Nastia Shavshyna

Landcape photographer based in Ukraine

Nastia Shavshyna hails from Lviv, Ukraine. Her aim is simple: explore for a living. As a photographer she can do just that. She began six years ago by traveling around her native country when she was studying at university, first taking up portrait and urban photography before transitioning to landscape photography.

Over the past decade, Nastia has been able to travel to approximately forty countries. She’s appreciative that she’s had the opportunity to do so, but says that “I used to count countries but then I realized that there are so many amazing places I want to return to despite the fact there are soooo manyyy places in the world I’ve not been to yet.”

On how she travels, she said, “I love spontaneity and surprise, that is something special. It’s like a surprise on your birthday. And unfortunately, almost all my trips I’ve planned months before going there.”

While she’s been able to travel to many countries over time, the Faroe Islands was by far her favorite place. She responded, “It’s just a heaven on the Earth! It made my heart beat faster and I even see it in my dreams!”

She lives vicariously through her mantra: to explore for a living, savoring every simple moment whether that is watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat or staying home enjoying time spent with her dog and her boyfriend.

Welcome Nastia! You have been an Instagram user for a while now. Actually, your first picture was posted the 14th of October 2012! Since then you traveled a lot! Where does your passion for travel comes from and when was the first time you captured a photo with a DSLR camera?

Hello! First of all, I want to say it’s a pleasure to collaborate with such an amazing travel magazine – you always give me such a great inspiration!

My Instagram page is six years old but only about one year ago it became a kind of special for me when I decided to share with the world my travel stories through photography. And it’s not only about sharing your own photos, it’s also about finding new people, new communities that become your travel inspiration and make your passion for travel photographing grow!

I got my first DSLR camera eight years ago – before Instagram life haha! But I used it for shooting people and city life and it was what I really loved to do!

But then I decided to quit as a portrait and urban photographer. When I started to travel, I used only an iPhone. But my first trip to Iceland changed everything! I’ve seen so wonderful and unreal places and I wanted to capture it more and more, and I was so sad I didn’t have a good camera for it! So when I returned home I bought my second DSLR camera and from there my passion for travel photography began.

What about passion for traveling? The first countries I’ve visited were Georgia and Azerbaijan, such perfect countries for people who haven’t traveled before, with great landscapes and an extensive cultural heritage. It was the first time I’ve seen the mountains – it was mind-blowing! I think that mountains made me think more about traveling.

"Since then I’m trying to open my heart and my mind to our beautiful Planet Earth. And I can't stop and don't want stop to do it! Living outdoors - that’s the way I choose for now."

How many countries have you visited so far? Are you always on the road nowadays?

To be honest I’m not counting the number of countries I’ve visited, because I think this is not the most important thing when you’re exploring the world. I used to count countries but then I realized that there are so many amazing places I want to return to despite the fact there are soooo manyyy places in the world I’ve not been to yet. But I think that I’ve already visited about 40 countries.

I started traveling six years ago when I was studying in university, before that time I only traveled around my native country – Ukraine. And I’m trying to travel more. But I also like being at home and living simple life, walking with my beloved and with my dog at the old city streets of Lviv. I like stay at home editing photos, cooking dinner and watching some movie with them; I like going to the Carpathian Mountains with my family for the short weekend, going for a picnics, swimming in hot pools and enjoying the beauty of Ukrainian nature. Of course, I’m working that’s why I need to stay home for sometime but – I like it, I really like the mix of being outdoors and living the cozy simply life! This mix is my daily life.

“Live for exploring.” Why it is so important for you to explore the world and how does traveling has change your life?

On my profile page I used to have the words “Live for exploring – Explore for living”. These are not just simple words for me. It is my life’s philosophy! As such, I always try to live creating, discovering, being inspired and exploring! I try to live life to the fullest!

How do you determine where to travel and how frequently? What other considerations do you have when traveling for photography?

To be honest I don’t like to plan my trips for the whole year or even for the next months. I love spontaneity and surprise, that is something special. It’s like a surprise on your birthday. And unfortunately, almost all my trips I’ve planned months before going there. So I decided to choose the way of planning trips for next month, or the next few months. And, of course, I wish I traveled as much as possible that’s why I don’t have the special list of “must-visit countries” for next year, for example.

What is your favorite location you’ve traveled to and why? Do you have a destination you’d dream of traveling to and why?

My favorite location I’ve traveled to was the Faroe Islands. It’s just a heaven on the Earth! It made my heart beat faster and I even see it in my dreams! Btw my dream is to move there with my beloved and my dog for years. My favorite locations are Iceland, Norway, North Vietnam, and the Dolomites.

And, of course, I dream about visiting many countries I’ve never been before, but first of all I want to explore more Arctic territories like Greenland, Spitsbergen, Falklands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. And I want to visit Canada, Alaska, Patagonia, New Zealand, Kamchatka, and hope to do it at next few years.

What is the most beautiful thing that travel has allowed you to do?

Every time going outdoors and travel, I collect so many wonderful moments and memories that I’ve experienced.

I can’t choose the most amazing moments I’ve experienced abroad. I’ve had so many, from a paragliding flight in the mountains, a jungle safari in Thailand rainforest, crossing rivers in mind-blowing Icelandic Highlands, flying over Faroe Islands by helicopter, taking my dog to Trolltunga, enjoying the polar night and Arctic daylight, kayaking at Ha Long Bay, watching sunrise at Angkor and many many more!

"But every time I travel, I experience too many amazing moments to collect them in one short list! And I am always grateful for the opportunity to experience these perfect moments and travel more!"

Nastia Shavshyna Landscape Photographer

You have been working on your editing style for more than a year now. Photography is as important to you as traveling? Where would you like to be 5 years from now in terms of art creation?

When I’m traveling, I always thinking about photography, about places where should I go for shooting, about the times of a day, about weather, about lighting effects which appear after the rain, for example. My passion is landscape photography and I am always looking for different amazing places I need to go when I’m in some country or some region. I think it’s one more thing I like the northern countries for: the weather. I like shooting when it’s cloudy and when its rainy. I know it’s hard for your camera to shoot when there’s rain but I just like the challenge. I learned photography through YouTube lessons, through Instagram photos from famous bloggers, through some forums and platforms for photographers.

Imagine yourself at the beginning of your career as a photographer. What four pieces of advice would you give to yourself?

You know, I think that I’m now on the beginning of my career as a photographer (haha). I know that I need to work harder and do my best to improve my skills of landscape photographing. But here what I can advise to myself:

forget about shooting at bright daylight
go to places you’ve chosen for shooting at sunrise, sunset or when its cloudy outside
begin to love mountains as much as possible
go outdoors now!

As a photographer, I am sure that you feel attached to all your photos. All your pictures represent unique moments of your life. However, among your works, do you have any picture that you really like? Which is your favorite photo?

I don’t have my favorite picture. And I think if I had one it means I don’t have enough really good photos. I’m happy to realize I have many pictures from all over the world and even from my simple life at home that I really like and that I want to see and to show!

Now imagine for a second that you have a superpower! You can go back in time! What moment would you like to experience one more time?

If I had a superpower I would just go back to the time when I was graduated from high school and tell myself to begin traveling right away and to make money from it. But I think that I don’t need a superpower to experience all the amazing things in my life one more time, I just need to work more for it (haha).

Is there any artist/photographer who has inspired your art? Can you name three?

Yes, there are many photographers that inspires me a full like Benjamin Hardman (@benjaminhardman) or Chris Burkard (@chrisburkard) but I get an inspiration from Insta photographers but from genius like Steve McCurry (@stevemccurryofficial) or Jimmy Chin (@jimmy_chin).

Any new projects coming up or countries you will be visiting soon?

I’ve just returned from my Bali trip with Trip of Wonders and soon it’ll be my Christmas trip, which isn’t planned as well yet (I hope it’ll be Finland, haha). And I’ll kick off the New Year with my trip to South America, and I’ll have some small projects there. And – working, working and working again on landscape photography!