We were lucky to catch up with Tanya Belova recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tanya, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism has been with me for as long as I can remember. I’ve always believed, and continue to believe, that everything happens for the best and there are no hopeless situations. Time flies by so quickly, and global events show that tomorrow may not even come. I don’t want to waste time dwelling on negative moments. I try to find only the positive in everything. I want to live this life with open arms to the world, cherishing every moment with all my heart. These thoughts help me to never give up, to confidently move forward, and to enjoy this beautiful world, doing only what truly brings me joy and interacting with open-minded and interesting people. All of this gives me a tremendous boost of energy and motivation.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I was born in Russia in the Far East, on the border with China. My parents moved a lot for work throughout my childhood, which is perhaps why I love traveling and always have the urge to be on the go. I can’t sit still for long; there always needs to be some trip planned. Two years ago, my husband and I fulfilled our dream and moved to the USA, where I continue to pursue my career as a photographer.
I’ve been taking photos since high school and can’t imagine my life without a camera in my hands. Currently, I’m focused on family photoshoots. Before moving to California, I spent many years photographing weddings, where I developed a love for capturing reportage, which I’ve since transferred into family stories. I’m not a fan of static poses; I love showing life and movement in my photos, capturing funny and sweet moments with children and their parents. It’s very important to me to show love and the relationships between family members in my photos. I sincerely believe that I leave something more than just photographs; I leave memories that will last through the years.
For me, these aren’t just photoshoots; they’re a great opportunity for people to come together as a family in a beautiful place, have fun, hug a lot, and as a bonus, get some cool shots for their family album. As I’m endlessly in love with the beauty of California and family photoshoots, I plan to host a personal photo exhibition featuring photographs of my clients in the wonderful landscapes of my favorite state. By doing so, I aim to show that a family photoshoot isn’t just about smiling at the camera, but it can also be a small narrative about your relationships and love, told through photography and preserved for years to come.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My optimism, that everything will be fine, definitely gives me a lot of strength. My openness and love for people. People are very important, and I am grateful to everyone I meet on my life’s journey; from them, I learn and find inspiration. And fearlessness, most likely, I’m not afraid to try something new. Because until you try, you’ll never know how it will turn out, and if you’re afraid, you might miss something important.
Don’t be afraid to ask people for information and their experience. Attend various networking events; it helped me a lot to start photographing in a new country quickly. With each meeting, I received the necessary contacts and clients. Don’t hesitate to invest time and budget into advertising. And do a lot and practice what you want to do. Be open to this world, and everything will come to you naturally.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
l realized that trying to do a little bit of everything wasn’t working for me. I was photographing everything and everyone without seeing the results I wanted, and wasting my energy. Once I started focusing only on the subjects that truly inspire me, everything changed. I put more energy into what I loved, and it became the key to my success. By prioritizing what’s important to me, I was able to fill my calendar for several months in advance and really enjoy my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tanyabeloved.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanya.beloved/
Image Credits
All photographs were taken by me. Photographer: Tanya Belova
