When I first started family photography, I wasn’t sure if it was really my path.
One day, I received an invitation from a family of an Orthodox priest living far outside the city — four kids, a warm home, and a very real, simple life. I drove almost 4 hours (about 250 miles), thinking: “Will I be able to do this well?”
They welcomed me with genuine warmth. The kids were laughing and running, the parents were natural and real. We photographed at home, in the yard, and near the church. Later, they invited me to go up to the bell tower and let me ring the bell — the sound spread across the entire village, and I will never forget that moment.
Before I left, the mother told me:
“Thank you for showing us how beautiful our life looks.”
And that day I realized:
I want to photograph not perfection, but real, honest stories.
Because true value is always in people.
