and playing it safe is to hide from life itself. As for me, I went on an international solo trip at 18. I moved from Russia to the USA for school by myself putting all our family savings at risks. Well, I’d say living in L.A. is risky enough, and moving here isn’t a piece of cake. All of these milestones in my life are the most exciting and happy changes I could have made. As a photographer and a digital creator it’s vulnerable to put yourself out there for the world to see, and it’s a challenge sometimes, but it’s worth it. To summarize, I see myself the happiest when I take that step of fate and put everything on the line. It’s thrilling and most lively.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It all starts with a passion. In my case it was a passion for nature. I aspire to capture a landscape and present it through a photo in the same way you experience the view first hand. The whole purpose of Rocknroamgirl is to make one crave nature. I want my photography to motivate one to get outside, go hiking, stroll through the forest, or sit by the shore and listen to the waves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. In your view what are some of the most fun, interesting, exciting people, places or things to check out?
My absolute favourite spot in the city is Venice Canals. I’d take my best friend there first (as I totally did, and everyone else who comes to visit me in L.A.) In general I’m not a fan of the super touristy spots so I tend to explore a lot and try to find hidden gems in this incredibly energetic and diverse city. I recently published an article about some of my favorite and not so common sights. Check it out on my blog.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are several photography spaces that keep inspiring me: @oftheafternoon, @ignant, @somewheremagazine. National Geographic is my ultimate source of inspiration for nature photography.

Website: https://www.rocknroamgirl.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocknroamgirl/
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/rocknroamgirl
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/rocknroamgirl/
Other: https://www.pinterest.com/rocknroamgirl/

Nominate someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.