Before deleting a failed shot: learn about Jānis Deinats' perspective on photography

A successful photograph doesn’t always come from where we expect it. Sometimes, the reason to revisit an image only becomes clear years later. We invite you to get to know Proportfolio.lv user Jānis Deinats and read his interview with Justīne Verner on the LSM portal.

You can view the photographer’s work on his Proportfolio.lv profile. But alongside the portfolio, it’s also interesting to learn how the artist thinks: what he pays attention to, what he keeps, and why he sometimes doesn’t rush to discard a seemingly unsuccessful shot.

Justīne Vernera’s interview, published on LSM on October 18, 2026, in connection with the LTV documentary series “Garainis,” offers precisely this opportunity. In it, Deinats discusses photographing theater, working with film, and the difference between commissioned work and personal creative projects. Read the interview on LSM.

From Acting Training to Photography in a Museum Collection

Deinats’s journey into photography began in the theater. He trained as an actor, graduating from the Theater Department of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian State Conservatory in 1986, but turned to photography in 1989. Later, he also shared his experience with students—from 2011 to 2020, he was a photography instructor at RISEBA. His works are held in the collections of the Latvian National Museum of Art and the Latvian Museum of Photography, as well as in private collections. Source: LNMM.

A particularly significant milestone in his creative career is the exhibition “The First Five Years,” organized by the Latvian National Museum of Art in 2024. It featured a selection of images from the photographer’s early career, created between 1989 and 1994. Alongside the presence of historical changes, these images depict everyday life—scenes whose significance is easier to discern with the passage of time. About the exhibition—LNMM.

This also encourages us to revisit our own archives. Today, an ordinary photograph taken decades ago can reveal more about the environment, people, and customs than we could have anticipated at the moment it was taken.

When chance becomes a reason to look again

One of the most intriguing threads in the LSM conversation is the experimentation with old photographic film. Deinats talks about a roll of film he bought at a flea market—one that expired in 1980—and the surprise that unfolded after he used it. The conversation also returns to the technically damaged negatives of Elza Radziņa’s portrait, which he had nevertheless preserved.

These episodes make one reflect on the haste with which we tend to evaluate our images. Does a technical error always negate everything that can be seen in a photograph? Deinata’s experience is a good reason to ask ourselves this question once again. Read both stories in the LSM interview.

A conversation that invites you to revisit the photos

Photographers will also find the part of the conversation about portrait photography and documentary observation interesting: the relationship with the subject takes on a different meaning in these situations. Meanwhile, anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable in front of the camera might find Deinata’s perspective on the reluctance to be photographed compelling.

We invite you to read the full interview with Justīne Vernera, “Our Genre Is Silent. A Conversation with Photographer Jānis Deinats” on the LSM portal. It contains both professional reflections and personal stories, to which a brief glimpse can only open the door.

After reading, be sure to check out Jānis Deinat’s portfolio on Proportfolio.lv — this time with a greater interest in the choices that remained out of frame.