▁was ▁he ▁who ▁first ▁proposed ▁the ▁idea ▁to ▁artificial ly ▁light ▁subjects ▁in ▁a ▁studio ▁setting ▁using ▁electric ▁light ing ▁along ▁with ▁day light . ▁ ▁With ▁a ▁working ▁life ▁that ▁sp anned ▁fifty ▁years , ▁Serge i ▁Lev it sky ▁distinguished ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁technical ▁sphere ▁of ▁phot ographic ▁development . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁he ▁who ▁designed ▁a ▁bell ows ▁camera ▁which ▁significantly ▁improved ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁foc using , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁he ▁who ▁introduced ▁inter change able ▁decor ative ▁background s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁ret ouch ing ▁of ▁neg atives ▁to ▁reduce ▁or ▁eliminate ▁technical ▁def ic ien cies . ▁ ▁Serge i ▁is ▁perhaps ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁photograph s ▁of ▁famous ▁artists , ▁writers ▁and ▁public ▁figures ▁( includ ed ▁among ▁these ▁notable ▁figures ▁were ▁Nikol ai ▁N ek ras ov , ▁Ivan ▁T urg ene v , ▁Ivan ▁Gon char ov , ▁Vladimir ▁Sol log ub , ▁Fed or ▁Ty ut chev , ▁Peter ▁V y az em sky , ▁Alexander ▁Str ug ov sh ch ik ov , ▁Vas ily ▁Bot kin , ▁Ivan ▁P ana ev , ▁P avel ▁An nen kov , ▁D mit ry ▁Gr ig or ov ich , ▁Alexander ▁Her zen , ▁Serge y ▁Volk ons ky , ▁and ▁Leo ▁Tol sto y ). ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁perhaps ▁this ▁association ▁that ▁led ▁Nikol ai ▁Ale k see v ich ▁N ek ras ov ▁( 1 8 2 1 – 1 8 7 8 ) ▁to ▁purchase ▁a