My Journey as a Pregnancy Photographer

Despite some initial expectations from my parents to pursue “proper” office work, I had faith that something grander awaited me beyond Russian borders. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree in economics, off I flew to the U.S., where 12 years ago this marvelous adventure began! With no formal training or guidance – other than my innate passion for creativity – it has been an incredibly challenging yet immensely gratifying experience discovering not only what interests lie within photography but who am capable of becoming as well! It has truly been exciting taking part solely through self-taught exploration!

After a friend remarked on my keen eye, I was inspired to explore the world of photography. Armed with only an entry-level DSLR camera, I threw myself into taking pictures of everything and everyone. Little by little it became an obsession–capturing light and shadow just right through my lens! But while studying for a business degree had landed me in finance at a big hotel chain, that job didn’t make me happy; so against all odds, I decided to fully commit to chasing this new dream—and sure enough, it paid off!

Photographing women and capturing their beauty has always been a passion of mine. I decided to take my concept one step further, creating editorial-style portraits for everyday women — beginning with all my girlfriends! The response was tremendous; they felt so happy and confident both during and after the photoshoot experience. This motivated me to realize my vision: using magazine-quality imagery to make every woman feel beautiful – no matter who she is or where she comes from. Then, when I moved NYC and delved into different kinds of photography, it hit me like a bolt outta’ the blue – why not do pregnancy & baby shoots? It suddenly made perfect sense…and that’s what brought me here today!

I was determined to make my dream of having a studio come true, so I set up a small studio in a living room of my apartment on Brooklyn’s outskirts. Despite only having a white wall and some cheap lighting to work with, that didn’t stop me from creating something special and chasing after this passion project! It’s actually helped shape my signature style which prioritizes simplicity over complexity.