Today we’d like to introduce you to Alena Sazonova.
Hi Alena, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my artistic career back in the days when I was modeling. I always had a passion for photography but back then, it seemed like something unapproachable and I felt like professional photographers were some kind of magicians. Hanging out with my camera and shooting here and there, my friends suddenly started to ask me to take some pictures of them. Before I knew it, their friends suddenly started to book me for photoshoots so it motivated me to dig deep into photography and to start studying it.
Eventually, I quit my full-time job in advertising, got my degree in Art History and focused on pursuing my artistic dreams and my new career in photography. This all happened about 15 years ago and since then, photography became my passion and my whole life!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I definitely consider myself a very fortunate person and I’m used to trusting the Universe, as it always brings me to the right place at the right time. However, my journey obviously hasn’t been without challenges.
One of my biggest struggles is that I constantly want myself to progress and do everything better than I’ve done before. So instead of being satisfied I often take myself out of my comfort zone and try something new in terms of lighting, style, etc. especially when I work on my personal creative projects.
Another challenge I constantly face is playing the social media game. The reality of being a content creator puts you in a box of following algorithms rather than your own gut. Sometimes, rather than posting what I want or even what I think my followers may want to see, I have to prioritize what will bring my page the most visibility.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
First and foremost, I am a beauty and fashion photographer as well as an art director. Within those fields, I generally focus on creative, editorial, and commercial photography. Though most of the time my style can be described as clean, modern, and edgy, it certainly varies project by project. I often portray the power of femininity and showcase my models as strong, powerful, bold, and courageous characters.
It may sound biased, but I believe that my work combines the essence of classy fashion photography of the 90s (my absolute favorite era of photography and fashion) and certain modern tones. My commercial work is mainly very clean and polished but I still try to keep it modern and natural looking. I believe that in today’s world beauty is about diversity, the natural look, and embracing people’s individuality!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
As I mentioned before – I consider myself a very lucky person and I feel like most of my wishes come true sooner or later. And honestly, I believe that the recipe for a successful artistic career is 70% of talent and hard work and 30% of good luck! Sometimes, all it takes is capturing that one photograph or connecting with that one particular person for your life to take a new fortunate turn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alenasaz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alena_saz/
- Other: https://models.com/people/alena-sazonova
