Kalina M.

More about Kalina M....

What do you love about your job?

I love the process of creation from camera to computer to final delivery and the positive reactions of people. In its artistic form, photography can have a powerful impact just like any other art, to open conversations, move people, make people feel something. In a more commercial sense, creating the images feels right to me vs being in any other role in the marketing and advertising world. It can be a solo job or part of a team, a lot of it is self-managed and I enjoy the trust and sense of responsibility, not to mention the flexibility and variety that comes with the job. No day is the same!

What types of shoots have you done and how did you make them special?

I have done shoots from real estate to portraits to food, all of which are separate and unique approaches with one key ingredient: curiosity. Whether it's a person or an inanimate object, I want to get to know them. Portraiture is especially interesting because people are so complex with their own personality and how you approach a person, light them, the environment you put them in, can drastically change the final image. How they respond to you changes the final result. I like to gain their trust and make them feel at ease rather than over-directing and being rigid and strict. I equally enjoy styling objects and even houses (from my real estate gigs) with attention to detail being a strength of mine I've been able to develop over the years. Being easy going, professional, fast and clear in communication have always helped in every situation.

Awards, honors, and recognitions received

A few art and photo awards from high school and college, but hoping for great recognitions yet to come as I progress in my work.

A fun fact about this photographer

I have always been into fitness and solo sports. In Bulgaria I trained in rhythmic gymnastics and Bulgarian folk dancing, then I took aerial acrobatics classes in college in USA and strongly considered minoring in that (I ended up minoring in website design). My go to sports the last four years have been either boxing or rock climbing, but the most challenging one I have tried so far was capoeira. I was a digital nomad for two and a half years, traveling the world while working remote but returned to USA in 2019 to settle a little bit.