Tatiana is a Boston-based photographer who creates incredible eye-catching photography. We are thrilled to share some of her work and this in-depth interview about her process.

Is there something universal that you express in your photos, or does it change piece to piece?

Beauty! It`s all about the beauty. It comes in different forms, shapes, colors and that is what excites me the most. I want to show people how beautiful they are.

Some of your photos look like they come from another world, it’s so beautiful! Do you have a vivid imagination?

Thank you! This means so much to me! Ever since I was a little kid, people were saying that I had a very vivid imagination. 

Many things can be a source of inspiration for me. Very often I get ideas from my dreams: I can see a perfect set, a beautiful color pallet or even a pose. And when I wake up I have a vision of what I would like to photograph next. 

Sometimes my inspiration comes from music: at first melodies bring up a certain feeling, and then it grows into a vivid image. 

And of course I must mention the nature. It is the biggest source of inspiration for me! And it doesn’t have to always be a forest or a scenic river. I just take a walk outside and start looking for a “photogenic” set. 
Quite often after posting a photo I get messages from people asking in what garden/forest that photo was taken. And they get very surprised when I say that “This is a giant rhododendron blooming right next to Dunkin’ Donuts in Arlington”:) 

Inspiration is everywhere! Generating ideas is a very exciting process that makes you look inside of you by being open to the outside world.   

Do you plan what a photo will look like before you plan the shoot?

I always know in what direction I want the certain project to go. Having a vision helps a lot to have most of preparation work done before the actual shoot. When you are well prepared you feel more relaxed, and that helps to boost your creativity. There’s no strict starting point of the planning process: it can be the location that a concept is based on; it can be the model, the outfit, the color pallet, the props. Each time the options are endless and I get to choose what inspires me the most.

I truly enjoy when the models and hair&makeup artists take an active part in the creative process. I discuss the details of a shoot with everyone who is involved. We do sketches, mood boards and share our thoughts.

What is something you look for in your models?

Oh this is a good one:)  

I am always in search for new faces for my projects. If it is a particular look I am going for, then in this case I am looking for someone who would fit perfectly onto the concept I have in mind. I can even ask a person on a street if they would like to be my model! In fact, the majority of people I do the art projects with are not professional models.  

Sometimes there is no concept yet, and I am simply looking for a muse. In this case I open all my social media resources and start the search. I get quite a lot of messages/emails from people who would like to work together and I am very grateful for that. However, the moment someone says “I have a big white fluffy dog/snake/big ladder/huge truck/collection of wigs that we could use…” my attention immediately goes to that person! When I see that someone is willing to contribute, to be a part of the process or simply has a desire to create – I usually can not resist! I guess that is what I am looking for in my models.

Color seems very important to your images, is that something you are conscious of when editing them?

For me it all comes naturally. I know that the color has the power to create different mood for images: it can make you feel happy, or calm, or sad. It can be used to show the contrast between the objects, or harmonize them and bring together. However, I never think of it from a technical perspective. I want the image to look certain way, and to give certain feelings to people who see it, so I make sure it represents my vision. It`s a very intuitive process to find a right color scheme, and it begins at the stage of planning the shoot.   I can find a beautiful color combination at a very unexpected place, and then use it later for a project. It can be anything – a reflection on a wet pavement, a colorful bird, flowers, paintings… Few days ago I was at a fabric store and noticed that three different fabrics were randomly put together on a sale shelf. They matched so well, that I took a photo of them and guess what, it’s in my “inspiration folder” now;)

Do you use a lot of photoshop after the fact?

Photo editing is an amazing tool, if you know what you want from it. It provides you with yet another opportunity to express your vision. Sometimes I use it to make light corrections, sometimes I use it to create different worlds;)

Drawing, changing the mood of the entire photo by stylizing it, turning summer into winter, adding different effects – all that is a part of the editing process that I enjoy a lot. You can be a photographer and a painter at the same time! Isn’t that great?

Of course, not every photoshoot is a creative art project, so it really depends on what I am going for. I can improve every little detail of the photo and make it look impeccable. Attention to details brings the entire image to the next level. 

How did you get started as a photographer? Do you find this area a good place to work on photography?

It all started few years ago with me taking photos of… myself 🙂 Then friends started asking if I could take their photos as well. That’s how it all started. A year ago I moved to Boston and started discovering new possibilities. I think this area is a great place to work in photography.

Are you outside photographing in all the seasons? What is the worst weather you have shot in?

Yes, I am always outside! Nature is my biggest inspiration and I absolutely enjoy shooting outdoors with natural light. It feels like the entire world is my studio where I get to create absolutely anything I want. So much freedom!

I believe every season has something magical to offer, but things get tricky when the weather goes to its extremes. Excessive heat, cold, snow or rain are challenging. Of course you can always postpone the shoot, but if it is exactly the extreme that you are looking for your project, then you should look for a model who is equally willing to do this. Team work is essential. No matter if it is a client or a TFP model, you need positive energy at the shoot, and a mutual desire to create beautiful photos. That way you can overcome even the worst weather conditions and turn the entire process into a fun and unforgettable experience!  

I had several snow shoots at the frozen lake few weeks ago. It was extremely cold, windy and the models had to wear light summer dresses. We parked the cars as close to the shooting location as possible and kept them running in order to be able to come back any moment and warm up. We also brought hot tea and warming pads. After finding a perfect spot and making test shots, the models were taking off their winter jackets and we were shooting for few minutes. Short break. Shooting for few minutes again. It was challenging but fun at the same time!

Where do you find the amazing clothing and sets in your work?

I consider myself a lucky photographer because I get to work with many very talented and creative people. I am proud of a network of professionals I know: everyone is a pro at what they do, and that allows making any ambitious idea come true!

Very often clients and models suggest their outfits/props/ideas and then we put it all together into one art look.  
I am also good with making props myself, starting from flower crowns to making simple dresses. This is exactly how I started doing my first art projects – making things with my own hands. 

Where can we find you on social media? Do you have a website we can promote?

Website: https://tatianadorokhova.wixsite.com/tdphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TatianaDiPhotography

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tati.style/ 

Questions by Andy Conley

Series: The Taiga

‘The Taiga is a photography series initially inspired by the Decemberists Hazards of Love album. It tells a story of destructive love, heartbreak and rebirth through handmade clothing, sets and photography. The story takes place in an ancient mysterious forest and is inspired by European fairy tales. The Taiga reminds us that nature is vastly more powerful than any individual.’ ©Mae Horak

How did you get into fashion design? Where was your start?

I started making clothes as a child, I remember learning to sew when I must have been 12 years old. The first clothes I ever made was a Halloween costume for me and a friend in sixth grade, and in high school started buying used clothes at GoodWill just to tear them apart to use as pattern pieces. I’ve never followed a store-bought pattern, so that’s how I learned to make my own patterns!

I studied fashion at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and graduated in 2018. Two of my favorite classes at fashion school were Couture Techniques and Tailoring where I learned about high-end clothes making, and I think those techniques of making very structured garments is evident in my work.

I love how unique your work is, how do you feel you fit into the overall trend of modern day fashion photography?

I’m not sure it does, I can’t say. I’ve never had my finger on the pulse of modern fashion or pop culture. I hope that there is a place for what I do in the modern art world. I try to use social media to show my work. I don’t think I’m great at it but I try. I’m doing a gallery show with this series in the summer, hopefully the first of many!

Your work is very dark, both emotionally and physically. Is there a meaning or reason behind the tone?

I think it’s important to be comfortable with darkness. Without darkness there would be no light. That’s true of everything, it’s about balance. There’s a lot of beauty in dark things.

For me this project has been an escape from my life. In the good times, a celebration of creativity and the wonderful people who help me create each image, and in the bad times, a way for me to channel my energy and escape from the bad into the Taiga, a world I created in my head.

Like I say in the project description, nature is more powerful than any one person. It’s humbling. That humbling feeling can be terrifying, or it can be freeing. It’s up to you.

You mentioned this series was inspired by European Fairy tales. Which tale would you say you pull the most inspiration from and why?

So the original story of the rock opera “Hazards of Love” was meant to take sort of archetypal folk tale characters and tell a sort of twisted story of their doomed love. When I read that it sparked the idea of using elements of folk costume in my work. I am especially drawing from slavic tradition, as I think you will see with some of the clothing I am making right now for the shoots in the spring.

It started with the “Cranberry Witch” character, the first photos I did for this series (in a Cranberry Bog, read about that here!) Where I made her a headdress inspired by a Ukranian vinok.

You make all the clothes for this shoot? How long does it take?

Yes! Everything worn by the characters in the photos is completely handmade by me. I start from scratch making each piece. I start by sketching silhouettes and little details. I learned to sew while I was in school by replicating historical garments in my free time so I tend to be very inspired by historical garments from Europe and Asia specifically.

How do you conceptualize what you want the clothes to look like?

I like to work on a series around a story because I find any art that tells a story fascinating. The first full collection I did was based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Now that I take the photos myself as well, I design the clothes specifically with a photo in mind. That means a lot of the clothes are cumbersome or impossible to be worn in “real life”, like the Winter Witch’s skirt which is about 4 feet too long, or the Queen’s gloves made from real tree branches.

About half of the clothes I have made for the Taiga are made for specific “characters” from the story that inspired the project, and the others are characters that I have created to fit into my own imagination and my own version of the world that makes up the entire project.

For example, the Cranberry Witch is a character I came up with while driving through the south shore towards Cape Cod.

The project started out 4 years ago when I was listening to the Decemberist’s ‘Hazards of Love’. The album is a concept album that combines many folk tale archetypes into a story of doomed love. The thing that drew me to the story was this sense of doom, and the overall sense that nature is more powerful than all of us. In fact, the most powerful creature in the whole story is a part of the forest herself, made of tree branches. She is a character I had a really fun time creating, and can be seen in “The Queen” and “Her Domain”

I have worked in the past in theater doing costumes and the stuff I design for the Taiga is done in a very similar way to that. I sketch a lot. What I’m really looking for in a sketch is the silhouette. From there, I source fabric and drape each garment to a dress form.

From an outsider perspective, your work seems very primal and yet has royal and medieval aspects. Would that be right? How do you achieve this balance between two very different themes?

Thank you! I get so wrapped up in my own head that it’s always really interesting hearing feedback from people viewing my work!

I would guess that the “primal” emotions you’re getting from the pieces comes from what I was talking about earlier, the connection with Mother Nature as this humbling force. I love designing characters that are beautiful but fierce, especially my female characters. Alexander McQueen once said “I want people to be afraid of the women I dress”. I love that.

The more refined details are things I picked up from the historical clothing and couture designers that inspire me!

You had mentioned that the series “The Taiga” reflects ‘destructive love…’ to a ‘rebirth’. Is there a specific order these pieces are to be viewed? Is the work guiding use through the theme from piece to piece or is each a whole story in its entire image.

Yes, there is a specific order that the series is supposed to be viewed in and the passing of time is something I’ve been very conscious of throughout the series. I am planning to shoot in every season. So far I shot in early and late autumn, winter and plan to do another midwinter shoot, with the main bulk of the series being shot in the spring. It’s funny to be answering questions about it before these significant images are shot, because I know exactly how I want them to look, but no one else does!

I plan to make the final series into a photo book, which should be sometime later this year!

Which is your favorite from the series?

The ones I am in the process of working on right now! They don’t exist yet, only in my head. Those are always my favorite.

Are there any artists or designers who inspire you? How did they influence you? Did they influence the series at all?

I mentioned Alexander McQueen. I think he’s my biggest influence as a designer. All of his collections tell a story.

As I get more into photography, I am learning about the work of photographers who do sort of similar things to me. I like people who take editorial fashion to a creative way, and people who build sets and costumes for their photos.

What kinds of reactions do you think your art gets? How do you feel about that?

Mostly people are shocked that I make all the clothes, and that we do the smoke and special effects live. I don’t photoshop the images beyond basic color correcting.

Honestly I think that people tend to like the more classically “pretty” images best, the ones of pretty girls in dresses, or ones that look more like traditional fashion photos, but that’s ok. I don’t expect every person to like all of my work.

My wish for this series is that it affords people a little bit of the escapism it has given to me. And that it sparks imagination.

Last question: Is that a real skull, and if so, do you still have it or do you let the models keep the clothes??

Ha! It is a resin cast of a deer skull! I actually had to use a dremel and shave off the back of the skull to have it rest properly on the models head – it was still very hard to balance, that was a stressful shoot!

I don’t give the clothes away, as a lot of them are the product of 50+ hours of hand work, and I am going to be showing them off in a runway show, and actually show some of the costume pieces in the gallery show of the photographs as well!

Mae can be found on instagram @maehorak and her website is maehorak.com