Olya Kruglova

THE INTERVIEW

Who is Olya Kruglova?

My name is Olya Kruglova, I’m 31 years old,
I’m from Ukraine. I love my country and Kiev –
this is my home, only in Kiev I have a tasty meal,
regardless of whether it’s sushi or pasta,
steak or dessert, while I do not like
Ukrainian cuisine.

How did you get into photography?

We have always had photo equipment in my family
and I always took pictures as well as I could.
But becoming the mother of 2 wonderful twins,
I always wanted to capture the moment,
but I could not – in focus all the time was
not what I wanted, and the children were blurred.
I concluded that the problem is in the camera.
I changed both the camera and several lenses,
but the problem remained.
So I got to my first photography school,
after there were many more courses,
master classes, workshops.
I was inspired by the world of photography
and I completely changed my activities
and profession I tried many kinds of shootings
and stopped on portrait and nude shooting.
We say, beauty in the eyes of the beholder.
The most beautiful photos seem to me frames,
where there is dynamics, history and mystery.

What does fashion mean to you?

The fashion for me is about people in clothes,
how they feel about themselves in this clothes
and how would the viewer feel in it.

Was there a breakthrough moment in your career?

There were no failures in my career,
but I think they are not avoided.
Only those who do nothing are protected
from failures. There were shooting,
which went not as you would like –
the background turned out to be not
as cool as it seemed or clothes did
not fit, the location did not match
the declared.

How do you select the models you collaborate with?

I prefer to work with professional models,
they guess your thoughts from a half-word
and are relaxed on shootings.
Photography is a team work.
The result depends on the make-up artist,
and on the stylist, and on the model,
and on the photographer, and even on the weather.
It is important to gather a team of professionals.

What do you think makes a truly memorable photo?

I would like to say that the well-coordinated
work of all the team members makes the photo
unforgettable, but in fact, photography is magic.

We know each of us has someone or something
that inspires our life and work.
Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration?

I’m inspired by people or places.
It happens that you see a person,
some of its features and understand
exactly how to shoot, what exactly
you need to show.
While shooting, I try to maintain
a friendly and cheerful atmosphere,
it’s easier to work with models and me.

What photographers from the past or present
have influenced you the most?

I love Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier,
Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unvert,
Mert and Marcus, Alexi Lubomirski,
Tom Betterton and Jenny Cage and many others

What has been your favorite photo location or session?

When I first got acquainted with the photo,
I could not understand who at all can like
to shoot in photo studios ?!
But now I love shooting in the studio.
In the studio, you can do everything,
you control everything, you do not
depend on many factors.
I also like to travel and shoot at new
locations, in nature.
In the world there are so many amazing places)
Recently I was in Kazakhstan, it turns out
In Kazakhstan there is The canyon.
Be sure to come back someday and shoot there.

What type of cameras do you shoot with?

I shoot with a Nikon D4s.

If you had to choose one lens
which one would it be and why?

I used to love the Nikkor 70-200 lens,
but if I had to choose only one,
I would have taken Nikkor 24-70,
because it’s not always possible
to move away from the model.

How important is Photoshop in your final images?

Practically all my photos are processed
in Photoshop. I think that photoshop
gives an opportunity to show the impression
that a Human produces in life,
we do not see much in dynamics.
Photoshop gives an opportunity to focus
the viewer’s attention on the main.

What are your thoughts on instagram and facebook
and how important is a website and social media
for your business?

Media and social networks such as Facebook
or Instagram make it possible to show your work
to the whole world, to communicate and exchange
knowledge with the whole world,
no matter where you live,
what level of your income
and what you got education

Do you listen to music while doing your shooting?
If so, what are you playing right now?

I prefer to shoot without music,
that would be able to talk all the time
with a model, but it often happens
that for the model to shoot without music
is difficult, then, of course,
the music turns on.

What advice do you have for somebody
who wants to pursue photography?

I would like to advise beginners not
to compare themselves with other photographers.
Compare yourself only with yourself yesterday.

What lies ahead for you?

There are still a lot of shootings,
locations, publications.

Thank you, Olya Kruglova.