The Woman Behind the Lens: Andrea Zvadova’s Shimmering Photography

About Andrea Zvadova

“I was born and lived in Slovakia until relatively recently. A couple of years ago I moved to London. I got interested in photography from quite a young age, and have grown with cameras since my teenage years. Back then I was still shooting on film. Through my interest in the modelling and fashion industry, I slowly transformed my work into fashion, portrait and beauty photography. Currently, my work focuses mostly on beauty photography.”

Have you any advice for women who are thinking about pursuing a career in the professional photography industry?

“The presence of women in the photography industry is rising. And I think the professional industry reflects that already. If you want a great image, you don’t consider if the photographer is a man or a woman; you always look at the portfolio to get the best results. Women have been proving they are more than capable of dealing with the same work with perfect results, and society is getting more accustomed to these facts.”

“Back in the early years of photography, there were very few women working as photographers. But nowadays, there are more women in the industry, not only in photography directly, but in the creative industry closely linked with photography. I believe it’s becoming more normal to not think about the professional photography field in gender terms. The stereotype of photography being a male occupation is dying out: there is no gender difference in creativity or in the way of delivering your work. The important thing to realise is that there is a striking wave of young talented photographers who are replacing those old rooted notions.

Also, with the growing reality of different sexuality and transgender communities being given due recognition, these old binary gender differences become irrelevant. I believe this influences the photography industry a lot.”

With the future looking so bright, what are your plans?

“I have recently finished another shoot where I incorporated a floral idea in beauty shots. I was lucky to have an amazingly lovely and super skilled team to work with on that project. I hope to release that work soon. There are few more beauty projects I have sketched down for the future, and one longer-term and more personal portrait project about perceiving unusual yet captivating beauty.”