Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikolay Mikheev
Hi Nikolay, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In the mid 2000s I worked as a graphic designer at an advertising agency in Moscow, Russia. I often worked on photo shoots with freelance photographers that we were hiring for our projects. One day my boss asked me if I wanted to learn photography and offered to pay for the education. That’s how I became a student on a course by Yuri Danilov at the “Academy of Photography”. The world of photography amazed me since the first lesson. I was taking my camera everywhere I go taking pictures of people on the streets, and the city landscapes. I don’t remember how I got Vogue magazines for the first time, looking at the photos of master fashion photographers I told myself “I want to shoot something similar”. I found a model who was interested in some test shoots and rented a studio. I even went to a second hand clothing store to get some wardrobe for the shoot. I was thrilled, and, considering my experience at that time, the photo shoot went well. Working with the agency clients and on my personal projects, I created a small portfolio, made a website, and started advertise my services online. Surprisingly quickly I got a few clients. I always dreamed of shooting for fashion magazines, and in 2010 I moved to Los Angeles, to pursue my dream. The same year I got some recognition in international photography contests. Gaining more experience, working with LA models, and stylists, I got the opportunities to publish some of my works in magazines. Later I got a chance to photograph jewelry. It was a completely new genre to me. Researching about this subject, experimenting with different photography techniques, and post-production, I achieved some good results in this field. So, currently I split my work in two genres, fashion, and different types of jewelry photography.
Alright, 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?
Before moving to LA I took some English classes for a few months with a tutor from England. The first challenge began right after I came to LA, when I realized that my knowledge of English was very basic, Californian pronunciation and accent have nothing similar to what I was learning and I couldn’t understand anything people say to me, so I ended up going to an ESL school to improve my language skills. The second challenge was expected, the LA market was oversaturated with photographers, I had no clients, and nobody knew about me, so I needed to work hard, often for free, just to build some connections.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in fashion, beauty/portrait, and jewelry photography. I love working with people, creating images with the help of models, stylists, and makeup artists. My graphic design background certainly helps me in my photography and makes the photo editing process easier, especially in jewelry photography which requires a great deal of retouching. I got a few photography awards during my career, but the one I am most proud of is for the photo from my first personal fashion editorial that I created myself, trying to get as close to Vogue photography as possible. It received the People’s Choice Award at the 2010 Le Prix de la Photographie Paris.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We already see that major fashion brands prioritize diversity in models, different races, ages, and body types. I think this trend will grow. I believe that technology-driven innovations will play a crucial role in photography over the next decade. Brands may prefer AI-generated imagery for their campaigns over photography. Also, the images on websites might be replaced with something that creates an immersive visual experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nikolaymikheev.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikolaymikheev/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaymikheev
- Other: https://www.jewelryphoto.us
Image Credits
Credits:
Nikolay-Mikheev-Personal-Photo.jpg – Photo by Monica Blanco Cardenas
Nikolay Mikheev 1.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, MUA/Hair Elena Novichkova, Wardrobe stylist Lada Arzumanova, model Natalia Lesnikovskaya
Nikolay Mikheev 2.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, stylist Dom Christoph Style by Christopher Giron, makeup artist Josephine Blankstein, hairstylist Christina Mcdonald, model Mia Maguire
Nikolay Mikheev 3.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, CD and MUA Asia Park, retoucher Maryna Marchenko, wardrobe stylist Patrick Flippin, models Arabelle Gregoire and Vilena Potreba, hair stylist Marci Shears
Nikolay Mikheev 4.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, MUA/Hair Svetlana Starodvortseva, model Katerina Gerasimova
Nikolay Mikheev 5.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, MUA/Hair Anton Nizhnik, model Polina Goriaeva
Nikolay Mikheev 6.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, MUA/Hair Elena Novichkova, model Alevtina Kuptsova
Nikolay Mikheev 7.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, stylist Dom Christoph Style by Christopher Giron, model Natalia Baller
Nikolay Mikheev 8.jpg – Photographer Nikolay Mikheev, model Karla Bacigalupo
