The photography of Tetiana Udovychenko? In a visual culture dominated by speed, her images are deliberate, quiet, and profound, asking the viewer to look beyond the surface and into the rich, inner world of her subjects. Her journey has been remarkable, taking her from a foundational photography school in Ukraine to the most respected platforms of the global art stage.
With a list of accolades that includes a nomination in the prestigious Fine Art Photography Awards and major exhibitions in Venice, Rome, London, and Miami, her work has garnered significant international attention. As an active member of both the Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) and Ukraine’s Professional Association of Photographers (MIFART), Udovychenko bridges cultures and continents with her singular vision. Her recent feature in ELLE magazine for an evocative series on the ancient Turkish city of Mardin further solidified her status as a vital voice in contemporary photography. Our Culture Mag had the privilege of sitting down with the artist for an extensive conversation about the philosophy that guides her lens and the stories behind her powerful images.
Tetiana, thank you for joining us. Your passion for photography began with a fascination for old family photographs. What did those silent, black-and-white images teach you about storytelling that you couldn’t have learned in a formal school?
Tetiana Udovychenko: It’s my pleasure. Those old photographs were my first, and perhaps most important, teachers in the art of implication. A school can teach you composition, lighting, and technique, but those albums taught me about what is left unsaid. I remember one photograph of my great-grandfather, a man I never met. He was looking slightly away from the camera, caught in a moment of thought. From that single image-his posture, the expression in his eyes-I could imagine his personality, his life, his world. I learned that a photograph’s power often lies in the questions it raises, not the answers it provides. It’s a vessel for a moment, and by preserving that moment, it preserves the history and spirit of a person. That is a lesson I carry with me into every session.
Your feature in ELLE Turkey for the Mardin series is one of your recent outstanding achievements. How do you navigate bringing your deep, contemplative work to a platform often associated with fast-paced, commercial trends?
Tetiana Udovychenko: I was honored by the feature, and I believe it speaks to a growing desire for authenticity, even within the world of high fashion. The key was to stay true to my vision. I didn’t try to make Mardin look like a fashion editorial. I approached it with reverence, focusing on its soul and its history. The series was about light, time, and the human spirit that echoes in its ancient stones. I think the editors at ELLE recognized that a powerful story, beautifully told, has universal appeal. It suggests that a sincere, soulful image can be just as arresting and influential as a glossy commercial one. My goal is always to create a connection, and that principle remains the same, whether the image appears in a gallery or a magazine.
You were nominated in the Fine Art Photography Awards for your work “Serendipity.” It’s a title that suggests a fortunate, unplanned discovery. Was that the case with this photograph?
Tetiana Udovychenko: “Serendipity” is the perfect word for it. That photograph was a gift. It happened during a private shoot, in a quiet moment between the planned shots. The subject was lost in her own world, a look of profound introspection on her face, and the light caught her in a way that felt almost sacred. It was a fleeting instant of pure, unscripted honesty. I raised my camera and captured it. To have that specific image recognized by the FAPA jury was deeply meaningful. It reaffirmed my belief that the most powerful portraits are often not the ones we construct, but the ones we are open enough to receive. It is in these unposed, genuine moments that a person’s inner world truly becomes visible.
Your biography notes that you began as an amateur and studied at a foundational photography school. How did your passion evolve into a professional path?
Tetiana Udovychenko: Photography has always been a part of my life, starting with a simple film camera at home. For me, it has always been a powerful way to tell stories. I believe every person carries a unique experience and deserves to be heard.
I have been learning throughout my life: from a foundational photography school to private masterclasses with leading artists and industry experts. They gave me the technical language and tools of the craft, but I realized that the most important part of photography is not technique—it’s the story we want to tell.
I continue to grow constantly, because I see my true gift as the ability to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, or to be a guide for those who have something to share. This, I believe, is essential for the wholeness of the world. We are all here to tell stories.
You’ve described your method as centered around soft lighting and a focus on details. Can you elaborate on your relationship with light? Do you see it as a technical tool, a subject in its own right, or something more?
Tetiana Udovychenko: For me, light is the other character in the photograph. It is never just a technical tool for illumination. Light is an emotional substance. Soft light, which I prefer, wraps itself around a subject. It forgives, it reveals gently, and it creates an atmosphere of intimacy and calm. It allows the subtle details-the texture of skin, a loose strand of hair, the faint glimmer in an eye-to emerge without harshness. In Mardin, the light was ancient and heavy. In Miami, it’s humid and playful. Each location, each person, has a unique dialogue with light, and my job is to listen to that conversation and capture it. Light sculpts the form, but more importantly, it shapes the feeling.
Your bio notes that street photography is a personal hobby. How does that practice-capturing candid, unplanned public life-inform your more intimate, curated portrait sessions?
Tetiana Udovychenko: Street photography is my training ground for seeing. It sharpens my instincts and forces me to find stories in motion, often in a fraction of a second. There are no second chances. That discipline has been invaluable for my portrait work. When I am in a session, even though the setting is controlled, I am still searching for that same kind of candid, authentic moment I hunt for on the street. It teaches me to anticipate-to see a smile forming before it breaks, to notice a flicker of doubt in someone’s eyes. It keeps me from over-directing my subjects and reminds me that the most beautiful moments are almost always the ones that are unplanned.
You often speak of capturing “true emotions” and “authenticity.” In a medium where the photographer is always an active participant, what does an “authentic” moment truly mean to you? Is it something you discover or something you help create?
Tetiana Udovychenko: That is an excellent and crucial question. I believe it is both. An authentic moment cannot be entirely manufactured, but it must be cultivated. My role is to create an environment of absolute trust and calm, a space where a person feels safe enough to let their guard down. The authenticity I seek is not about catching someone unaware; it’s about reaching a point of collaboration where the subject is free to simply be. The final image is an interpretation, of course, it is seen through my eyes, my lens. But my goal is for that interpretation to be an honest reflection of the emotion that was genuinely present. So, I don’t discover it like finding a lost object. I create the conditions for it to reveal itself.
Your membership in both the LAAA and Ukraine’s MIFART suggests an extraordinary ability to resonate with different artistic communities. How do you balance the connection to your Ukrainian heritage with your engagement in the contemporary American art scene?
Tetiana Udovychenko: I don’t see them as things to be balanced, but rather as two parts of my whole identity. My Ukrainian heritage is the root system of my art. The American art scene, particularly in Los Angeles, provides the energy, the forward-thinking dynamism, and the multicultural dialogue that helps my work grow and evolve. One informs the other. I can bring a Ukrainian perspective to an American audience, and I can take the lessons from the dynamic L.A. art world and integrate them into my practice. Being part of both communities is an immense privilege. It allows my work to live in a constant, fruitful conversation between the past and the present, between where I come from and where I am.
You are a member of both LAAA and Ukraine’s MIFART. How do you connect your Ukrainian roots with the American art scene?
Tetiana Udovychenko: I don’t see it as balancing, but as two parts of my identity. My Ukrainian roots give me a profound sense of history, resilience, and freedom of spirit. The influence of Ukrainian nature and the beauty I grew up with shaped the foundation of my aesthetic vision of the world—no matter where I am. The American art scene, on the other hand, offers energy, dynamism, and a multicultural dialogue. One nourishes the other. It is a true privilege to live between these two worlds.
Finally, when you look beyond your next project, what do you hope the legacy of your body of work will be? When viewers look at a Tetiana Udovychenko photograph in 50 years, what story do you hope it tells them, not just about the subject, but about the world you saw?
Tetiana Udovychenko: Finally, what do you hope the legacy of your work will be?
Tetiana Udovychenko: I want people to feel more deeply. I hope that in my photographs, they will see dignity, beauty, individuality, and at the same time the shared humanity that connects us all. I want my work to be a voice of the light that lives within each of us. To remind people that everyone carries a profound story, that vulnerability is a form of strength, and that true beauty lies in our shared humanity. If my images help someone feel that connection, then I have fulfilled my purpose.
