Anatoliy Kosterev was born in a small town Semiluki near Voronezh. He received his first camera when he was 14, and dived into photography guided by books and occasional advises from friends. Soon he came across a book “Amateur photography skills” by I. N. Seleznyov («Мастерство фотолюбителя», И. Н. Селезнёв). That book greatly impressed Anatoliy and inspired him to strive beyond common “family album” photos. Since then, photography became his lifelong passion. Anatoliy did not abandon photography while studying at the Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology, and later after the graduation. Even with the limited technical means available to him at that time he managed to create original and attractive works. Anatoliy and his family moved to Houston in 1998. Initially that move left him at the mercy of a compact camera and a Walgreens photo lab. It changed when he bought his first digital camera in 2001. Digital processing of images allowed being creative again without the need for expensive and bulky darkroom equipment. Since then, he greatly expanded his tools and skills.

Professionally, Anatoliy specializes in optics and spectroscopy, and the knowledge in that area helps him understand various photography methods and invent his own. He likes learning and experimenting. Techniques such as HDR, focus stacking, panorama stitching, drone photography, working with macro and fish-eye lenses are all in his arsenal, to name a few. He also does not limit himself in subjects, ranging from landscapes to insects, with anything in-between.

Anatoliy has been a member of the Houston Photographic Society (HPS) for a number of years, until the Society stopped functioning in 2021. In the 2020 HPS print competition he received the “Best of Year” award, and 1st and 2nd places in the Black and White category.

After living in Texas for many years Anatoliy considers himself at least half-Texan. That is why he chose the title “My Texas” for the exhibition in “Our Texas” Cultural Center. As the Texas Tourism slogan used to say – “Texas. It’s Like A Whole Other Country”. Indeed, with its vast territory Texas features various terrains, distinctive cities and rural areas. All the photographs displayed at the exhibition were taken in Texas but are as diverse as Texas itself. They include landscapes and city scenes, birds and flowers and more, each of the works showing unique view and emotions of the artist.

Some Houstonians know Anatoliy by his roles in theatrical plays, first in the Russian Theatre of Houston, then in the children’s theatre “Joy” («Радость»), and recently in the Theatre by the Bay (Театр у Залива). Now they have a chance to see another side of Anatoliy’s creativity.