Helping Families Celebrate & Document Their Lives

Have you ever heard the phrase, “hindsight is always 20/20?” It means that we rarely understand the importance of an event until it’s long gone. Well, my path to professional family photography was no different.

I was born in the historic resort town of Feodosiya, Ukraine; a beautiful place nestled along the Black Sea. I spent most of my time frolicking at the beach throughout the summers.

Both of my parents were involved in photography, and some of my fondest memories involve helping my dad develop pictures in his dark room. On special occasions, he would even allow me to hang the pictures on the glass to help them dry. My childhood was filled with thousands of pictures, and I loved every minute of it.

At the age of 10, I moved to America with my parents, my three sisters, and my brother. Even though I picked up—and was instantly hooked on—my first camera at the age of 15, it wasn’t until years later that I first began to understand that I might actually have a gift with photography.

The realization happened while I was having dinner with some friends who I hadn’t seen in a while. We were discussing a variety of things, and generally just catching up. One mentioned that she was recently looking through some old photos I’d taken of her during high school and that they remained the best pictures she owned. All my other friends at the table quickly chimed in and agreed. While I was certainly flattered, I was, even more, intrigued: Could I actually be a professional photographer? Did I really have what it took to make a living out of this?

While I entertained these ideas for quite some time, I have to admit that it wasn’t until several of my friends got married and had children that I actually began to really focus on lifestyle family photography. And in many ways, the business came to me: My friends would ask me to take their photographs during maternity, as well as of their newborns, infants, or toddlers. I happily obliged, and they were so pleased by the results that they referred their friends.

After several years of working professionally, I was blessed by a momentous event: The birth of my son. (And then two more.) In addition to all the other beautiful things about having a child, I was finally able to fully understand the complete range of emotions that a parent experiences when they view a photo of their child. Having children of my own helped me realize just how important it is to document and celebrate our journey through the years.