Meet Katya Ilina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katya Ilina.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started taking photos many years ago when I first visited the US as a summer exchange student and bought a DSLR with my first paycheck. Since then I studied, worked, traveled around the world in Europe and Asia always carrying my camera with me and documenting everything around.

Having been a cinephile since early teenage years, I moved to Los Angeles in late 2015 to study film business at UCLA. However, the more I learned, the more I realized that behind the scenes of Hollywood was not as glamorous and fun as a person outside of the industry might imagine, although, way more exciting than the most other areas.

One afternoon in August 2016 at Sigur Ros’ concert I met two local musicians, Josh Solomon of Young Lovers music band and Ceramiks. Thanks to them I took a dive into Los Angeles’ world of independent music and night raves, which changed my world perspective forever. Since then I met so many incredibly talented and kind people who showed me what it means to be an artist and made me fall in love with that way of life. It is an incredibly supportive and open-minded community.

My first assignment as Photographer was for concert series “TONE DEATH: A Series on Pitch Disintegration” created by music journalist and promoter Dizzy Li, to whom I am endlessly grateful for trusting in me. This work and others that followed gave me the confidence to pursue this career and the lifestyle choice.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am still very early in my career, so everything is a struggle right now. Although, I enjoy the process of learning and discovery that comes with it. As people say “nothing in the world worth having comes easy.”

The major challenge I am currently trying to overcome is finding a representation in order to extend a number of clients and start doing photography full-time.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I currently work as a Freelance Photographer specializing in portrait, fashion, and music related projects. What sets me apart is the ability to see the world from the perspective of a person who was exposed to several cultures: Russian, British, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and finally American.

As time passes, I can see more clearly how everything and everyone is connected, how everyone experiences similar feelings and thoughts no matter where they are from and how cultures intertwine. I feel that it makes me see and appreciate life in a unique way.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
In my work, I strive to show the beauty in all its forms. That’s why I’m always looking for opportunities to work with models from underrepresented backgrounds, from all ethnicities and with non-professional models.

For example, most recently I participated in the creation of the crowd-sourced magazine Fabric  which brought together 39 female artists from 15 countries.

The magazine was created by Maya Foley for the celebration of International Women’s Day 2019 and aimed at exploring what it means to be a woman now. I hope to continue doing empowering work like this in the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katyailina.com/
• Email: katyailinaphoto@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katya__ilina/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/katya__ilina

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