This is the start of a new series where we will be interviewing featured photographers and getting an insight into them and their photography. Today we start with the first person Natasha Lesonie.

My name is Natasha,  I am a portrait photographer.

How long have you been taking photos? Why did you start?

I’ve been taking photos for 7 years. It started when my first baby was born. I was eager to catch every moment of her life, hands, the passion to the photography. I quickly realized that it’s not enough just to have a professional camera but it also important to study photography as an art. Little by little people started asking me to take photo of their families. Then I received a few requests from agencies and photo magazines who wanted to use my photos for commercial advertisement and even put them on cover pages. That was the moment that I actually realized that taking photos is not only my hobby but also my profession.

What was your first camera?

My first camera was a Nikon d50 with standard kit but quite quickly I found that standard lenses could not give me the picture which I wanted to take. That’s why I decided to try the Nikkor 50 f1.4, Nikkor 17-55 f2.8, Nikkor 85 f1.4 and ended up with Nikkor 135 f2.0 which is still  my favorite one.

What is the name of your photography business?

That’s a really good question because I spent a lot of time thinking about the right name. I even involved my family in this discussion and it was my older daughter who came up with the idea to take my grandma’s surname. That’s how I created my brand Natasha Lesonie Photography.

What do you specialize in? Do you like photographing anything else?

I specialize in Family and Kids Art Photography.  Sometimes I shoot weddings and love stories. I am really passionate about Themed Children’s Photography.

What advice do you give potential clients?

When you are looking for a photographer to take a photo session of your family I would recommend that you explore not only their professional portfolio, but also pay attention to their blogs. It is worth trying to take a look not only at the best pictures, but also understand how the whole session may look like.

What makes your business different to others?

That’s a really difficult question. I do believe that the major differentiator of my business is my individual approach. I always meticulously work the session scenario, choose location and props, talk with models to create their personal story in pictures. I feel important to show real people emotions and feelings rather then create a nice but ordinary portrait.

What are the challenges you face being a photographer now?

My biggest challenge is the number of projects which I am running now days. I like organize Themed Sessions like Back to School, Valentines. Easter Bunny and etc. So once I complete one project it’s always time to kick off a new one. I often dream to have more than 24 hours a day.

What do you find inspiration?

Locations, books and movies inspire me to take a camera, go out and create my own photo stories.

What social media sites do you use for your business?

I usually use a plethora of different media platforms – facebook, instagram and 500px.com