How Light Shapes Your Home: A Unique Perspective

Even if you’re not a photographer, I believe it’s an amazing practice to notice HOW LIGHT MOVES through your HOME. Have you ever paid attention to it?

What time of day does your home get bathed in sunlight—morning or evening? Do you ever notice how it paints the walls, floor, sofa, or a favorite painting? When light filters through textured curtains, flower pots, or even a vase of flowers, it creates beautiful patterns of shadow and glow. This is also the best time to catch a rainbow or light reflections—did you know that?

Here, the light came through the window in another room. The door was open, so for a few moments, the evening light fell beautifully on my daughter’s face. I took my film camera to capture the moment.

We used to live in a house where the bedroom and living room were filled with morning light, while the kids’ room was my favorite place to take photos in the evening. I loved capturing those moments, watching the sunlight travel across the walls. Knowing its path allowed me to plan my photoshoots accordingly.

In our previous house, the garden was where the morning light was most beautiful.

My favorite times to take photos are early morning or late afternoon. In our previous home, I loved shooting in the bedroom as the first light poured in, then moving downstairs as the sun slowly reached the kitchen and living room. The higher the floor, the earlier the sun appears in the room—this is why skyscrapers brighten much sooner than ground-level homes. Have you ever thought about that?

The rainbow from the prism blended with the morning light in our living room.
In the afternoon, I went to the kids’ room to capture some fun photos.

One more thing I enjoy is simply resting or even taking a nap under the sunlight streaming into a room. I lie in bed, letting the warmth fall on my face and eyes. It’s such a meditative practice.

When the light hits your face, you can enjoy a short nap under its warm rays.

Have you ever followed the light in your home? Try it—you might see your space in a whole new way.

Some photographic instruments I used to create the following images:

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A prism to catch the rainbow

A prism in UAE

A star filter to catch the star-shaped light when the sun is low.

Pay attention to the lens size! It is written on the lens (for example, 55 mm, 85 mm)

A star filter in UAE

My Stocksy portfolio

Journaling. The book and the process.

Today, I’m starting my sixth week of morning pages with The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I started this book a few years ago but never finished it. The desire to try again has been lingering in my mind for a long time, and this year, I finally decided to go back to the very beginning.

I committed to waking up at 5 AM every morning and dedicating 30 minutes to writing my thoughts down on blank pages in a notebook.

THe Artist's way book by Julia Cameron

I used to wake up at 5 AM before, but over the last year or two, I lost that feeling—the one that makes you want to wake up early. The only reason I opened my eyes was my alarm and the thought that I had to prepare snack boxes for my kids before they left for school. I couldn’t understand how I used to wake up earlier so easily or why I even wanted to.

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Then I realized that back then, I was actually practicing a morning routine from Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning. One of the practices in that book is morning pages, but at the time, I didn’t feel like doing them.

Anyway, I decided to give it another try—30 minutes from 5 AM to 5:30, just writing my thoughts down in a journal. Sometimes, we need time and give something a second chance. It happens to me in different ways.

Filling the pages with my worries, thoughts, ideas, and griefs.

My mind has always been so full of thoughts that it often feels so overwhelming. Instead of concentrating on a task you want to, your inner voice keeps talking to you the whole time. But every morning, as I jot them down with my fountain pen from Kinokuniya (love it, by the way), sitting in the living room or the garden, I feel like I’m slowly coming back to life. As broken as I feel some mornings, the more whole I start to become—bit by bit, morning by morning.

This is what I can share about writing morning pages as a task from the book.

You choose a notebook you like, or decorate it in a way that makes you happy. Personally, I stuck a Totoro sticker on the front cover because it was plain, and the writing I had done a few years ago wasn’t to my taste anymore. A small change like this can make all the difference—if you like how your notebook looks, you’ll want to hold it in your hands and fill it with your words. That little trick worked like magic for me.

Every morning, I fill three pages with whatever comes to mind—my feelings, stories, dreams, what happened yesterday, or what I’m planning to do today. And if nothing comes to mind, I simply write: I have no idea what I’m supposed to write now… or I ask myself a question I want an answer to: Why am I afraid to start writing more stories? Why did I stop posting pictures? Why do I feel gloomy today?

And you know what? More often than not, my hand just keeps writing, searching for the answer.

By filling the pages, I free up space in my mind. And it really works.

I encourage you to try this practice.

Links to Amazon in UAE:

The Artist’s Way Book by Julia Cameron

The Miracle Morning Book by Hal Elrod’s

Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

If you ever come to Dubai or live there, you might consider booking a photoshoot with me:) I will leave the link to my webpage here.

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Nice to meet you

Hello everyone,

Tanya is here.

Today is my birthday and I’ve decided to start writing more and sharing more of my work, projects, and the things that inspire me in 2025.

I often find myself lost in my own thoughts, as if a heavy cloud is hovering over my head. Overthinking comes naturally to me, and it’s not always easy to quiet my mind.

In January, I started writing morning pages, and after reading a few inspiring books, I came to a simple but important realization—the only way forward for me is to write and share with the world.

I’ve never considered myself a good writer, and speaking feels even more challenging. So, I’ll start with what feels a little more comfortable for me right now—writing.

For my first post, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting facts about me:

  • I got a degree in International law. But life has a way of surprising us. At 24, I left that part of my life behind and started creating with a camera I received as a wedding gift.
  • When I was 14, I learned HTML and built my own webpage about Japanese anime. It became surprisingly popular, and one day, I received a package filled with souvenirs from a boy in another country as a thank-you. For the first time ever I got a perfume.
  • I got a tattoo on my hand simply because, one day, my husband asked if I had ever wanted one. In that moment, I thought-why not? The image of a cherry blossom immediately came to mind. It reminds me of my creative side. Many memories are connected with it.
  • All my warmest childhood memories are tied to summers spent at my grandmother’s summer cottage—the wooden yellow house my dad built, nestled among big apple trees. Three months of pure freedom, far from school and city life.
  • When I was 14, I started writing a book-but never finished it. It all began with a map of a town I sketched in a big notebook my parents bought me.
  • I’m an introvert at heart, and big social gatherings can feel overwhelming. And yet, somehow, I have friends all over the world.
  • The summer I first started practicing photography, I took only one fixed manual lens on a trip to the Czech Republic with my parents. With no autofocus and only one focal length, I had no choice but to learn manual focusing-and that’s how I truly learned to see.
  • Some of the people who inspire me most are Hayao Miyazaki, Joe Hisaishi, Tove Jansson, Claude Monet, and Peter Lindbergh. They each followed their own path, no matter what.
  • I believe that choosing a profession should be about finding a tool that helps you as much as it helps others. Photography, for me, is first and foremost a healing tool. It allows me to see the world in a more positive and beautiful way. I believe art has the power to manifest things, to shape our own reality. A camera captures the truth of the world-the way things exist. And in that way, it’s a tool for seeing life from a new perspective. Isn’t that incredible?
  • Right now, I’m learning how to live a slow life in one of the fastest cities in the world, Dubai.

Top Books for Photographers and Creative Minds

Slow moments with a book. My story.

Pour hot water into your favorite mug and enjoy some time in the garden, in a cozy corner of the room, or on the balcony with a book.

You might think you’re too busy for this, but I believe it comes down to values and priorities. If you want to find these few minutes a day, you will.

I can’t say I’ve always been a bookworm. We had a huge library in our apartment in Kyiv—my granny was an editor, and books were her passion.

My parents loved to read all the time, so you can only imagine how big our home library was. But what I loved most was listening to the stories my grandmother or mother read to me and my sister. Even when I was in primary school and was supposed to read by myself, I didn’t want to. I waited every evening for my granny to finish watching the news on TV and come read a story. Doctor Dolittle, Mary Poppins, The Hobbit, Astrid Lindgren’s stories, the Moomins by Tove Jansson—she was the one who opened the secret door to the world of books and stories. She always said that adults can learn so much from children’s books. Only now do I understand her.

This year, I decided to find books I remember from my childhood and read them again. My daughters bring books home from the school library every week, and I recently found one that unexpectedly reignited my desire to read fiction.

For the last few years, I’ve been reading books about art, motivation, goals, money, and transformation. I’ve learned so much from them. But you know what? Sometimes, we just need to pick up a short story or a children’s book, shut out the noise of the outer world, and dive into a different one—the world the author wanted to share with us.

I never considered myself a good reader. I didn’t really enjoy literature in school. There were only a few books I loved; the rest felt like torture. I read because I had to, and I don’t remember much of it. This is why I tend to believe I don’t read enough. I was always told what to read, so as an adult, it hasn’t been easy to shift my mindset. But I’m learning.

That’s why I’m truly happy that my girls visit the school library once a week and choose books they actually want to read. They’re learning to read and discovering their own style.

Here’s a list of books I’d recommend for inspiration—books I’ve read and that are part of my home library:

Steal like an artist by Austin Kleon

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Books for photographers and artists

I collected here books about photography, cinematography, writing skills and books for those who like Miyazaki movies, like me:)

Books about people and there work and life

I think every photographer, whether a beginner or a professional, should read interviews with great photographers—to understand how they saw and felt the world. I’ve always been a big fan of biographies of famous people. We are all different, and it’s important to recognize that rather than compare ourselves to others. When you learn more about a photographer whose work you admire, you begin to see that their path and style were shaped by their environment and circumstances.

  • Interviews and Conversations 1951-1998 – Henri Cartier-Bresson
  • Magnum Contact Sheets – by Kristen Lubben
  • Arnold Newman at Work – by Roy Flukinger
  • Miyazakiworld – Susan Napier
  • Street Photography – Vivian Maier
  • The Ultimate Peter Rabbit: A Visual Guide to the World of Beatrix Potter
Arnold Newman At work book

portraits taken by Anna Grosheva

Books for anyone looking to build new habits and find motivation and inspiration in life:

  1. Homecoming – John Bradshaw
  2. Japonisme – Erin Niimi Longhurst
  3. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life – Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles
  4. The Storytelling Animal – Jonathan Gottschall
  5. The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families: How to Bring Out the Best in Your KIDS and Your SELF – Hal Elrod
  6. The Art of Making Memories – Meik Wiking
  7. The Little Book of Hygge – Meik Wiking
  8. Travel with Children – Lonely Planet

These are the books I personally enjoyed reading and highly recommend.

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions and recommendations.

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