Elina Sazonova Looks for Light and Love in Her Photography

Welcome to Hero of the Week, an ongoing series sharing stories from some of the best photographers in the Pexels community.

This week, we meet Elina Sazonova, a photographer based in Moscow, Russia. Elina has been taking photos her entire life. “It was always a way to express myself and share my emotions,” she says. Her photos have a lush texture to them, painting quiet scenes with rich colors.

Shooting with a Canon 5D Mark III, Elina says that she’s most inspired by the people around her. “I love to capture people and their special moments. I get inspired by observing sincere emotions and feelings.” A few more things that Elina draws inspiration from: “Light and love. Feelings and joy. People’s stories. Family warmth.” She cites the fantastically creative British fashion photographer Tim Walker as another influence.

Elina says that building a relationship with your photo subjects is key to showing their personalities in your imagery. “Make friends with people you are capturing so they can trust you and be themselves,” she says.

Follow Elina on Pexels and on Instagram at @sunnmy.

Pexels Heroes is our invite-only community of the top photographers on Pexels. Find out more and apply to join here.