Working with amazing individuals who are looking for creative, colorful, custom portraits is the greatest pleasure of my profession! Often, we become friends for years following the photoshoot. I think that's because people who "click" with my work are the kind of people I like personally.

Some of my commissions are done with a business goal in mind, others just for the pleasure of creative expression. Below I will describe my process for both, but please see the examples, too - they truly speak for themselves!

If you are interested in working with me, please contact me at aliona.kuz@gmail.com and let me know if you have a goal or theme in mind as well as your timeframe and any other relevant info. Can't wait to hear from you!

Personal Brand

As creatives, we know well that we are the core and the face of everything we produce. And it's very important to maintain the right impression whenever we appear in public in a professional capacity. But the same is true for the digital part of our brand's presence.

Together, we will find a way to showcase your creative universe within your portrait and send the right message while doing that. And if you need some images of your creations as well - as a still-life or on the model - we will add those in a cohesive way.

Artist's Atelier

In my experience, the best way to learn about an artist is to come by their studio. After a 20-minute initial Zoom consultation, I will come by with some equipment and take portraits that represent you in both creative and professional ways. We will have 2 hours photoshoot to make sure we try plenty of ideas! Want to add another level of complexity? We will print the portraits on elite-quality hot-press paper so you can add your own magic to the piece!

This option is ideal for creating portraits for your website and social profiles, as well as images to accompany interviews, blog posts or other PR efforts.

The rate for Artist Atelier is $350 + printing cost of $10 per print.

Boost Your Brand

Will take a bit more preparation. During the initial Zoom consultation, we will look at your goals and challenges and see what images we should produce to help you get where you want to be with your brand.

After that, we will define the location (plain air, interior or photo studio) as well as which other specialists we need to involve (makeup artist, hair stylist, assistant, graphic designer, etc.). We will create a moldboard and share it with the team involved.

On the day of the photoshoot, we will have 4 hours to craft and capture several sets of images and cover your brand's needs on its way to success.

This option is ideal for a more problem-solving approach when you need images to help you close the gap in your potential client's or collector's experience. For example, when you want to publish an advertorial for a new collection or create an info-product about a specific topic relevant to your audience.

The rate for Boost Your Brand is $500 + rates of team members and location.

Concept+Content

If you would like to cover a lot of ground, taking pictures of your studio or showroom, some pictures of yourself as well as pictures of your work on or with a model (lookbook or editorial), I recommend the Concept+Content option.

In a no-rush full-day session, we will create everything you need to showcase your new body of work for buyers, press and social media.

We start with an in-person meeting on a prior day when I can see the collection we are working with, and we can build a moldboard together and define what we are looking for in the model and team. On the day of the shoot, I will arrive early to have some interior and product shoots done while you are in your makeup, then photograph you in the environment and, finally, photograph the model under your supervision. During the day, we can change looks, locations, and even models, depending on your unique vision.

The rate for Concept+Content is $850 + rates of team members and location.

Creative Expression

I've been doing portraits for almost 20 years now, but it was not until COVID-19 and my self-portraiture exploration that I really understood the power of this experience. Love stories, pregnancy photoshoots and newborn sessions, without a doubt, capture very important chapters of our lives, but most of my clients come to me with other stories - be it overcoming a long illness, moving to a new country or feeling a powerful shift in one's identity, I try to carefully craft their story in visuals using every tool visual arts can offer and if needed involving other talented creatives to help us.

The Mood of the Moment

Sometimes, we forgo long preparation to preserve the spontaneity and serendipity of the experience. After a brief chat, I will help out with picking the best light and location, as well as a photoshoot-ready look. Then we have two hours to improvise and get those magical photos.

The rate for this shoot is $350

Team Power

For deeper and more complex ideas, we might need to use the team approach, combining the special outfit with meaningful location and props to allow you to express yourself fully in front of the camera. We will involve the best fashion professionals and other creatives to ensure we highlight every important part of your story.

The rate for Team Power is $500 + rates of team members and studio/interior.

Muse Mode

There are cases when we need a custom creative expression to reflect on truly personal experiences.

Sometimes it's creating a unique prop together - plaster of Paris cast or patched blanket. Other times, it's traveling to a special remote location to work in peace and express deep emotions. And yet another, it's a split photoshoot, when we shoot part of the day, and then meet another day to cover the resulting images in patterns of ink or paint.

Share your idea, and we will translate it into visuals and express it in a unique multilayered piece.

The rate for Muse Mode is $850.