About the Photographer…

Yana Shevchenko was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, one of the world’s most magnificent cities. The city, which was built by Peter the Great in the eighteenth century to rival the splendor of Paris, contains a wealth of palaces, churches, and museums.

The artist was first introduced to black and white photography as a child assisting her step-father in his darkroom and observing the magic of the first print emerging from the developer tray. Many of her early ideas and concepts in photography were influenced by her father during childhood. Yana developed a vital connection to the natural world through photography of natural scenes.

Because most of her initial work was black and white, her eyes have been finely tuned to contrast and light position. Her color work attempts to evoke, in color, contrasting hues that catch and hold one’s attention.

The dramatic long Russian winters, with their gray, dull, and narrow color range, made the colors of spring, summer and early fall especially exciting and stimulating for her. This seasonal effect has been a primary influence on her work.

Living in California since 1998 is like being in paradise for Yana due to the wide variety and intensity of colors occurring naturally all year-round. Whether it’s Napa mustard fields and vineyards, Big Sur seascapes, floras, or San Francisco architecture, Yana’s photographs bring color to life using natural light.

Through self instruction, practice and classes, Yana learned her craft and honed it in her own unique style. She hopes her work will create treasures to look at which will be sources of warmth, fond memories, and dreams depicting all that is wonderful in our environment. Yana’s passion for photography is endless. She is pleased to share the current collection of images.