Anna Roussos is an established wedding photographer based in Athens, Greece. She travels worldwide to capture gorgeous events and special moments for her clients. Her photography receives constant praise in international wedding blogs and magazines. She is known for creating effortless and editorial images that focus on emotions, beauty and light. Anna grew up in Moscow and graduated from a university as a TV & Movie director. She moved to Greece in her early twenties where she started pursuing her photography career. Parallel to that she became an educator for wedding photographers and wedding professionals on various topics ranging from art of photography to digital marketing for wedding businesses.
Let’s dive into her interview and get to know her a little better…
- How did you enter the world of wedding photography? What do you enjoy the most about shooting weddings?
Anna: I have been a wedding photographer for more than a decade. Still can’t believe it when I say it out loud 😉 My career as a wedding photographer was rather not planned. Back then I was working on establishing myself in fashion photography and it was my main goal, until I received a very first inquiry to photograph a wedding in Santorini. I was a bit sceptical about wedding photography back then, but I didn’t want to put a cross on it until I tried at least once. That’s where it all began, in Santorini on a sunny summer day, when I photographed my very first wedding and enjoyed it so much. I am a believer in true love, raw feelings and emotions, and being able to witness and document weddings, elopements, engagements turned out to be an amazing opportunity to surround myself with what brings me joy. I feel blessed to do what I do, photographing weddings means capturing love, connection, bond, preserving most special memories and making them last forever.
- Would you like to share a defining moment in your life, that led you where you are today?
Anna: I don’t think that you can boil all down to one moment. It is a chain of events and lot’s of effort that brought me where I am today. What certainly played a huge role in my career is understanding that nothing comes to you served on a silver platter if you don’t work for it.. You can’t sit under an apple tree and wait for weeks for an apple to fall, but you can gently shake a tree and maybe some apples will fall or you can climb a tree and get as many apples as you wish.
- Favourite podcast, book, movie and Netflix series?
Anna: From recent Netflix movies & series: Malcolm & Marie, The Queen’s Gambit One of my favourite books of all times is Flowers for Algernon by Danile Keyes.
- What is your favourite way to unwind? Would you like to share a few self-care tips?
Anna: For me travelling is the best way to unwind and clear my mind. Whenever I feel overwhelmed – even a small weekend escape can be a great help. Me and my partner Thanos travel a lot. Unfortunately, pandemic doesn’t let us keep up with our travelling habits, so we have to find new ways to “escape” the routine. I believe that finding ways to unwind and switch off is as important as working hard. Meditation, bubble bath with candles & a nice book, sports, long walks, spoiling myself and focusing on my own needs – all these are my favourite ways to unwind and recharge batteries. And of course, spending quality time with my loved ones – it is the best medicine of all 😉
- How do you help your couples relax and feel comfortable in their skin in front of your lens?
Anna: It starts long before the actual photo shooting. I undertake a limited number of weddings and photo shoots per season, so I can truly focus on each and every couple to provide them with the best experience. Connection between photographer and a client is very important and it always impacts the final result. I want my couples to feel at ease and comfortable with me long before we meet each other on the day of their wedding – this is a golden rule for me. During the shoot I am always very calm, smiling and confident about what I do. When you already have an established connection with the couple, then you can truly focus on your art and capture their love & emotions in the most flattering way.
- What gets your creative juices flowing? What inspires you?
Anna: I love to dream, set goals and move towards them no matter what. I like to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone – this is what keeps my creative juices flowing. What truly inspires me is love. There is no more profound and beautiful feeling than that, an act of giving love and being surrounded by love is the biggest source of inspiration.
- What is the most important lesson you personally learned through the pandemic? Which lesson that we – as a society- have been taught through the Covid crisis, do you wish we would carry along when we get back to normality?
Anna: The biggest lessons I have learnt during pandemic are : First, we shouldn’t take anything for granted. We all have heard it before, but it is time we really start appreciating what we have: our planet, our health, things that bring us joy and truly matter. Second, and this is more on a business level, I learnt that you cannot be dependent on one source of income. It is a big risk. I am glad I have a parallel business to wedding photography, so it helped me feel more safe during this down time. But I have made some notes for myself and I am already working on new projects and ideas that will help me feel more strong and independent.
- Wedding industry gravely suffered due to the pandemic. Do you think that new trends will emerge through that predicament?
Anna: Unfortunately our industry like many others got a terrible hit. No one was prepared for anything like that. It will be a long recovery and we will be witnessing the post effects of pandemic for many years to come. As for the wedding trends caused by pandemic, my guess would be that Elopements and Micro Weddings will become extremely popular during the following years.
- Would you like to share a sneak peek into your future plans?
Anna: Me and my business partner and a dear friend are currently working on the most daring project that I could ever wish for. We literally make our wildest dream come true. I cannot say much more about it for a moment, but we have very big plans that might transform our careers in the following years.
- Would you like to share with us something that you have discovered recently and think that the whole world should know about it? (e.g. recipe, movie, coffee place, etc.)
Anna: I cannot think of something I discovered very recently, that I feel the need to share with the whole world. But I would like to share something I discovered for myself a few years ago and that changed my life: “Do what your heart is asking for and what makes YOU happy – and everything else will follow.” Very often we are focused on what others will think about us, we are so harsh with ourselves, we don’t listen to our hearts and we suppress our dreams and desires. When you manage to translate your true dreams and intentions into reality – this will be a life changing moment.
- You recently started offering webinars to aspiring professionals of the wedding industry. Do you enjoy teaching and mentoring? What do you find to be the most challenging aspect as well as the most rewarding & fulfilling?
Anna: I started teaching long ago because I love the idea of sharing experience & knowledge and being able to help someone to succeed and achieve her/his goals. The whole process for me is very emotionally rewarding. When I started teaching it was also a way to force myself out of my comfort zone – I was so scared of public speaking, I can’t even describe! But now I feel like a fish in a water and it became one of my personal achievements 😉
- What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding in 2021?
Anna: In the past couple of weeks I received many requests for weddings in 2021 and being a wedding photographer it makes me so happy to see things getting back on track. My advice for the couples would be to plan a smaller event, as there is still uncertainty about allowed number of guests, so it is better to stay on a safe side. But I see that based on my recent inquiries, that’s exactly what couples are planning for 2021: elopements and micro weddings.
This or That
Long drive or long walk?
Anna: Long walk
Chocolate or vanilla?
Anna: Chocolate
Gold or silver?
Anna: Gold
Travel by plane or by boat?
Anna: By plane
Ocean or mountains?
Anna: Ocean
Your three desert island items?
Anna: As long as my love Thanos Asfis is with me – nothing else is needed 😉
Connect with Anna Roussos
Instagram: @annaroussos
Website: www.annaroussos.com