Nastia Shavshyna is a photographer from Ukraine. She has a unique little travel companion, a pug named Senia! In this interview, we ask Nastia questions about her creative process, her journey as a photographer, and how she goes about traveling with a dog. We absolutely love her enthusiasm and her positive outlook on the current COVID-19 pandemic and we hope that you are left as inspired as what we were!

Hello Nastia, thank you for doing this interview with us and giving our readers an insight into your life! We would love to find out a bit more about where you are from and where you got your love for photography, nature, and travel from? When did you know that this is what you wanted to do? Is photography your full-time job?

Hello, Jamie! I am very happy to be a part of Culture of creatives. As you already stated, my name is Nastia Shavshyna. I am an outdoor enthusiast and a travel photographer based in Lviv city, Ukraine. I was born and raised in the Eastern part of Ukraine. After graduating from university, I decided to move to the Western part of Ukraine. The West is known for its incredibly picturesque, seemingly untouched nature and its many historical and cultural sights.

My first journey abroad was a trip to Georgia and Azerbaijan. It was amazing for me to see all the beauty that these regions had to offer! I have explored almost all the cultural and natural sights of these countries. The one and only thing which left me in absolute awe, however, was the mountains. I still remember how It felt standing at the summit looking across the gorgeous peaks of the Caucasus Mountain range - it was unbelievable!

After returning home I soon realized that it was important for me to live somewhere close to the mountains. For now, I am happy to have some of my absolute favourites – the Carpathian Mountains, just 90 minutes’ drive from my home in Lviv city. Ever since that first adventure more than seven years ago now, I have tried to venture outdoors as much as possible and explore the most beautiful corners of our planet.

I used to be a hobbyist lifestyle photographer many years ago. Then around three years ago I went on a trip to Iceland and only took my iPhone with me. I was sad that I couldn’t capture all the amazing memories and otherworldly views the way that I wanted to. After that trip, I decided that from then on I would photograph all the special moments on my travels. In the beginning, it was just a hobby - to capture photos from interesting places and post them on social media. Everything happened so quickly after that and my hobby turned into my job! As of right now, I am proud to call myself a photographer. I am still endeavouring to improve and grow myself in this profession.

Kawah Ijen, Bondowoso, East Java, Indonesia

You always seem to find the most incredible places to photograph! How do you find your next location to shoot? How much planning and research goes on once you have found somewhere that you want to visit and photograph?

I feel like you will not be surprised when I say that most of the incredible places I visit, I find on Instagram. When I am looking for a destination, I am also trying to find some interesting and less touristy spots. I also check travel forums, social media pages and even online articles targeting the locals.

Usually, I am aiming to plan my trips a couple of weeks in advance. Sometimes it is difficult to plan journeys to certain countries weeks before the trip starts, however. Patagonia, Chile, in high season, for example. It took me one month just to book all the campsites in Torres Del Paine National Park! But in most cases, I need one-two weeks beforehand to plan out my trips. Sometimes, I like to book flights only two-three days in advance! I love being spontaneous.

Where are some of your favourite places to travel? Could you share with us your favourite things about, and favourite locations in Ukraine?

All the Nordic countries in my eyes are paradise on Earth. I keep going back to them, especially Iceland! Patagonia is another favourite destination of mine. I even thought about moving there! This still could be an option for me in the future.

In Ukraine, my favourite destination will always be the Carpathian Mountains. I like to return to well-known places in different seasons and hike the same trails. I enjoy the seasonal colour changes which transform the landscape.

We must know more about your little travel companion, Senia! @roamwithpug has amassed quite a following! And Senia looks to be one photogenic, happy, and lucky little pug! What made you decide to create an Instagram page for your dog? Can you offer any advice to people wanting to photograph their own furry friend?

Thank you, I think Senia is very pleased, haha! He really is the best travel buddy ever! Some people ask me why I chose a pug. Pugs are not strong enough for travelling and especially for hiking trips. But he came into my life before I started travelling. I was so happy to have not only the new family member but a new best friend!

So, we started traveling together. Our first road trip was a Christmas adventure to the western part of Europe. After reading a lot of information regarding the pug breed, I was afraid that he might not be able to cope well on a big road trip. But for now, I think that he is doing great. He seems to like all this outdoor stuff more than me sometimes! He was even able to hike up Trolltunga by himself!

The one and only tip for people who want to photograph their dogs outdoors: Have a lot of treats and they will do whatever you want!

You visit some fairly remote and wild places with this lucky little pug, how much carrying does mum have to do and what do you take extra care with to make sure that your furry friend is safe and healthy whilst on the road and in the wild with you?

Dogs do not require too much on road trips. I always take his dry food (for his weight I need 170g of dry food per day), a dog water bottle, some medication (like treatment for parasites), and, of course, a lot of treats! It’s easy to buy dog food on the road as you go, so I don’t need to carry kilograms of extra stuff when traveling with my dog.

During an overnight stay in the tent, he usually sleeps with me in my sleeping bag or just on the sleeping pad when it's hot outside. This works well as I don't need to take a special dog sleeping bag on our hiking trips. I also have a dog hammock for the car.

Do factors such as time of year define where and when your next adventure will be? What are some factors that should be taken into consideration?

I like to travel all year round regardless of the season. The main factor which defines when and where I go is my dog. I don’t like to travel too much or for too long without him. For this reason, I don’t fly a lot as I can’t bring him on the plane. Sometimes, I will cancel upcoming trips and choose another interesting destination where I can bring him with me. Most of the time we are road tripping around Europe together.

You have had experience growing a couple of Instagram pages to a respectable size now. What do you believe are some factors that are key to growth and getting yourself out there in an extremely competitive platform such as Instagram?

Uniqueness and quality. In my eyes, these are the main factors for growing on Instagram. Nowadays, the platform is oversaturated with travel accounts. This is great, but it makes growth extremely hard. Only a small percentage can present high-quality unique content and find success. This is what I strive for.

You have some beautiful presets on your website! Is this a viable way for creatives to make an income in 2020 in your eyes? What income sources have you tried? Is there anything that you would like to do more of or have a go at in the future to earn a bit more money doing what you love?

For now, I am not selling the presets. I do plan on creating new preset packs and have them available for purchase on my website soon - so stay tuned! My main income is from selling photos to different travel agents and brands. I do this not only through Instagram but also through stock photography websites. I have had, and still have private contracts with some brands as well, and I do specific photography projects just for them. I do have one big project which I hope to implement soon. I can’t share any details with you yet, but I am sure that you will like it!

That sounds exciting! Do you have a go-to camera and lens that you take with you everywhere you travel? Or does it depend completely on where you are going? What drone do you use, and does it go everywhere with you?

The standard photography equipment that I take with me on all my travels is a Canon 5D Mark IV camera with my favourite lens, the Canon 24-70 f2.8. I also take a drone, my DJI Mavic Pro. I am currently trying to sell the drone however and upgrade to the newer version.

I used to take photos with Canon equipment when I was a lifestyle photographer all those years ago. But my journey as a travel photographer began with an unprofessional, but lovely Fujifilm XT-20. You can see some photos which were taken one-two years ago with it on my Instagram.

What programs do you use to edit your photos, and do you use any apps? Can you offer any tips on improving your editing and coming up with your own unique style?

I always use Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop for retouching my images and removing unnecessary things from them. My advice to everybody would be to try to listen to yourself before editing. Think carefully about the tones and colours you would like to use.

Try to believe yourself. It is okay to mimic some editing styles from other photographers in the beginning. I know that sometimes you may think that you can’t edit how you would like to because the photos won’t get enough likes or engagement on Instagram, but honestly, you need to try and believe in yourself and in your talent. Don’t forget that people spend their entire lives growing and improving.

The current COVID-19 crisis is having a profound effect on everyone. How is the current situation in Ukraine? How are you staying busy and motivated with the current travel restrictions in place and the social distancing restrictions?

When the quarantine started in Ukraine and we went into lockdown, I was a little bit sad to cancel all the upcoming trips which I had planned. I had some problems with cancelling flights and car rentals as well. I was meant to be up in Northern Europe right now. I can’t help but imagine how amazing it would be to see the place from my dreams and finally explore it!

But, at the same time, I am really happy that I have had a chance to slow down, take a deep breath and concentrate on getting all the things which I have a habit of putting aside for later done. It has also been nice to enjoy all the simple moments at home, to think about what I want to do in the future, who I want to be, and where else I’d like to go.

Sometimes chasing dreams and achieving goals all the time gets tiring. It can be easy to forget what is really important to us. Thanks to the quarantine, I think that a lot of people have learned to enjoy the little things in life more. We get a chance to reflect on and appreciate our lifestyles and all the opportunities that we have.

The current COVID-19 situation in Ukraine has improved a lot. We are now free to walk around the cities and have social gatherings. The government has also allowed the cities to open their malls, shops, and the summer terraces in restaurants. Recently we had a public holiday in Ukraine and we had lots of tourists visiting Lviv from all corners of our country. It is great to see that things are slowly starting to get back to normal here.

Once again, we really appreciate you taking the time to do this Nastia! Where can people find out more about you? Where can we all follow your social media pages? We wish both yourself and Senia, the very best in the future and we look forward to following your journey!

I was happy to answer all of your questions. Thank you again for the opportunity, it means a lot for me!

My main social media page is on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bammbanana/ I would appreciate your support on it. You are also welcome to check out my page for Senia: https://www.instagram.com/roamwithpug/

My website is: www.shavshyna.com Soon there will be a preset sale and I am excited to upload some blog posts soon. I welcome you all to come and visit!

Stay safe, and I wish you all a great summer full of outdoor adventures!