Hi, I’m Lina. I photograph portraits and city life.
I don’t remember exactly when I first picked up a camera. I think it was around 2008, perhaps even earlier. Since then, photography has become my way of noticing and experiencing the world more deeply.
At first, I photographed intuitively. Later, I began studying composition, light, working with people, and different genres of photography more intentionally — from portraits to documentary and street photography.
I’m always exploring new ideas and techniques, working with both natural light and continuous artificial light.
What draws me to street photography is its spontaneity and the atmosphere of a fleeting moment. What I love about portrait photography is the opportunity to show people as they truly are, without unnecessary masks or pretence.
Through light, details, and composition, I aim to capture mood, personality, and story.
It’s equally important to me to create a comfortable atmosphere during a photoshoot and help people feel confident in front of the camera.
Alongside photography, I’ve been teaching English for more than ten years. Perhaps that’s why guiding, explaining, and helping people feel at ease in unfamiliar situations comes naturally to me.
I’m based in Moscow and the Moscow region, and I’m also available for travel to other cities.
Facts About Me
- I learned the fundamentals of photography through YouTube. Most of the educational content I watched was in English because, at the time, there simply weren’t many high-quality resources available in Russian.
- I have a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and speak English at a near-fluent level.
- I’ve been teaching English since around 2012.
- I write professionally in English and spent several years working with English-speaking audiences.
- I love travelling, although I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like. A few years ago, I travelled solo to London, New York, Stockholm, and Budapest.
- New places inspire me enormously, which is why I always bring a camera whenever I travel.
- I love walking around Moscow and have explored most of the city center — and far beyond.
- My street photography has been exhibited twice at the Centre for Slavic Cultures within the Library of Foreign Literature in Moscow.
- For a long time, I was intimidated by artificial lighting. Eventually, I realized the only way forward was through that fear, so I took two different lighting courses and learned to work with it confidently.
- I’ve photographed small weddings and events, experimented with food photography at home, and even received cookies from a brand a couple of times in exchange for creating photographs.
- Movies and TV shows inspire me tremendously. That’s why I always strive to bring a cinematic atmosphere into my work.