I moved to Lviv to study philology and took my first basic photography course.

I got my first touchscreen phone and discovered how much I loved capturing moments.

At first, it was landscapes, pets, my sister, and friends. Eventually, I saved up for my first camera — a Nikon D3300 — and that marked the beginning of a journey that brought me to where I am today.

But real life had its own plans — first the pandemic, then the war... For a while, photography faded into the background. Later, when I spent some time in Spain, I picked up the camera again, but I still felt like photographing people wasn’t really my thing.

Today, I photograph people — but truly, I preserve stories, emotions, and fleeting moments that speak without words.
 And this is only the beginning.

I was photographing my sister and her classmates dressed in traditional Ukrainian clothing for a school project — and something shifted.

To study photography seriously.

It wasn’t just a photo anymore; it was a story in an image. A feeling. A depth. That’s when I realized: I don’t just want to take pictures of people. I want to capture the parts of them they might not even see yet — the light, the softness, the strength, the truth. I want to photograph stories

But at the time, I didn’t have a stable job or income — I was living with my parents. I went to Poland in search of opportunities, tried street photography, but quickly realized it wasn’t for me. I came back home empty-handed, but with hope still alive.

During another blackout in Ukraine, I stumbled upon a webinar by a photographer whose course I had long wanted to take.

Since then, I’ve grown — not just as a photographer, but as a person who finally believes in her craft.

“Yana, hi — it’s Nastya Artemenko. You’ve won the course.”

I found out there was a giveaway. The entry required a 1000 UAH deposit — I only had 950. I asked my sister for 50 more and entered. Just a few hours later, I got the call:

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