U svetu gde se moda i vizuelna umetnost sve brže prepliću, Sofiia Kolesnikova zauzima prostor samouvereno i sa stilom. Rođena u Sankt Peterburgu, a danas sa adresom u Dubaiju, ova fotografkinja sa modeling prošlošću uspešno balansira između estetike mode i neposrednosti emocije, bilo da je iza objektiva na crvenom tepihu u Monaku, tokom privatnih sesija na Baliju ili u organizaciji ekskluzivnih devojačkih večeri u stilu „Old Money“.
Njene slike ne hvataju samo lepotu — one je reimaginiraju. U ovom razgovoru za naš magazin, Sofiia govori o promeni perspektive koju joj je doneo život u Dubaiju, o prelasku iz sveta pred objektivom u onaj iza kamere, i o svojim snovima koji, sudeći po svemu, nisu daleko od ostvarenja.
Poreklom ste iz Sankt Peterburga, ali već pet godina živite u Dubaiju. Kako je ta kulturna promena uticala na vaš lični i kreativni razvoj?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Pre svega, želim da vam se zahvalim što ste me uvrstili u vaš magazin. Hvala vam puno što ste me izabrali za naslovnu stranu i za ovaj intervju!
Zaista, ova promena kulture značajno je uticala na moj lični i profesionalni razvoj. Sankt Peterburg i Dubai su dva sveta — potpuno različita po atmosferi. Peterburg je miran, posvećen kulturi i istoriji. Dubai je simbol kretanja, ambicije, finansijske moći i razmera.
Meni je, ipak, energija Dubaija bliža. Ja sam osoba koja stalno teži novim dostignućima, volim dinamiku, nove ciljeve i izazove.
Ovde uvek postoji želja za sledećim korakom, za nečim većim. Taj duh takmičarske, ali zdrave atmosfere snažno je uticao i na moj umetnički pristup. Veličina Dubaija odražava se i na kreativnost. Nekada sam želela da fotografišem lepe devojke, danas težim saradnji sa velikim brendovima, magazinima, javnim ličnostima. Ne zna se dokle seže vaš kreativni potencijal — i to me pokreće.
Šta vas je inspirisalo da iz modelinga pređete u fotografiju? Kako se ta dva sveta danas prožimaju u vašem radu?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Iskreno — presudila je finansijska strana. U fotografiji imam daleko veći prihod nego dok sam radila kao model.
Ali, iskustvo iz modelinga mi i te kako koristi. Kada radim sa devojkama koje nemaju profesionalno iskustvo, često im je potrebna pomoć oko poziranja. Tu mogu da ih usmerim i da im pružim sigurnost.
Takođe, lako ostvarujem kontakt sa modelima i klijentima jer govorimo istim jezikom — to odmah stvara poverenje i omogućava mi da radim i sa početnicama i sa poznatim licima sa jednakom lakoćom.
Kao profesionalna fotografkinja radite već dve godine. Kako biste opisali svoj vizuelni stil i pristup radu sa kamerom?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Rekla bih da je moj stil – lep, luksuzan i modno usmeren.
U radu sa kamerom veoma sam odgovorna i organizovana. Dok neki fotografi na snimanje dolaze sa jednom kamerom, ja nosim ceo kofer — više aparata, razne objektive, stativ, reflektore. Nikada ne znate šta vas može zateći na setu, i volim da budem spremna na sve.
Vaše fotografije nastaju na različitim lokacijama širom sveta. Gde ste pronašli najviše inspiracije i kako mesto snimanja utiče na priču koju gradite?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Radila sam u brojnim zemljama — Ujedinjenim Arapskim Emiratima, Francuskoj, Italiji, Saudijskoj Arabiji, Omanu, na Baliju… Ali u ovom trenutku, tri destinacije koje su na mene ostavile najjači utisak su Monako, Alula i Bali.
Iako su potpuno različite, svaka od njih nosi posebnu atmosferu i energiju, i upravo ta raznolikost mi pruža inspiraciju.
Takođe organizujete devojačke večeri. Po čemu su te proslave posebne i kako uspevate da spojite zabavu sa autentičnim, stilizovanim fotografijama?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Tako je — organizujem i devojačke večeri. Jedna od najuzbudljivijih bila je nedavno u Kanu i Monaku, u vreme Kanskog festivala i trke Formule 1. Bilo je to nezaboravno iskustvo, prepuno emocija. Imale smo bogat program, brojne zajedničke aktivnosti, kao i tematske fotografije u “Old Money” stilu. Sve gošće su bile oduševljene.
Uverena sam da je moguće spojiti dobar provod i profesionalno snimanje — ali uz precizan plan. Uvek unapred organizujem lokacije, rezervacije, a po potrebi angažujem i stiliste, šminkere, iznajmljivanje garderobe.
Imam još jednu važnu osobinu — vrlo lako se prilagođavam okolnostima. Uvek postoji plan B. Ako prvi ne uspe, drugi će proraditi, posebno na događajima poput Formule 1, gde je sve dinamično i nepredvidivo.
Ove godine bili ste zvanična fotografkinja Tiffany McCall na crvenom tepihu u Monaku. Kakvo je bilo to iskustvo i kako ste doživeli priznanje „Photography of Excellence“?
Rad sa Tiffany je bio sjajan. Ona je veoma profesionalna, i kao dizajnerka i kao organizatorka događaja. Okupila je snažan tim — dizajnere, modele, fotografe, snimatelje — i sve je bilo na visokom nivou.
Sama ceremonija zahtevala je mnogo posla – pet sati neprekidnog fotografisanja – ali svaka minuta se isplatila.
Na kraju sam doživela neočekivano iznenađenje: osvojila sam nagradu „Photography of Excellence“. Među svim prisutnim fotografima, moj rad je prepoznat kao najbolji. Taj trenutak je za mene bio izuzetno emotivan i poseban.
Od glamuroznih događaja do intimnijih sesija — koja vrsta fotografije vam donosi najviše ispunjenja?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: U ovom trenutku, najviše me ispunjava modna fotografija.
Počela sam sa portretima lepih devojaka, i dalje volim da fotografišem lepotu, ali danas imam veće ambicije. Shvatila sam da je moda moj pravi pravac. Trenutno radim na osvežavanju portfolija i sarađujem sve više sa profesionalnim modelima.
Moda je za mene spoj lepote, profesionalizma i velikih projekata — a samim tim otvara i više mogućnosti.
Koji su vaši planovi za budućnost? Da li imate projekte iz snova u najavi?
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Moji planovi su, kao i uvek — ambiciozni. Već sam pozvana da prisustvujem ovogodišnjem Venecijanskom filmskom festivalu u avgustu, kao i Paris Fashion Week-u, kao zvanična fotografkinja.
Kao svoj najveći profesionalni san izdvojila bih — dugoročnu saradnju sa magazinom Vogue. Ne samo kao gostujuća autorka, već kao deo njihovog stalnog tima fotografa.
Model: Sofiia Kolesnikova @iconicbysofi
Photo: Marina Karhkanina @rudichkaa
Muah: @platonova__makeup
Pr: @multi_publications
English here:
Sofiia Kolesnikova: Grace and Style
In a world where fashion and visual art are becoming increasingly intertwined, Sofiia Kolesnikova claims her space with confidence and style. Born in St. Petersburg and now based in Dubai, this photographer with a background in modeling skillfully balances the aesthetics of high fashion with the immediacy of raw emotion—whether she’s behind the lens on the red carpet in Monaco, during intimate sessions in Bali, or while curating exclusive “Old Money”–style bachelorette events.
Her photographs don’t just capture beauty—they reinterpret it. In this conversation for our magazine, Sofiia reflects on how life in Dubai reshaped her perspective, how she transitioned from being in front of the camera to working behind it, and how her dreams—by the looks of it—are well on their way to becoming reality.
You are originally from St. Petersburg, but have been living in Dubai for five years. How has this cultural shift affected your personal and creative path?
First of all, I would like to thank you for making me a part of your magazine. Thank you very much for choosing me for the cover and for this interview!
In fact, this cultural change has seriously affected my personal and creative path. Because St. Petersburg and Dubai are very different in atmosphere. St. Petersburg is about calm, cultural development, history. Dubai is about movement, it is about money, it is about scale.
These are absolutely two different vibes. And the atmosphere of Dubai is closer to me. Because I am an achiever. I love movement. I love to achieve new goals.
I like it here in Dubai that here you are constantly striving for new horizons, you want more and more. I love this kind of healthy athletic competition and of course this has affected my creative path. The scale here extends to the creative sphere as well. Before, I just wanted to photograph beautiful girls, today I want to work with big brands, magazines, celebrities. You don’t know the limit of your creative potential – this is very intriguing to me.
What inspired you to switch from modeling to photography, and how do these two worlds continue to influence each other in your creative process?
I was inspired, to be honest, by the financial side of photography. I make a lot more money here than in modeling.
Modeling helps me a lot in photography, because when I work with non-professional models, the girls need to be posed, so they really need support in this regard and it helps me a lot.
Another big advantage is that it is easier for me to build contact with models and clients. I speak their language. And this immediately inspires trust and allows me to work with beginners and stars equally comfortably.
You have been working as a professional photographer for two years now – how would you describe your visual style and approach to working with a lens?
As I would describe my style – beautiful, expensive and fashionable. Approach to working with a lens – I am a very responsible person and the kind of person who always takes precautions, for example, someone can come to a shoot with one camera, but I always take a suitcase with several cameras, with different lenses, with a tripod, with reflectors, because you never know what can happen during a shoot.
Your photography takes you around the world. Where have you found the most inspiration and how does location influence your story?
I’ve actually shot in a lot of places. The UAE, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bali, etc., but right now my top three are Monaco, Alula and Bali. These places are completely different in style, as you’ve noticed, but each has its own specialty.
You also organize hen parties. What makes these events special and how do you combine fun with capturing authentic, stylish moments?
Yes, that’s right, I organize hen parties. I recently had a hen party in Cannes and Monaco during the 78th Cannes Film Festival and Formula 1 and it was just wow, so many emotions. We did a lot of things together, the program was super busy, entertainment with photo sessions in the “Old Money” style. All the girls were happy.
In fact, you can easily combine a pleasant time with filming, if you have a plan. I always plan everything clearly and make reservations in the places where we are going. If the girls need stylists, makeup artists, clothing rentals – I can provide all this.
I also have such a superpower – I can very easily change everything. There should always be a plan B, if plan A does not work, then plan B will work, especially at such crazy events as Formula 1.
You were Tiffany McCall’s official photographer on the red carpet in Monaco this year – what was that experience like and how did it feel to receive the “Photography of Excellence” award?
Yes, I really enjoyed working with Tiffany. She knows her stuff as a designer and as a fashion show organizer. In terms of preparation, I have to give her credit, she put together a very strong team of different specialists – designers, models, photographers, videographers and there were a lot of guests. I really enjoyed being part of this event. Of course, there was a lot of work, five hours of non-stop shooting, but it was worth it.
At the end of the event, there was an unexpected surprise, I received the “Photography of Excellence” award. We had a competition among all the photographers and I won. Tiffany really liked my work. Among all the photographers, I managed to stand out. I was so happy.
From glamorous events to personal shoots, what type of photography brings you the most creative satisfaction – and why?
At the moment, fashion photography brings me the most creative satisfaction. I used to start with photos of just beautiful girls. I love photographing beautiful people, but over time my appetite has grown and I want to move on. I realized that fashion is the direction that suits me the most. At the moment, I am updating my portfolio and working more with professional models.
Why does this give me satisfaction? Fashion is beautiful, professional, it is at the level of large projects, there are more opportunities there.
What are your aspirations for the future? Do you have any joint projects or dream projects in your plans?
My plans, of course, as always, are Napoleonic. There are joint projects. I have already been invited to the Venice Film Festival this year, which will be held in August in Venice, and I have also been invited to Paris Fashion Week, as a photographer. As for dream projects, my dream is to collaborate with Vogue magazine. And not just for one project, but to be a permanent photographer.
Model: Sofiia Kolesnikova @iconicbysofi
Photo: Marina Karhkanina @rudichkaa
Muah: @platonova__makeup
Pr: @multi_publications
