Interview: Photographer Alexandra Korotkova (Russia)

Can you tell us a little about you?

My name is Alexandra. I am a fashion photographer based in Moscow, I shoot stylish and aesthetic photos for people and brands. My work is based on femininity, beauty and love for details. I love brightness, correct lines, game of light and shadow.

How and when did you get into photography?

The art of photography has attracted me since early childhood. My mother collected fashion magazines and took a lot of pictures of us. I think I’ve inherited this skill from her. I took a camera for the first time in 2014, I photographed my friends a lot. Since 2020, I began to regularly study photography, retouching and color, among my mentors there are also tops of the industry in Russia. Now I work with both individual clients and professional models, shoot content for business.

Over the years of work, I have done a lot of shooting, determined my style, learned how to work professionally with light and reveal people in the frame.

What does photography mean to you?

Photography takes up at least 80 percent of my life now. This is not only my way of manifesting my creativity and self-expression, but also the main income. In the process of photographing my mind is relaxed. I am focused on the process and the picture, which always performs a certain task: it shows the beauty of people or sells a product. The whole world seems to freeze during a photoshoot, as it does in the frame.

Do you think in advance what you want in the picture?

Of course, as I said, photography always solves a certain problem. For a commercial picture, it is very important to think through all the details: angles, poses, mood. When I photograph people, it is very important for me to show them as real, to make girls look at themselves from aside, to show their beauty, sexuality and femininity. But even in a commercial picture, it’s very cool when you can capture real emotions. This is the most valuable thing in photography for me.

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.

I shoot fashion and beauty, mostly female portraits.

Where do you get inspiration from?

I am inspired by pictures from fashion magazines, the work of photography classics, and I also love cinematography. In films, you can always find many interesting ideas, angles, lighting and color solutions.

Studio, on location or both?

In Moscow, 9 months of the year is winter haha, the period when you can shoot outdoors is very short, plus the weather is always unpredictable, so the studios help out a lot. In fact, I really enjoy working with studio lighting. Therefore, for me, the answer is simple – a studio. The exception is summer, when you can shoot really cool street style.

Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional?

I am a professional full-time photographer. This is not only my hobby, but also a business.

What has been your most memorable session and why?

Memorable in a good or bad way? Over the years, there have been many ups and downs, successful shootings and disappointments. Probably the first thing that comes to mind is my first shooting with a large team of professionals: professional models, stylists, make-up artist, producer, assistant. Only with a team you start to grow, communication is the basis of everything.

Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens?

I shoot with Canon and really love my camera for its lightness and functionality. I use two lenses 50 mm and 24-70 mm. Although my first camera was Nikon. I think this is absolutely unimportant, because it is not the camera or the lens that takes the picture, but the photographer.

What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?

Think less, shoot more. You need to shoot a lot in order to understand what you want to shoot, to decide on the genre and style. It is important to consciously approach the creation of your portfolio, to do a lot of TFP shooting in the direction in which you would like to work in the future. The right niche and target audience is the basis of any business, including photography.

What do you think of our new magazine?

I noticed how the owner is passionate about his work, despite the fact that the magazine is non-commercial, this is very commendable. Thank you for bringing new talents to the world.

https://www.instagram.com/alexkoo_photo/