Unlocking Creativity in Photography with Olena Hastilow

About this event:

Most of us reach a point where the pictures are technically fine and something is still missing. We know how the camera works. What we are less sure about is what we actually want to say with it.

In this session Olena Hastilow explores practical ways to develop creativity in photography through observation, limitation and experimentation. Using examples from her own work, she will show how working with simple subjects, slowing down, and making intentional creative decisions can lead to more personal and expressive images.

The session also includes practical approaches you can apply to your own photography, helping you move from ideas to a consistent creative practice.

This is an expanded version of the talk Olena gave at The Photography Show earlier this year, rebuilt for us and about half as long again. In her words, this version goes further into the how, not just the what.

What Olena will discuss:

• How to develop creativity using simple constraints. Why limiting your options tends to produce better work than having every option open.

• How to explore one subject in multiple ways. Staying with something rather than moving on, and what that patience gives you.

• How to overcome creative blocks. Practical ways through, rather than waiting for inspiration to arrive.

• How to build a consistent creative practice. Turning creativity into a habit instead of an occasional good day.

• How to turn ideas into personal projects. Taking a vague thought and giving it somewhere to go.

Who is this for?

Anyone who feels their photography has plateaued, or who takes pictures they are pleased with but cannot quite explain. No particular genre and no particular level. If you have ever looked at your own work and thought it could be anybody's, this session is for you.

About Olena

Olena Hastilow is a portrait and fine art photographer exploring self-portraiture, multiple exposure, and creative photographic processes. Her work focuses on observation, experimentation, and developing a personal visual language.

She presented at The Photography Show in 2026, where I first met her.

See more of Olena's work: olenahastilow.com · Instagram @olenahastilow

From Mark:

I met Olena at The Photography Show this year, at our stand, and we ended up talking far longer than either of us had planned. What struck me was how deliberate she is about creativity. It is not something she waits around for, it is something she works at, and she has clearly thought hard about how to teach that to other people.

When we spoke afterwards she offered me a whole list of possible sessions. This is the one I wanted most, because it is the thing people ask me about more than anything else. Not how to use the camera. What to do once you can.

She has also rewritten it specifically for us, to go deeper than the version she gave at the show. That is a lot of work for one evening, and it tells you something about how she approaches this.