My very first couple photo in Venice was memorable. Yuliya and Eli were an amazingly beautiful couple, and we had so much fun together, but it was much more than that. I will tell you a story of how we met and show you all the photos.

When I venture into unfamiliar countries, I make it a point to embark on a unique type of tour – a food tour. This isn’t just any tour; it’s a journey that locals would proudly endorse, and it’s one of my favorites.
Have you ever encountered someone who dismisses your chosen restaurant or place with a curt ‘That place, no good’? It’s often a sign of their ignorance or lack of appreciation for others’ perspectives, but other times, they are saying it to say that they are not very authentic. When a tour includes many things locals would enjoy, I am down. It’s a key to understanding the soul of the city I’m exploring.
I discovered the delightful world of [[Cicchetti]] on this foodie tour. If you’re not familiar with them, I urge you to explore. And amidst all this, I managed to capture the essence of [[Venice through my lens]], a task I often overlook when photographing a couple.
Moreover, a food tour is an excellent way to combat jetlag, allowing you to immerse yourself in the local culture and cuisine from the moment you arrive.

My flight to Venice from Chicago was supposed to arrive around noon, but I arrived an hour late due to late departure. I went straight to my Airbnb, checked in, showered, and headed to the food tour. This was my first time in Venice in a while. I’ve only been to Venice once, and it was over 20 years ago. So, I thoroughly enjoyed walking around, enjoying delicious food, and seeing the city on the water. I talked to many participants, and towards the very end, I spoke to this couple from the U.S. and told them that I had a few sessions booked already and were looking for one more couple. “Are you interested?” I asked without having too much hope. I tried to look for that one more couple but have not had the best luck. To my surprise, they wanted to. Both wanted to do this while traveling, but it wasn’t on their priority list when organizing a trip.

The next day, we met up a couple of hours before sunset and went around the city for the couple photo shoot. This is how they came out.

Also, I am including the review they left of me.

What a dream! We did a photoshoot with Eugene on our second night in Venice and it made our whole trip. We felt relaxed and comfortable with Eugene during the shoot and had a fantastic time. He planned our route through beautiful locations, gave us excellent suggestions for natural poses that ended up looking beautiful, and was game for spontaneous ideas like taking pictures with Venetian masks.
Communication with Eugene was timely, professional and fun; he is a passionate and experienced photographer but remains humble and curious. Working with him felt like spending time with a friend in Venice, which is a wonderful quality for someone capturing your feelings at a special moment in time.
And, of course, the pictures. Just look at them! The only other photoshoot we’ve done was for our wedding, but after seeing how these pictures turned out we definitely want to treat ourselves to photoshoots more often. Having such gorgeous pictures of happy moments in a beautiful place is very special, and I expect the photos will only feel more precious over time. I now understand why Eugene calls it an “investment” 😁
I cannot recommend Eugene more highly.

Yuliya + Eli

Feel free to schedule a consultation call to see if I am available for a couple photo shoot or adventure wedding at the Dolomites (Dolomiti) and Venice (Venecia), Italy.