Yuliya Skya

A Master Storyteller Behind the Lens

Simplicity. Beauty. Contours of passion. Reality of Love. I embrace the art of photography - of freezing what is meant to pass in a millisecond. As a wedding and fine art photographer, I have received such compliments as AGWPJA's top 10 awards and the Harnisch Family Journalism scholarship in the recent years. I feel honored to have been able to witness and capture the unique wedding traditions across the United States and around the world, in locales ranging from the bright elegance of Florida and wondrous beauty of Yosemite, to Russia's crisp architecture and organic beauty of the Greek Isles. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, where my intrinsic connection to the arts was born, I came to New York to study journalism and photography. I have had the privilege of being a documentarian at diverse venues ranging from the beautiful Plaza Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, the Rainbow Room, the lovely Pierre Hotel, to the city's avant-garde gems like the Galapagous Art Space and the New Museum on the Bowery. My fine art and photojournalistic work has been exhibited at New York's Cielo, and has been published on Grace Ormonde's website, the Knot, Manhattan Bride, the Bride, and the New York Times' wedding section. From as early as I can remember I absorbed energies around me and when I would see someone happy or sad I automatically reflected the feeling in some way. The mechanism became ingrained in my photography and ultimately became the reason for me loving the craft- being able to evoke the truth of the moment and reflect the innate, uninhibited emotions of my subjects. Be it the intimate celebration in a garden of a home where one grew up as a child or the baroque fireworks of the grand ceremonies and intricate traditions, it is infinitely inspiring to me to see how unique each person is, and I greatly value the opportunity to be part of the bride and groom's celebration and the opportunity to create great memories. Yuliya Skya Cosmopolitan Photo and Films