Maria Tyutina is Open to Photography's Possibilities

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

A freelance videographer living and creating in Tallinn, Estonia's capital city, Maria Tyutina sees photography as a lifelong journey. She produces a variety of videos for clients and shoots photos in her spare time.

We were captivated by the pastel colors and quiet mood of Maria's photos. Pinks, pale greens, and soft blues are her typical color palette, with a focus on still lifes and outdoor scenes. As she's been a Pexels contributor for several years now, it's been exciting to watch Maria's photography develop as she discovers her own personal style over time.

We talked to Maria about finding the flow state of creation, and what places inspire her photography.

Pexels: How long have you been taking photos, and how did you get started?

Maria: I bought my first camera almost ten years ago. It was a very intuitive choice to have one. Even though I didn´t know what I want to do with it, I was sure that I needed it.

After a while, I finally found out how my new friend works and started to take pictures and record videos. My first camera was Canon 1100D and it taught me a lot—now I know that it is cool to have better gear, but if you have your own strong vision and know some tips and tricks of photography, you can make good pictures with almost any camera that works.

I think it all started with an inspiration by looking at other photographers' works. I dreamed that one day I could also create something beautiful and visually pleasing, so this is how I started photography.

Day by day, my inner voice of the creator became louder and louder. Now I know much better what makes me happy as a photographer.

What camera gear do you use?

The second camera I bought was Canon 70D and my new friend is Canon 7D Mark II. I use both of them at the moment.

I love to use lenses with fixed focal lengths. My favorite lens right now is from Canon: 35mm/2.0.

I love to move a lot while I photograph—to come closer to objects or to make a natural distance and see the object from another perspective. I find myself very often in the flow state of mind while photographing.

The world turns off and there is only me, my thoughts, and objects I photograph.

What's your favorite type of photo to shoot?

I am a big fan of still life photography. I love to take time and make things in my own tempo. Most of the time the tempo is lower than average.

Still life is like a magnet to me and I see so many opportunities and untold stories about things and “lifeless” details.

One of my side projects is @inspireerivad.ruumid, an Instagram where I share cool and inspiring places to visit—only in Estonia for the moment. Every time I find myself in such a place, I get surprised by how creative and innovative people are in decorating rooms.

To me, an inspiring place is not only about a beautiful interior design but the soul of the room first of all—and this feeling pops up usually from the first step I take in.

What inspires your photography?

The biggest inspiration all the time is the process itself. It is still so, but every time I take my camera out, I feel like I know nothing. Then I press the shutter button, see the first pictures, and I am back in the game again. My inspiration lives inside my own camera.

Besides that, I also love to feed my imagination by watching others' works. I get easily inspired by well-matched color schemes and stories that grab your hand and invite you for a journey.

Tell us about your favorite photo on your Pexels profile.

I feel warmth and love to all photographs I upload to Pexels. Before uploading them, I try to imagine how people can use them.

Since it is the very first time that someone asked me to choose my favorite photo on my profile, I let this one to be my favorite one today. It was taken in Malta, and now I realize by looking at it, how much I miss travelling to any destination I wish without any restrictions.

What other photographers or artists inspire your work?

A self portrait photographer from Finland, Kutova Kika, inspires me a lot. Her videos on YouTube are a huge source of inspiration.

What is one goal you have for your photography?

Nowadays, my goal is to master my skills in photography with the guidance of my heart.

The biggest enemy for that is the lack of self confidence and fear of critique from the outside world. I would like to become more confident in what I do, and I am really curious about all those possibilities that a lifelong journey called photography can offer me.

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