I started to take photos in 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. At that moment, I was in a Ph.D. program in Public Communication and needed one more, somewhat different outlet for my creative passion. I was struggling to develop an idea for my dissertation and needed a few months away from my research. Doing photography helped me gain inspiration for my academic work, although, these two parts of my life – academic research and photography – do not intersect as such. While it has been certainly difficult to walk the two creative paths that demand excellence and dedication, the journey has been rewarding and exciting. In addition to creative fulfillment, as a photographer, I am also able to volunteer my skills for good causes. For example, I was happy to photograph the National Adoption Day in Boston. Also on a regular basis, I shoot for Sunflower of Peace, a Ukrainian nonprofit organization founded by my friend. Finally, my fascination with photography runs in my family. As a child, I often spent time with my dad at a photography club that he ran in Zhodino (a small town in Belarus), as well as in a makeshift darkroom at home developing film and printing photos. Now, my photography has given me and my dad another chance to bond.
