Welcome Behind the Scenes
All my ideas, images, and thoughts are guided by emotion. I am inspired by fleeting insights or the eternal beauty of nature. The questions I want to ask the world — and make people feel — I ask not with a pen, but with a camera (and with metal, when I create jewelry).
Sometimes I see images as pictures in my mind, and sometimes as feelings, which I gather into colors and tangible forms.
Often, the woman herself inspires the image, and I create it for her, because I can deeply sense the unique spark in her appearance.
Children’s photoshoots are always inspired by fairy tales and a gentle, caring approach to children. To be honest, I still believe in mythical beings—like fairies and gnomes—so creating photoshoots with little humans is always something deeply personal for me.
Revealing
the world
of Ladies Photoshoots
Let me tell you about the Young Witch.
When I saw Anya, I instantly felt she was the one who hides her fire within, and it seemed to me that if a portal to another world opened, she would step through and set it ablaze with her beauty. She would effortlessly wield magic and embark on dizzying adventures; people would admire her, and fear her. But while still young, she would begin her journey in a little shop, selling potions and crafting magic from stones and herbs.
That’s how this photoshoot was born.
1. Preparation (Turning an Idea into Reality)
At this stage, I close my eyes and look into the very essence of the story I want to tell. I see dreams in broad daylight, hear music, and feel the atmosphere. Perhaps in these moments, energy takes on a tangible form, and I open my eyes, knowing exactly what kind of magic is about to happen.
I create a color mood board, search for images online that inspire me and support my vision of the story. I develop all of this into a clear and detailed plan: the time of day for the shoot, location, lenses, lighting, clothing and jewelry for the model, and, of course, the props.
Then I begin bringing it to life: sewing and sourcing outfits, creating or renting props, discussing the story with the model, recommending books, films, and music to help her better feel and embody her character.
2. Careful Details
So, from the initial idea, everything must evolve into a well-rehearsed clarity of actions and professional execution of the concept.
By the appointed date, everything must be ready.
The location, the equipment — batteries charged, memory cards cleared.
I had prepared in advance: coarse red salt, natural crystals and stones, berries from our garden, Tarot cards, candles, quail eggs, and much more. To make the candles burn faster and leave characteristic wax drips, I used a small jeweler’s torch. I bundled herbs and hung them up. We were shooting the Witch concept in an old bathhouse, and the abundance of small props helped develop the story of the “witch’s shop” and the sorceress’s character. We worked with fire, herbs, and even broke eggs.
3. The Photoshoot Process
The bathhouse where the photoshoot took place was old — one of those traditional “black-heated” bathhouses (without a chimney), usually very small, about 2.5 by 2.5 meters. Yet, we managed to work our magic in that tiny space.
The tripod, full-frame camera, and the 90-degree tilting screen were invaluable. I used a reflector, additional lighting in the form of a small spotlight, candles, and there was even a hole in the wall from an old window — all elements that added to the atmosphere.
The shoot lasted two hours… and it was truly magical! Both Anya, the model, and I could completely immerse ourselves in the story of the Young Witch we were bringing to life. Every flicker of candlelight, every shadow, every tiny prop contributed to the spellbinding world we created.
4. Post-Processing
The magic doesn’t end with the photoshoot, because in fairy-tale worlds (at least in my vision) reflections and highlights play a more vivid role than a camera can capture, hair feels softer than silk, and often stars seem to hide in the eyes…
That’s why the shoot itself is only half of my work.
In silence and calm, the next day after the shoot (allowing my brain to forget the precise images and my eyes to rest), I review the photos again and begin a careful selection. From a two-hour shoot, I usually end up with around 2,000 photos. If I’m working with wind during the shoot, there can be 3–4 thousand photos due to continuous shooting.
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First, I select all the photos without defects (unnecessary objects in the frame, facial distortions from low shutter speed, etc.), then I choose the best ones based on composition, and finally, those where the model appears in her most flattering angles.
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After narrowing it down to 20–30 photos (excluding images used for merging), I select the final 10–15 (depending on the photoshoot package) and start the workflow in Adobe Lightroom. This is not batch editing: I edit each photograph individually, even though I sometimes use similar presets, either created by me personally or from a Lightroom subscription package.
After the initial Lightroom edits, where I work on color and lighting, I proceed with several further adjustments, focusing on texture and detail.
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Then I move to Adobe Photoshop for the artistic final touch: this involves working on skin, highlights and shadows, elements of props or clothing, and so on.
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The entire editing process takes about a week, at a pace comfortable for me. It’s not only the strain on the eyes and constant comparison with the vision that inspired the shoot, but also… I work only during the day. In my personal experience, true eye colors can only be captured in daylight. That’s why I never work on color and light adjustments at night.
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So, returning to the Witch-themed photoshoot, you can follow the stages of editing a single photograph: from RAW (as it was shot) → initial edit → secondary edit → tertiary edit.
Before / After
I love gazing at the photos, especially after retouching.
In the delicate transformation, one can feel the magic of the work done — the subtle changes reveal the care, the thought, and the heart poured into every frame. But more than that, it unveils the true value of a fairy-tale photoshoot.
These images allow you to step into another world, to hold a story in your hands and in your heart. They become proof of a journey to a place where wonder lives, where magic dances in the shadows, and where every detail whispers secrets of enchantment. You can share these stories with children, inspire them, and remind yourself that life need not be ordinary — it can be a continuous experience of beauty, magic, and wonder.
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