A Russian photographer has created surreal images of life on a farm with her two sons and the many animals and dramatic scenery that surround them.
With photos taken in drastically different weather conditions over all four seasons, Elena Shumilova documents the Russian landscape and her sons’ interactions with it with a loving eye and an incredible instinct. (See the proof below.)
“I largely trust my intuition and inspiration when I compose photos,” Shumilova said in a recent interview. “I get inspired mainly by my desire to express something I feel, though I usually cannot tell exactly what that is.”
Her photos are whimsical and imaginative, and make the everyday activities of her sons—like sledding or holding a bunny—look wonderfully profound.
The mother didn’t want to miss her children growing up, so she spends her days shooting them as her subjects and develops the pictures at night.
Her photos are not only enchanting as a tribute to her growing children, but for their depiction of winter, spring, summer, and fall in the sweeping rural setting.
“When shooting I prefer to use natural light—both inside and outside. I love all sorts of light conditions—streetlights, candlelight, fog, smoke, rain and snow—everything that gives visual and emotional depth to the image,” she said.
Her diversity as an artist is evident through the range of photos she was able to capture in the multitude of lighting conditions she’s mastered.
To learn more about Elena’s work, visit her flickr profile.
