It became quite apparent early on that I just didn’t like to have my picture taken. That was considered almost sacrilegious in my Russian family, where all the women loved to dress up and take photos. When I was a kid, my mom had to buy me ice cream, so she could tie a bow on my head and take a picture of me on special occasions. It must have happened a lot, because by the time I was a teenager, I developed a strong dislike to hair accessories and sadly, ice cream. This also explains a string of unflattering, almost grumpy family and school portraits of my teenage years… when no more bribes were offered. And this also explains why when my mom gave me my first pocket-sized 110 film camera at the age of 17, I became… quite happy. And so, through years, continents, and jobs, I remained quite happy… hiding behind my camera.

Known by friends and colleagues to be a good organizer and a bit of a perfectionist, I like details. So much in fact, that when I am not taking close-ups of flowers, leaves, insects, rocks, shells, fruit and other live and inanimate objects or when I can’t fit my SLR in a purse, I exponentially increase my digital footprint with what catches my eye on my new-found-love, Instagram.

I dabble a little in photographing art, architecture, city- and landscapes, especially during my travels, but it’s the intensity of form, color and texture—seductive petals of a pink peony, endless capillaries of a green leaf or glassy surfaces of red currants—that I keep coming back to in my work. What drives me is the ability to get that close to a subject and be able to capture and expose its macro details that often go unnoticed.

In my free time, when I am not busy writing about myself, I can be found in the kitchen trying to master a perfect pie crust or out conquering NYC on my bike.

Contact/Licensing

Most of my photographs may be licensed (through Flickr/Getty Images, Veer, Saatchi Online, or by direct contact) as custom imagery for web sites, marketing collateral, greeting cards, posters and other media. I am also available for freelance work.

Contact me by email or follow me on .