A beginning I didnt expect

I was never really drawn to street photography. I never understood why people take pictures of flowers, clouds, animals… or architecture, for that matter. Photography, for me, was always about people. About clothing. About the body.

But something shifted during this trip. Paris, June 2024.

I became braver. I stopped obsessing over how many frames were left on the roll. I allowed myself more blind shots, more play. I treated it like a game — searching for what resonated, what stirred something in me.

And that’s when I met my future husband for the first time. Maybe his energy, his lightness somehow soaked into me at that moment. You might have seen some of these frames before — I posted a few on my non-photography account. But I felt the need to put them together again. Because this was the beginning. And every trip, every encounter, every emotion since then somehow ties back to this moment. This was the origin. The source. A place where something opened. And maybe, a thread that will continue — in other countries, other rolls of film, other quiet stories.

Originally, it was a model work trip across Europe: Naxos, Sicily, Berlin. And between Sicily and Berlin, I had a free week — trying to decide where to go and rest. At that point, I had been talking to Gary online for a while. We met through the NFT art world. At some point, I felt like he started to show interest, and we’d even talked about meeting in person — but it never quite happened. I convinced myself I’d made it up, that it wasn’t real interest, just artistic curiosity.

But this time, Gary offered to meet in Paris — said he’d adjust to my dates. It felt unexpected but warm. And then, almost magically, things began to align. I got a shoot request from a local photographer. And I found out that Katya Prekrasna would also be in Paris that week — a close friend of mine, and someone Gary already knew, too. We were all connected in different ways — and somehow, all ended up in the same place at the same time.

I’d grown used to men who promise a lot and do nothing. So I wasn’t expecting anything at all. But we met — the three of us. And the moment I saw Gary, my anxiety disappeared. We hugged, and I felt instantly at home. No one had ever hugged me like that — so full, so quiet, so real. Our breathing, our heartbeat, our warmth — it melted into something whole. It wasn’t just a touch. It felt like we were slipping into each other. It was incredible. And then, a little awkward — because I had just met this person. And I wasn’t sure if I was the only one who felt it. Or if he hugged everyone like that. But with each day, the doubts faded.

It was strange how quickly everything unfolded between us, and how calm I felt near him.Gary was so open with his feelings, his thoughts — it made me happy, but also nervous. He spoke about the future so easily, made plans I wasn’t ready for. I laughed. I didn’t take it seriously. I didn’t trust men. Not then.

The trip ended. We went our separate ways. We kept talking — more intensely than before — but I still told myself: “It was just passion. It was short. We need more time. It’s too early for anything real.”

And honestly, I started to forget. I’ve never believed in long-distance relationships. I need presence. I forget quickly — like the past becomes a dream. Something that was real… and then just isn’t. I’m too focused on the now and the future. The past — it existed, but tomorrow it’s gone. And people fade with it.

The past slips away so easily. But some touches never leave the skin