Meet Olga Pankova | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olga Pankova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olga, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own business was a natural progression of my passions and interests. I’ve always wanted to be a freelancer, to plan my own time and to be my own boss. I had a deep love for photography, art, people, and psychology, and I found that photography sessions were a perfect blend of all these elements.

I bought my first camera and began capturing my life, travels, and the people around me eleven years ago. Over time, I realized that this hobby was more than just a pastime; it was a way to tell stories, to show the way I see the world around me, people and their uniqueness and create memories. It became clear to me that turning this passion into a profession was the right move. I wanted to create a space where I could express my creativity while also offering a meaningful service to my clients.

Ultimately, the decision to start my own business was about following my heart and intuition. I wanted to take control of my career, be a freelancer and build something that truly reflected who I am and what I love. It was a journey of self-discovery and I am still in this process.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love to capture people without distracting details, which is why my photography is simple and minimalistic. I avoid classic posing and love a documentary and fashion style. I want my photos look like scenes from a movie or beautiful moments accidentally captured. However sometimes I do love just a good portrait of a person looking directly at my camera. My aim is to reveal people’s true nature and genuine emotions. When someone comes to me and starts posing with a usual smiling mask, I ask them not to smile but instead to think about specific things to evoke genuine emotions. I want to show a person’s authenticity.

I love natural women’s beauty! This is why I ask my women clients to wear natural makeup or no makeup at all. And I edit my photos very naturally as well, avoiding excessive Photoshop. I want women to appear real in my photos, embodying simplicity and elegance in the same time.

Photography as job is both easy and challenging for me. I am deeply passionate about what I do and this passion makes it feel less like work and more like a hobby. I can spend countless hours taking pictures, editing, analyzing other photographers’ work or learning new skills. The creative process is very fulfilling for me.

However, marketing and finding clients has always been a challenge. I decided a long time ago on that I would let my work speak for itself and allow clients to find me organically. This is why I only post on Instagram and do not engage in any advertising. Remarkably, my clients and brands do find me and book sessions haha.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you should explore yourself and understand what you are truly about. It’s essential to build your own style and portfolio rather than chasing trends. Experimentation, continuous learning, and openness to new information and trends are good, but staying true to your vision is crucial.

What I want the world to know about my brand is that my work is an expression of my love for capturing genuine human moments in a simple and ‘fashion’ way. My photography is especially about celebrating women’s beauty, and creating timeless, elegant images that tell a story. My aim is to make authenticity the new trend.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would have breakfast at République Cafe Bakery, explore the West Hollywood area, Melrose avenue and then drive to Santa Monica and Venice. We’d walk along the boardwalk, enjoy the authentic Venice atmosphere, eclectic shops and street performers. Then we would have lunch at Broad street Oyster Company followed by exploring Malibu beaches like Point Dume, Leo Carillo State Beach or El Matador. We would relax on a beach, maybe swim in the ocean if we were lucky and the water wasn’t too cold, watch the sunset there and then have dinner at Nobu Malibu.
I love nature and ocean a lot so during that week we would definitely spend a lot of time exploring beaches around Los Angeles and Orange County, hiking in Runyon Canyon Park or to Wisdom Tree to enjoy the amazing view of LA, would visit Griffith observatory, Hollywood, walk around Arts District in DTLA, Original Farmers market, LACMA, Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach. I think we might also do a day trip to Catalina Island or Joshua Tree National Park.

If we speak about the best places to eat in Los Angeles my personal favorites (except already mentioned above) are: Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo, Matu in Beverly Hills, Urth cafe, N10 Restaurant and the Roof at Edition in West Hollywood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In a couple of days I am having my first solo exhibition in Los Angeles and it has been a collective effort of many wonderful individuals. Many thanks to my family and friends who supported me throughout the entire journey. I want to express my gratitude to all my first clients who trusted me and gave me the opportunity to grow and refine my photography. Thank you to the models who participated in my art shoots, bringing their unique presence and helping to bring my creative visions to life. I am also very grateful for wonderful team members I work with who share similar tastes, values and creative vision (like amazing makeup artists and stylists).

Additionally, I owe a special shoutout to all the artistic people I’ve met along the way who have inspired me with their art, innovative thinking, and the level of creative freedom they exhibit. These individuals have not only influenced my work but have also broadened my perspective and encouraged me to push the boundaries of my creativity.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my story, I am deeply grateful for your contributions and inspiration.

Website: https://www.pankovaolga.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olga.pankova.ph/

Image Credits
Models: Sabina Kravchenko, Kathryn Watts (style Anna Stepanova, muah Yulia Vasilkovskaya), Ariana Simone, Anetta Tiara Hartono, AnastasiaEverall, Emily Hall (muah Yulia Vasilkovskaya), Laura Porter, Angelina Pirtskhalava.