What inspired you to become a photographer?

Since childhood I have been around a very creative environment. Influenced by my father’s artistic vision I pursued a college major in fine art and graphics in Russia . It came naturally for me to make the transition to photography after having children. It was just a simple hobby, a creative outlet, which opened several doors of opportunities the moment I began sharing my work on the internet. That’s when I realized that photography is more than just a pastime to me.

Tell us about your first sale.

It was totally unexpected, I just started taking pictures of my family enjoying our time together and going to different places. I never thought of photography as a source of an income back then just as a hobby that I enjoyed. We took a family trip to the mountains during the day the scenery was amazing! Suddenly the wind picked up and the clouds started moving in covering the sun and creating very dramatic atmosphere. I started capturing my daughter, she looked very natural observing the storm on the horizon.
When I started photography I was not very knowledgeable and advanced with post editing of images. The image I chose to process had very little manipulation. I was very happy with the results and posted my work on 500px, I received a lot of positive feedback. A few weeks later I get an email requesting to license my work for an advertising campaign. It was at that moment that I realized the direction I wanted my photography and work to go in and that this could be more than a hobby.

Fast forward to today, you run a very successful photography business, tell us how that started.

I do what I enjoy the most in life and my passion drives and motivates me every day to learn more and to succeed. I’m very grateful to my supportive family and friends, without them I would not be where I am today. I’m constantly setting new goals and finding new ways to achieve them.

What has been your proudest moment as a photographer?

My proudest moment to date came this year with an invitation to participate in an international photography exhibition held in France. It was such an honor and great opportunity to network with so many amazing photographers and people from all over the world.

Tell us about a time in your career where you failed at something and how did you pivot to overcome this?

Thankfully I can’t really recall a moment like that to date, as I try to achieve the best out of every situation and opportunity. I consider myself very well organized and detail oriented. If something is going not as planned I just do my best to learn from that situation, especially when things are out of my control.

Have you had an “I’ve made it moment”? Tell us about this.

For me my “I’ve made it moment” comes when I receive positive feedback on my work from other photographers whose work I follow and admire. I listen to any and all feedback and try to learn and improve from it. When I receive positive feedback from other photographers who I follow and admire it gives me that feeling that I’ve made it and inspires me to do and learn more!

How do you balance a demanding photography career and your family?

Balancing work and family is tough and demanding, this is when family support plays a huge role. I am blessed with a wonderful family and support network which are my back bone, everything I have achieved is thanks to them for being by my side on this journey. Processing images takes a lot of time away from my family, understanding that I have to manage my time between family, kids and time spent in front of the computer screen. I keep an alarm nearby set to 20 minutes that helps remind me that it is time to go and play Legos with my kids or have a cup of tea and cookies with my husband. Also taking regular extended breaks throughout the day helps me with seeing my work in a different perspective and I notice more details when I return.

f you could go back in time, what advice would you give to the 21 year old you?

I would suggest to myself to get a camera, start photographing and learning about fine art and photography

What is the best photography business advice you have been given?

Never to underestimate myself and the goals and success I can achieve with hard work, education and determination.

We live in a world of carbon copies, what advice can you give to those seeking to be unique and unlike others in a congested industry?

My advice for those seeking to be unique is first to learn the basics of photography, composition and processing, and keep practicing and experimenting to find their very own style and vision.

Do you believe technology is making better photographers?

Yes and no, there is no doubt that technology is helping to achieve and improve certain results, but in my opinion developing vision is more vital and important. I have seen many amazing images created with very basic equipment long before the advances in technology and gear existed.

What do you see photographers doing today, that if done differently tomorrow would improve their success?

Everyone has their own path, something that has worked for me will not necessarily work for someone else. The Industry has many different opportunities for photographers, finding and sticking to what you enjoy and have passion for will bring the best results.

Many folks are trying to reinvent themselves as photographers. Assuming you had a camera, lens and lighting gear already If you had to start over and only had a $500 budget to get your business started how would you spend that $500 budget?

If I didn’t have a background and degree in art I would definitely make my first investment in education. Courses or books on understanding composition, art and photography history will help anyone with developing vision.

What are some resources that you use regularly for your photography business?

Social Media is a huge resource, I can get my work out and visible to the world without any expense to a very wide audience. Being very selective, posting only my best work and staying consistent helps to attract the right clients.

What are some ‘must have’ items in your camera bag?

I do not carry any special equipment just my camera and lenses. I use natural light, with no reflectors or flash, my must have go to lens is the 135mm.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what is the ONE photography book you would want to have with you?

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It is the first book I read on photography that will remain very special to me.

Final question, and it’s a fun one: Life has been found on another planet and noneother than Sir Richard Branson is piloting Virgin Galatica and has put together a team of engineers, scientist and doctors and has asked you to come along to document the journey. The challenge is you can only bring two lenses and one camera body and two other items. What would you bring?

I would bring my Canon 5D Mark III, my 135mm and 24 70mm lenses, my laptop and Wacom tablet. I can do all of my work with those items, I would hope to have my CF card included in my camera and not considered an item.