get to know ME

     My name is Tanya and I am a lifestyle family and portrait photographer, currently based in Dubai, UAE. 

    I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine as well as all my family.  I have two beautiful daughters who are the greatest inspiration for me.

   My photography journey started back in 2012 when I first realized that I wanted to create and give something special to this world and people.

Photography gives me inspiration and energy to create something new and unique. I'm a creative thinker. I try to see beauty everywhere. I am very meticulous with my work and I work hard to achieve good results. I always love to learn something new about photography.

My dad used to take camera everywhere and documented a life of our family. Thanks to him I now have memories from my childhood. Real, raw, unposed and authentic.

I feel grateful and lucky. This is why my inner child wants to bring something valuable to this world. I want to create a story for you. To make you see what surrounds you and be grateful for it.

What I like: sunrise, peonies and sakura blossoms, waves, starry sky,  the light of fireflies at night, paintings of impressionists, Miyazaki movies, music by Yiruma, Joe Hisaishi, Yan Tiersen, George Ezra, LP, Elton John, One Republic, Queen, Enya and others, watercolor paintings, Woody Allen movies, BBC films and lots of other things.
 

Outside of photography, I like reading books, learning Japanese, playing the piano, hiking in nature, traveling around the world, discovering new places, gardening, and spending time with my family. 
 

I can talk for hours why photography is so important.

But I would like to show you my WHY by telling you a story of my life.

In my childhood, we lived in an old big apartment in the heart of Kyiv. I was too little to remember the place or how we lived or what we did.

But I remember. How? I have proof of it: photographs. My dad always carried a camera. Indoors or when we walked outside. Sometimes, his friends came to take photographs and videos. My mom was never ready for the camera. Either she was too tired or too busy, or just not ready. But it never stopped my dad. His camera was in his hands. And you know what? I feel so grateful for it.

When I look at these photographs I somehow see myself as a kid on the other side of the photograph. Little Tanya sitting in a chair or hiding under the bed.

By looking back we start looking forward to a brand new day. We know who we were and who we became.

Is it worth documenting? Yes, it is. Any day is a part of our life and a part of us. And it's worth documenting and remembering about.

I you want to book a session with me, let's connect!