Meet Egor Vasilyev | commercial & editorial photographer

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

Hi Egor, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Moscow to a Ukrainian mother and a Russian father. I spent 35 years in Russia, where I graduated from school and university, married my beautiful wife Natalie, and we had two wonderful children and a lot of happiness.

My childhood was in the ’90s. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country was undergoing a tremendous transformation that altered all spheres of our lives. Meanwhile, my father was a military man and was on the committee to approve space rocket launches. Due to the chaos in the country and the economic restructuring, there were big problems with the payment of wages to public sector employees. But, despite a seemingly romantic (and crucial) space-related job, our family occasionally struggled with basic needs, including food. At the same time, the world of Western culture was opening up to us, reaching into my home on VHS or music cassettes, television, or some print media. It seemed like I was constantly receiving packages from other planets. They felt totally unattainable to me, but so appealing. I can say with certainty that it was the time that laid the foundations of my personality, formed my taste, views on life and the world, on universal values. And it turns out it’s the soft power that I will not be able to resist after three decades of my life. The power that will finally bring me to California.

My youth in the 00s and 10s was spent in a very different country, having risen on the back of high oil prices. Wonderful public transportation, nice architecture, construction of new roads, development of public spaces, blossoming of subcultures, and access to modern world trends and technologies, opened up colossal opportunities for young people. We wanted to be citizens of the world, to be part of the fast-paced world. We have really enjoyed the services that have emerged in the country, so far surpassing many similar ones in the world.

But unfortunately, the war crushed our hopes.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Ever since my school days, I have dreamed of getting an IT education. And I chose Bauman State Technical University in Moscow, one of the best in Russia. Both of my parents were its alumni. But about halfway through my 6-year schooling, I became fascinated with photography. When my parents found out, they were horrified by my desire to go into the creative field. They were counting on me to come to my senses and continue learning programming languages and computer networking. I had no intention of breaking away from the university, but I was adamant in my desire to devote myself to photography. Photography started feeding me a couple of years before graduation. By then I was strengthened by the idea that I could not betray my passion for creating images. Of course, it was scary to give up an IT specialist career where everything seemed predetermined. Where I would have a constant source of sufficient income. Instead, I plunged into the world of freelance photography. Over the course of a few years, I built my personal brand, made connections, and done dozens of projects I can be proud of. I have an eye for detail, technical savvy, and a sense of style.
Despite it still seems to many people that photography simply could not be a fulfilling job that could feed a man and his family. I’ve already proved them wrong for sure. I make a living from photography. I chose the profession where I have so many possibilities to shoot those people and in those locations that the average person just can’t get to.

Being a freelancer in a creative profession is definitely a huge risk. After all, I bear the reputational risks of shooting any project for any client every time. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s my new client or a regular one. I bear the risks when deciding to buy expensive equipment because I can never be sure whether it will pay for itself. I take a risk when I submit a bid to a client for the cost of my team’s work in preproduction. I take a risk when I hire someone I’ve never worked with and I can’t be absolutely sure of him.
Certainly, I’ve been carrying risks throughout my career. Just like the owner of any business. It’s a part of the job that I can’t be shielded from. Sure, I have to minimize the risks, but on the other hand, they constantly allow me to achieve a significant career breakthrough. That’s exactly what I’m living through right now. A huge risk accompanied me when I got a visa, left my home country and comfort zone with my family, and spent a lot of money on relocation to start building a business here. But now I’m here, in the US, building our new future.

I really love what I do. And I haven’t regretted for a second that I chose to be a photographer. I genuinely look forward to every shoot so that I can delight my clients with the results. And I’ll be delighted with their payment. Haha!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve lived 3 decades in a huge metropolis. Now it’s time to live with my family in the beautiful and quiet locations of Orange County. Which is what we did and we don’t regret it at all. That’s why, first of all, I am going to show my friends the rich nature of California, the diversity of its climate zones and natural wonders. We can go hiking or to the forest of giant trees, visit the desert or the shore of a marvelous lake with clear water. We can collect berries on farms or catch stunning sunsets (or even sunrises) on the ocean coast. But of course, once we jump in the car, we may soon find ourselves at an outdoor movie screening or a concert of our favorite artist. I love to improvise on my plans. Los Angeles and its environs are perhaps best suited for this in the world.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I may not be original in my answer, but the most important and closest person to me today is my wife Natalie. I am eternally grateful to fate that one frosty winter evening she agreed to meet me in a cafe with such a symbolic name – Happiness. It was she who turned my world upside down, who inspired me by the mere fact of her existence. And who showed me California for the first time of course. I never cease to be amazed at what a wonderful mother she is. I can’t even imagine how she does it. For me, as someone in a creative profession, she is a true muse, a driver of my progress and aspirations. Of course, I owe my success to many people I’ve had the honor of working with over the years: art directors, producers, assistants, stylists, publicists, retouchers, set designers, make-up artists, etc. I appreciate their help and I want to thank every single one of them. But Natalie is my true soulmate, best friend, and guardian angel. It’s absolutely priceless for me.

Website: https://www.egorv.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/egor_v/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/egor-vasilyev/

Image Credits
photographer: Egor Vasilyev