Fashion is my passion ❤️
For me, photography is Life captured in still frames. I’m Julia Yatel, and I create fashion photographs for brands and private clients. My European style brings personality, fashion, and real life into the same image. A glance, a gesture, the movement of fabric. I want you to believe in the person and the moment you see.
Originally from Ukraine, I’m now based in Miami, Florida, USA. I travel for photography projects across the United States and can arrange work worldwide. Wherever the shoot takes me, I start with the person or collection, the idea, and the light.
I love working with collections that have a personality of their own, from a small capsule to a larger fashion campaign. I start with the mood, the clothes, and the people who will wear them. Then I think about a place and a quality of light that belong to that story.
For me, preparation and spontaneity belong together. I plan the concept, styling, and practical details so there is room to move, try something, and follow a moment when it feels right. I want the photographs to carry your character as naturally as they carry the clothes.
My Path to Photography
In my first year of journalism school, I accidentally ended up in the photojournalism department. Life led me straight to what would become my biggest passion. My first job was at a glossy magazine in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Stylish images, inspiring people, fresh ideas. That world felt exciting and, somehow, deeply familiar.
My second story in fashion began more than a decade ago, as a professional makeup artist and hairstylist. After moving to Portugal in 2018, I noticed something: I often preferred the behind-the-scenes photos I took on my phone to the finished photographs from a shoot. I could see the makeup and styling in a particular way, and I wanted to capture that image myself. So I picked up my first camera. I started my photography project there in 2019, and the years since have brought fashion shoots, private portraits, and magazine covers. That chapter shaped the European style I carry into my work today.
I put a lot of myself into each project, from the first idea to the finished photographs. I develop the concept, guide the shoot, and work on the images afterward. My husband Anton supports my projects as part of the team when needed, but I’m your photographer and the person you’ll talk to about the creative direction.
Some ideas need just a small team. Others call for models, a wardrobe stylist, makeup and hair specialists, assistants, or other people with a particular skill. For a US project, I can bring together the team that fits its size and creative needs. I discuss those roles with you during preparation, so the people involved have a clear reason to be there.
Alongside brand campaigns, I love private photoshoots for women, men, and couples. I love the curiosity that brings someone to a shoot: a new chapter, a wish to see themselves differently, or simply the pleasure of creating something beautiful. You don’t need to know how to pose. I guide movement and expression, giving you time to feel more comfortable in front of my camera.
That is why I think of a shoot as a holistic experience. The first conversation, preparation, trust, and the joy of making something together all matter to me. I wrote more about this in Photoshoot as a Holistic Experience.
I also create model portfolios and creative agency tests for beginners, experienced models, and their agencies. There is room to explore character and movement here too, with the session shaped around the model and the portfolio’s needs.
My beauty background is still part of the way I see a photograph. I notice how the hair sits, how the makeup catches the light, and whether the whole look belongs together. For a small private session or capsule collection, I may also create makeup and style hair by agreement. Another project may need separate specialists. I choose that approach with you while planning the shoot.
I work mainly with natural light, outdoors or in a beautiful interior, villa, yacht, or suitable studio. I’m drawn to photographs with movement and natural expression, where the person feels alive in the frame. My European style of fashion photography grows from that way of seeing. You can read more about my photography approach and the care that goes into a shoot.
If you feel a connection with my work, tell me about the photographs you have in mind. Miami, another part of Florida, elsewhere in the United States, or a destination abroad: I can discuss the idea and travel arrangements with you. I’d love to hear your story.
Why me?
I create fashion photographs with a European editorial style, natural expression, and movement
I work primarily with natural light, outdoors and in carefully chosen interiors
I bring more than a decade in fashion and beauty, with my photography project beginning in 2019
I bring experience from hundreds of fashion magazine publications
I plan the location and bring together the people needed for your particular US project
I stay personally involved, from preparation to the shoot and the finishing of your images
My clients and friends
My Published Work
