Into the Wild: Interview with Galyna Andrushko

There is nothing more uplifting than an adventurous spirit. One of our top contributors, Galyna Andrushko has a special gift for catching the waves of wanderlust and creating beautiful art in the process. Today she shares with us her story, her experience and her unique talent.

Tell us a  little  bit about  yourself  and your experience as a photographer.

To be quite frank, my whole life has revolved around the urge for adventures and most of all, adventures into the wild. From this, comes my geology background, my successful job in the business of selling equipment for extreme sports. I left my job when it got in the way of my travels, took interest in landscape photography and made my way to the stock market. It’s been 20 years and I can’t imagine traveling without a camera in my hands (under any circumstances).

What  is  your creative  process  like?

It’s kind of hard to describe. I just try to be at the right place at the right time and when I see the perfect shot, I go for it. I call this “natural reporting”. The post-processing stage is unlikely an artistic one, it’s more of a business process. But some of the other things I do include analysing demand, trends, and trying to meet the needs of clients and even surpass them.

Who  or  what inspires you  and where do  you  get your  ideas  for photoshoots?

It really is nature, which is like an endless source of inspiration. Initially, it was the motivation that was born out of a desire to share the beauty of landscapes with friends and family; to recreate those magical moments for them.

Right now, stock photography helps me share my vision with the world. This is inspiration in itself. Besides, my cat with her graceful nature always reminds me of the beauty of nature and its creation when I edit my works at home.

How do you choose which  themes  and trends  work  in?

I would say that life chooses the themes for us. For example, in 2008, when my friend who was good at shooting still life asked me what I think about the growing crisis, I said, “You should take pictures of burning dollars”.

What  is  vital for a  successful stock  photograph?

I think that it’s more important to find in your own art the themes, plots and styles that will be in demand. I do want to emphasize that it’s about your works, not the big shots.

What  is  your favourite  photograph  that  you  have taken  and why?

After each trip, it’s a new pictures. Almost always! I’d like to think I’m always in the process of growing and improving. Let say, after my recent trip I love this one:

How should one go  about creating more original content for stock photography?

I think it’s worth listening to your inner voice.

What’s  been  the  biggest  mistake you’ve had  to  learn  from  during your  career?

To be honest, the biggest mistake I’ve made was choosing the ‘conventional’ life path – school, university, being hired for work. I really hope that mankind is moving towards a more ‘entrepreneurial’ society or at least towards a freelance one. People should have more freedom than they have right now.

Can  you  share  some  insider secrets  for  landscape  photography?

You shouldn’t photograph nature the way you photograph models – it will be really difficult and really tiresome work. You should surround yourself with nature and when you reach an inner comfort and ease, you will ‘feel’ your shots as you see harmony of light and landscape. Maybe this just works for me, but it really is my secret.

The  colors  in your photographs  are absolutely stunning.  How  do you achieve  this effect?

I think you just need a lot of patience to find that ‘magical’ light. Luck is another factor 🙂 Especially for landscape photography.

Do you travel  a  lot?  Where  do  most  of the pictures from  your portfolio taken?

Yes, I do. The majority of my shots (and trips) have been made in the U.S. It’s really rich with diverse nature sceneries. It’s not by chance that Americans say that nature is their national treasure!