An attuned cloche and a wise hand are necessary when harvesting magic.

(4/4) "It turns out, most of my decisions are guided by books I've read. I remember how I discovered “The Lord of the Rings“ and was truly mesmerized by it. “So, THAT's how literature should be like!", I thought. Also, there was The Enchanted World series with titles like “Dragons“, “Spells and Bindings“, “Fairies and Elves“, and “Magical Beasts“ and almost literally spellbinding artwork (it was the first time I saw artists like John Waterhouse and Arthur Rackham). Since practically no-one in my town in the ‘90s had access to the Internet, books were the only way to be introduced to art. And books like this were regarded as treasures.

And even now I'm a bit of a bookworm (well, audio bookworm) and a fan-girl. Pick a topic (literature, music, games, films), and I've found something to be obsessed with.

Obviously, I enjoy books about still life and storytelling (like “Problem and Development of the Still Life. The Life of Things“ by Boris Vipper or “Historical Roots of the Wonder Tale“ by Vladimir Propp), but not exclusively. The last one I've read is “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality“ by Eliezer Yudkowsky - it's hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. And Professor Quirrell had my heart broken.

Sometimes all this fan-girling slips into my work and I make a picture of a small series about my current crash, but for most of the time it stays backstage and keeps me inspired. And happy."

(3/4) "The most important advice I've ever received is, “Always start with a sketch.“

Can we make it in a voice of Discworld Death? ALWAYS START WITH A SKETCH. Yeah, that's better. I wish someone told me that earlier! It allows you to think about your character and your story, to ask important questions, to add cute details. I know there are photographers who can think of an idea on the run, but I'm definitely not one of them. So sketching and planning ahead is at the core of my work and—for that matter—inspiration.

I have never felt that my work has an impact on anyone except me. I mean, people like it. People are trying to make something like it (and I'm writing tutorials to help them). To be candid, seeing someone who's trying my tutorial and creating something new is a great joy for me, so maybe it's a good way to have an impact on someone's way in still life photography."