Three women in elegant dresses pose artistically: one stands before an ornate white temple, another dances gracefully over a reflective watery surface, and the third stands amid swirling fabric in a field at sunset.

Kristina Makeeva transforms everyday life into visions of wonder, blending fairy-tale imagination with real-world travel and storytelling. From Russian folklore to dreams of photographing the cosmos, she invites viewers into a world of wonder.

Kristina Makeeva’s journey into photography started because of what she describes as her heightened sensitivity.

“I guess it all started with the fact that I was born a pretty sensitive person… A lot of things were loud to me, smelled too strong or were ugly,” Makeeva shares.

“As a child, I thought that this was the case for everyone. Then I realized that no, most people enjoy life. So this fact played a significant role in my becoming an artist. Living in an ugly city near Moscow, where there was not a single detail that soothed my gaze, added to the fact that I always wanted to escape to some other world. Ideal, bright, quiet and infinitely pleasant and beautiful. And I was able to do this through photography.”

A woman in a flowing, pastel pink and blue gown poses gracefully on a frozen lake with ice formations, under a dramatic, colorful sunset sky with shades of purple, pink, and orange.

A person draped in a flowing blue fabric stands among penguins on rocky ground, with a glacier and dramatic orange sunset sky in the background.

A woman in a long, flowing blue dress stands in icy water surrounded by large blue and white icebergs, with misty mountains in the background. The scene is serene and dreamlike.

Photography and digital art became Makeeva’s gateway to a new world filled with beauty and light. She began experimenting with Photoshop, creating fantastical collages from scanned photos, then shooting still frames with a video camera, and soon received her first dedicated photo camera.

“At 14, I started learning Photoshop, assembling my own worlds from pieces of scanned photographs, and at 16 I got a video camera that could take still frames. The resolution of such frames was small, only 640×480 pixels, but it was enough to continue creating. Then they bought me my first camera, and since then I have never parted with cameras. As well as with Photoshop. I have been shooting for almost 22 years, and I have known Photoshop for 24 years. From the text it is clear that I probably needed it to simply live,” Makeeva says, reflecting on how important finding art has been for her very existence.

A woman in a long yellow dress stands before a dramatic castle, surrounded by swirling yellow fabric and floating yellow roses, set against a dark, cloudy sky at dusk.

A woman in a red dress sits on a carousel horse holding pink, red, and white balloons, with the Eiffel Tower in the background under a blue sky.

A woman in a flowing pink dress dances on a rock at sunset, with long fabric swirling around her and hot air balloons floating in the sky above a brightly lit town and rocky landscape.

The Project of a Lifetime

Over the years, Makeeva has developed a distinctive voice that seamlessly blends fantasy with reality. At the center of her work is Simple Magical Things, a project that has carried through her entire career. The series celebrates the beauty found in both small, everyday details and grand, sweeping landscapes. It could be as simple as a drop of dew or as majestic as penguins in Antarctica. People also inspire her deeply, especially those who are fully immersed in their passions, whatever they may be.

“It is these people who are able to give creative energy and a spark,” the artist says.

The project has become a living archive of Makeeva’s vision of the world, reminding viewers that magic can be found in the most unexpected places.

Crucial to her ethos of creating realistic fantasy work, Makeeva is deliberate in her approach, drawing a firm line when it comes to generative AI, preferring collages of her images or forced perspective to create her imagery. Most images are a single frame whenever possible. She refuses to use AI tools in her photography, believing that true creativity comes from human observation, emotion, and craft.

A woman in a flowing blue and white patterned dress stands with her arms raised, blending seamlessly into an ornate, blue-toned wall mural depicting classical scenes.

A woman in a wide, striped dress and sunhat stands with her back to the camera, facing an ornate, white temple with intricate carvings and details under a bright, blue sky.

A woman in a dramatic, black-and-white striped dress stands in front of a historic building with arches, surrounded by flying pigeons. Her dress fans out in large, circular shapes, creating a striking visual effect.

For her, the magic in her images emerges from hands-on interaction with the world, whether scouting a location, capturing fleeting light, or carefully arranging fabrics, not from algorithms. This commitment to authentic, human-driven artistry is central to her practice, which gives her work its emotional depth and originality.

In a 2019 video with SmugMug Films, Kristina Makeeva shared her insights on location, revealing a glimpse behind the curtains of her process.

“I have been working as a photographer for about 22 years, probably, and wrote my thesis on how to make a photograph attractive for a university presentation. And of course, all these 22 years, sometimes scientifically, sometimes by touch, I have been moving towards the concept of good photography. First of all, for me, ‘God is in the details.’ A good photograph should not be sloppy, all elements should be worked out, as close to the real world as possible, without losing their magic. I no longer think about composition and light, it happens automatically,” Makeeva explains.

Being in a breathtaking location offers a kind of energy and exhilaration that is difficult to put into words. The landscapes, the light, and the atmosphere all combine to heighten her senses and inspire creativity. She likens it to a rush of dopamine, a natural surge that ignites excitement and passion in anyone attuned to visual beauty.

A woman stands outdoors at night wearing a glowing, butterfly-wing-shaped dress made of blue and white lights, with a starry sky and distant illuminated cityscape behind her.

A white horse with braided mane stands in the middle of a dense field of tall, blooming purple lupine flowers, creating a serene and whimsical scene.

A woman in a flowing, blue floral dress stands facing an intricate, colorful mosaic archway, blending with the ornate blue and teal patterns of the Islamic architecture above her.

A Workflow Rooted in Flexibility

Ideas for Makeeva’s images often emerge from a place that resonates with her emotionally or from a feeling she wishes to convey visually. Once the seed of an idea forms, she begins planning. This can involve scouting locations, assembling a team, casting models, and choosing outfits. Yet no matter how carefully everything is prepared, she accepts that change is inevitable and often leads to the best results.

“All shoots never go according to plan. But it is this suddenness of everything that inspires me most of all,” Makeeva says.

Once the images are captured, she allows them to sit before reviewing. By letting the excitement of the shoot fade, she ensures that overlooked frames have the chance to reveal themselves as the true gems of a series.

A person holding a blue umbrella stands in a vast field of blooming purple and blue hydrangeas, surrounded by misty hills and tall trees under a soft, cloudy sky.

Shimmering green aurora borealis lights streak across a starry night sky above a dark, icy landscape scattered with large, translucent ice chunks.

A stone church is illuminated under a starry night sky, surrounded by tall, vibrant pink and purple lupine flowers in the foreground.

Fairy Tales and Everyday Magic

Recurring themes of enchantment, fabric, and fairy tales run throughout her photography. Makeeva’s childhood was filled with Russian folklore, fantasy novels, and later Japanese anime, all of which shaped her storytelling instincts. As she began traveling, cultural influences from around the world also began to weave into her work, creating a global tapestry of magical imagery. Yet at its core, her message is always the same: beauty and wonder are not distant; they are close at hand.

“We want to show that everyone is surrounded by the amount of magic they are able to see. That even in gray, damp reality there are little things that make our world magical. We initially started working to bring the light of beauty to the world. And I see through the responses that light sometimes helps,” Makeeva explains.

A woman in a flowing, pale pink dress stands gracefully among several giraffes on grass, with dramatic dark clouds in the sky behind her. The image is vibrant and surreal, with giraffes framing the scene.

A woman in a sheer dress with colorful trim poses gracefully among a large flock of ostriches in a field, with dramatic dark clouds overhead.

A ballerina in a pink dress poses gracefully among a large flock of flamingos standing in shallow water, blending in with the birds’ vibrant pink feathers.

A woman in a pale dress lies across the back of a white horse, both reflected in pink, shallow water. Fluffy clouds and a pastel sky create a surreal, dreamy landscape.

A person in a flowing dress poses gracefully inside a wooden structure with star-like holes, illuminated by pink and purple light, creating a magical, ethereal atmosphere with swirling fabric and sparkling light patterns.

A large mirrored cube building reflects rocky desert surroundings. In the foreground, shiny metallic gold fabric is draped dramatically across the sand, creating a surreal, otherworldly scene.

Tools and Trials

To bring her vision to life, Makeeva relies on a wide range of equipment. Her kit includes professional cameras, specialty lenses, drones, and underwater housings, giving her the flexibility to adapt to almost any shooting environment. Each lens has a distinct purpose, whether capturing a sweeping lavender field or isolating the fine texture of a raindrop. Yet she is clear that no piece of technology is more important than the photograph itself, and the team or community that makes it all possible.

“The latest smartphone models are important, the latest drone models are important, a top camera, top additional cameras, such as Insta360, or top underwater cases. And also lenses. My lenses cover a distance from 8mm to 400mm, which covers almost all shooting tasks, and there are special artistic and portrait lenses with beautiful bokeh. Such as the Canon 50mm f/0.95 ‘Dream Lens.’ Beautiful bokeh inspires you to shoot, it is like art itself and blurs everything imperfect in the background. And lenses with different focal lengths are needed for different tasks.”

A woman in a long, flowing blue gown stands on icy ground before snow-covered trees and frozen landscape, her dress blending dramatically into the wintry scene under a cloudy sky.

A ballerina in a white tutu poses gracefully inside a large transparent bubble on a frozen lake, with a gloved hand holding the bubble and dramatic mountains and sky in the background.

A woman in a flowing blue dress stands on a vast, frozen landscape, her arms raised toward the sky. Dramatic clouds streak above, and a rocky, ice-covered formation rises in the distance.

A person in a dramatic, flowing blue gown stands on icy ground near tall, frozen cliffs under a vibrant sky, creating a striking contrast with the snowy landscape.

Viral Magic on Social Media

Over the years, Kristina Makeeva’s work has found a second home online, where her images have captured the attention of audiences worldwide. As of writing, she has 1.3 million followers on Instagram and 1.6 million on TikTok, drawn to her enchanting and imaginative photography. Her photographs, often infused with dreamlike colors, fluttering fabrics, and surreal landscapes, translate beautifully to the small screens of social media, where every scroll can stop at a moment of visual wonder. From Baikal’s icy expanses to the striking dunes of Socotra, her ability to blend reality with imagination has made her work highly shareable, earning thousands of likes, shares, and comments with each post.

“The way people respond online has been incredible,” she says. “Sometimes a single photograph can travel further than I ever imagined, inspiring people I will never meet and sparking conversations about beauty, creativity, and imagination.”

For Makeeva, social media is not just a platform for exposure; it is a space for connection and dialogue.

“Sometimes I receive messages saying my photo helped someone cope with sadness, or made a moment of their day a little lighter. That is the part of photography that truly amazes me—its ability to travel and touch lives beyond the frame,” Makeeva says.

For Makeeva, the popularity of her work online is simply an extension of the philosophy that guides her art. Each image begins as a personal exploration of light, magic, and emotion, and the fact that it resonates with others only reinforces the universality of those moments.

A woman's face is blended with intricate, colorful tile art featuring floral patterns and a detailed church, creating a surreal, double-exposure effect with vivid blue, yellow, and purple hues.

A woman's face is painted to blend seamlessly with a vibrant, intricate floral tile pattern in blue, pink, and yellow, creating an illusion where her features merge with the ornate background.

A woman in a white dress sits on a sandy beach at night, surrounded by glowing blue waves and twinkling lights, with starry skies above, creating a magical, surreal atmosphere.

A young girl in a teal dress and dark shawl stands on rocky ground, smiling, with dragon blood trees and a pink sky in the background. She holds something in her hands and wears bracelets on her wrist.

A person in a long dark robe stands beneath tall, umbrella-shaped trees with dense green canopies in a misty, layered forest landscape with rolling hills.

Pride and Discovery

Among her many projects, Makeeva treasures her work from places like Baikal and Socotra Island, both of which left a lasting impression on her. She describes Socotra as particularly transformative, an island of surreal landscapes and starlit skies that shaped a series of works and changed her own perspective. For her, each photograph is a discovery, even in the most well-documented places.

“I really do not like to follow trends, but I love to create them myself. To discover something new even in the most popular places. Now on the Internet, in particular on Instagram, there is an abundance of bright, but emotionless photos. Without a soul. Without an idea. Just a repeat of someone else. It’s boring. I called this phenomenon the term ‘indifferent art.’”

For Makeeva, originality is not just a preference, it is a guiding principle. She strives to infuse each image with emotion, intention, and a sense of wonder, ensuring that her work stands apart from the endless stream of generic visuals online. Instead of following trends, she has become the one setting them.

A ballerina in a flowing lavender dress dances gracefully on tiptoes against a backdrop of vibrant clouds, her reflection mirrored perfectly in the still water below.

A woman stands in a lavender field at dusk, surrounded by a flowing, illuminated dress that fans out dramatically around her, creating a flower-like shape against the purple landscape.

A person in pink walks along the white sandy shore of a vibrant pink lake, captured from above, with the striking color contrast between the rosy water and pale shoreline.

A woman in a white dress stands on a reflective surface under a starry sky, reaching upward. The sky forms a glowing arc, creating a circular effect mirrored below her. The colors are dreamy purples and blues.

Looking Toward the Cosmos

As her career continues to evolve, Makeeva has turned her sights beyond Earth itself. After years of capturing the natural wonders of this planet, she now dreams of traveling into space to document the cosmos firsthand. Having already spent time at Russia’s cosmonaut training center and Mission Control, she longs to experience the journey herself.

“My goal at the moment is space. I really want to go and feel the entire path that astronauts go through,” Makeeva says.

For Makeeva, the ultimate destination is not just about exploration but about pushing the boundaries of imagination.

“Otherwise, what’s the point if you don’t try? It’s boring.”

Image credits: Kristina Makeeva