Capturing the Beauty of the World through Stock Photographs

Even as a child, Natalia Kurzova, who goes by EVERST on Adobe Stock, was fascinated by photography. But it wasn’t until she met a successful stock photographer that she realized that she could pursue her love for traveling and the outdoors through stock. Here, Natalia shares her journey to building a breathtaking photography portfolio, and how travel keeps her inspired.

Image Source: EVERST / Adobe Stock.

Can you tell us about yourself and your background?

Photography has been a passion for me from my early childhood. I always felt something magic when I could capture interesting moments with my camera. Later I understood that my hobby could be my job also, and it closely intertwined with my other passion — traveling and mountaineering.

A long time ago, a photo from one of my first hikes was awarded first place in an outdoor photography contest. It gave great motivation and, since then, my goal has been to visit the most beautiful places in this world and show photos from there. So, I can say I’m really happy — my job is my passion.

Why did you start selling stock photos?

I found out about stock photography in 2011 from a successful stock photographer. I was looking for a job as retoucher, and he offered me work and showed photos he was selling on stock sites, mostly idyllic photos of tropical beaches. At that moment I discovered stock photography and decided that I don’t want to be retoucher of others’ photos. I could take my own photos and sell them all over the world. I really liked this idea, that I could travel and my photos will be everywhere. And maybe some of my pictures could even inspire somebody else to become a stock photographer.

Image source: EVERST / [Caption Text that should be blue](<<a href=>)” target=“_blank” rel=“noopener”>Adobe Stock.

What are some of the advantages of having a stock portfolio?

Passive income, of course. It gives me freedom to create and travel. Another advantage is having my work seen — sometimes my friends will see my photographs on a book cover or advertisement and ask me if it’s my work.

A lot of the images in your portfolio are from your travels. How do you shoot while you’re on the road?

I take hundreds photos on the road, and sometimes the best of them are the result of lucky moments. I try to find best locations previously, but more often I catch moments spontaneously. Also, lighting is the most important element for photography, so I work hard during the sunset or sunrise, when the light is best.

Image Source: EVERST / Adobe Stock.

Why is travel important to you?

Travel is my way of life. I can’t be in one place for a long time, I always need to change. I understand that I live in such a big and beautiful world, so I need to see every corner of it. And I’m a travel photographer, so I’ll never tire of finding new destinations. My friends are inspired by my photos, and they start traveling too. If my creations inspire others to move and explore, it means I’m doing something right.

Where do you find inspiration for your stock images?

Inspiration is what I see around me — landscapes, nature, shapes, and so on. Perhaps it’s better to say that inspiration finds me. Sometimes I see ideas for my photos when I sleep.

Image Source: EVERST / Adobe Stock.

I think images have more popularity that have elements of humanity and naturalness — no posing, no pretending. This is one of my best sellers, and it was taken on the 15th day of a real long mountain expedition. We were hungry and tired, but there was wonderful sunset in a fully wilderness destination, that gave idea for this scene. This is real emotion in the moment, but it can also illustrate different situations for different buyers and their needs.

Image source: EVERST / Adobe Stock.

Do you have any advice for people who are starting out in stock?

The most important thing is to find your own style, not to be a copy of others. It’s possible only if

you make what you really love. Don’t turn it into daily routine.

See more of Natalia’s work on Adobe Stock.

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