Self taught fashion photographer Anastasia Volkova tells all

Just found this great interview with self taught Fashion photographer Anastasia Volkova. To read  the whole thing go to Flickrista

Tell us a bit about your background. Where do you come from and why did you start shooting photography?

Anastasia Volkova: My name is Anastasia Volkova and I’m a portrait photographer from Moscow, Russia. I got into photography about 4 years ago and I am completely self-taught. I started taking random pictures of myself and my friends to capture memories (as my dad did with a film camera when I was a child), mostly just for fun. I didn’t start taking it seriously until the summer of 2009 when one day I realized how passionate I was about photography. That’s when I really started growing. Taking a photo everyday really pushed me to get more innovative and to learn the tricks behind the editing process.

Where are you right now and what are you doing today?

I just got back home from a photoshoot we had earlier this morning. It was a portfolio shoot for a young beautiful lady at the studio. It’s too cold outside (about -15C) and I can’t stand taking photographs at the other locations during this season, so I prefer shooting in the studio.

Do you work as a professional photographer or is photography mainly a hobby for you?

At first it was a hobby and it still is. I don’t like to call it my “job”. As I said, I took pictures just for fun and never thought about it too seriously. After two years of posting my works on Flickr (this site has given me a lot of daily inspiration for the last 4 years!) I decided to move forward and started shooting other people, but it was still a hobby as well. Then in 2009 I realized that I couldn’t combine two jobs at once and quit my official job. Since then my life has been completely about photography and now I work as a freelance photographer.

Do you work alone or with a large team?

I almost always work with a team. It’s not too large: I work with a make-up artist, hair stylist and an assistant, and currently I’m looking for a good wardrobe stylist. I’m trying to find something new for myself in photography and my team is really creative and helpful in each photo session we do. I’m really thankful for all the great artists I work with.

If you could go back in time and teach yourself something that would have made your career as a photographer easier, what would it be?

I don’t think that my career as a photographer is too hard, I enjoy it. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” as Confucius said. I love what I do, I practice every day and I’m happy about it. I’m not sure yet where I hope to go with my photography, I find something new for myself in it every day and I know I want to say something with it.

What tips do you have for aspiring photographers?

Follow your heart. Don’t ever think any dream is too big. Practice more. Practice whenever you can and believe in yourself. And don’t do it for anyone, just do it for yourself.