Meet Hero of the Week Tatiana Diakova

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

Today we’re introducing the work of artist and photographer Tatiana Diakova. Tatiana is currently living in Barcelona, where she studies painting at the Barcelona Academy of Art. Tatiana’s photography favors a natural color palette, with a focus on the natural landscape.

“I started taking photos seven years ago, when my godfather gave me his old camera,” Tatiana says. “In the first years I was just experimenting with macro, still life, black and white, and portrait photography. At this time I was studying design and had a year course of photography fundamentals. I discovered that the art of photography is based on an understanding of how to use light, how to ‘draw’ the objects—creating the whole story. So I started to create photos more consciously using this knowledge.”

When it comes to painting, she prefers to turn her gaze towards human forms. “Interesting that as a painter I’m absolutely fascinated by everything related to people — the human body, face, emotions, movement, expression,” Tatiana says. “But in photography I’m much more impressed by landscapes — the statement of nature, its changing, wildness, spiritual vibes.”

When people do make an appearance in Tatiana’s photos, they often seem to blend into the landscape. Her photography tends to be simple, even monochromatic, with compositions that find the harmony in her surroundings. She says that the rule of “less is more” is a guiding principle of both her photos and artworks.

Travelling to new places is a key source of inspiration for Tatiana. “Every time when I’m traveling there are some points of time and space where everything is absolutely perfect — the light, lines of the landscape, the palette of colors, uniqueness of textures. At these moments I feel a strong desire to admire that I’m here, seeing all this beauty, and it seems that with the help of photos I make these moments never disappear.”

Follow Tatiana on Pexels and on Instagram at @diakova_art.

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