Hello!
I’m Dasha — a photographer, storyteller, and, at my very core, a lover of adventure. I started taking photos in early 2020, mostly as a way to fuel my creative outlet and find beauty in the world around me. This slowly grew into a deep passion for capturing the feeling of being fully present in wild places, especially after I moved from Washington, DC to Colorado in 2021.
Through my content, I strive to inspire curiosity and a passion for exploration — the kind that nudges you out the door and into the kind of experiences that change you. I believe adventure doesn’t have to mean summiting the tallest peak or traveling across the world (though those things are great, too); sometimes, it’s just choosing to step outside your comfort zone trying something new.
I also use my platform to advocate for access, education, and conservation — helping protect the public lands that have given me so much. Whether it's sharing Leave No Trace tips or encouraging others to support land stewardship efforts, I believe that loving the outdoors also means fighting for it.
I feel most at peace on a quiet trail with nothing but the mountains ahead and my camera in hand, my little pup by my side. And I feel most alive when I’m traveling — soaking in unfamiliar and ruggedly wild landscapes, learning from different cultures, and seeing places I never dreamed I’d be lucky enough to visit.
Welcome to the world through my lens, where I share photos, hiking tips, travel stories, and reflections on creativity, courage, and choosing a life filled with saying “yes!” and then figuring out the rest later :) I’m so glad you’re here.
My Story
I was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, a small urban city with an incredible countryside dotted with hundreds of bright yellow sunflowers. My grandparents had a beautiful dacha where we’d spend most of our summers, even after my parents and I moved to the United States. I had no siblings for the majority of my childhood and spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I would go foraging for mushrooms with my grandfather, who would make me little stick figure men out of acorns and toothpicks, we’d pick wild raspberries, hang with the local kids climbing our neighbors’ trees to pick plums and spend summers swimming in lakes and grilling kebabs. The Milky Way was so bright out there that I can still remember falling out of my chair staring up at it while we sat around the fire pit, my aunt playing Beatles covers on the guitar.
After moving to the United States, my brother was born, and we spent most of our lives on the east coast, growing up between North Carolina and Virginia. As a kid, I was super shy and read a lot of adventure books. My parents would take us camping and on trips to Italy and encouraged a sense of curiosity, deep feeling and a constant questioning — my mom, a pianist, and my dad, a scientist.
Throughout my life, I always had a desire to document things even before we had social media, so I picked up a camera in varying forms. First, a video camera to capture our summer in Italy when I was 15 which (devastatingly) was lost in transit during our trip back home. Then, a small point-and-shoot Canon that held hundreds of moments and memories with friends as we navigated high school and college. And then, an iPhone where I began some creative expression through artistic and abstract video edits on the Vine app that garnered some traction before the app itself was shut down — a reminder of how fleeting and insignificant these platforms can be.
Finally, I picked up my first mirrorless camera — a Sony a7iii. Shortly after, my husband and I moved away from the east coast to a ruggedly beautiful place full of wildflowers and mountains and waterfalls just like those in the adventures novels I read as a kid. Colorado’s wild beauty and abundance of nature became my muse, and I began to romanticize life through my camera lens. You know how sometimes, you stand in front of something beautiful and think — oh, the picture never looks as good as the real thing? I like to try and make it look even better.
For me, photography amplifies the joy of travel and exploration. It allows me to share my experiences with others and to tell my story, and hopefully inspire that same sense of awe and wonder that I felt behind my lens.
Get to know me
I think I love my dog a little too much. He is a Westie named Nigel and is our goofy adventure pup.
I have four tattoos: one of mushrooms and a snail inspired by my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, another of an abstract mountain range, a pair of swallows in memory of my grandparents and the feeling of spring, and a whale to remind me of what comes from uninhibited creativity.
I am a total skincare junkie. I even have my long-haul flight and camping routine down to a science.
My favorite movies are the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I know some scenes by heart.
I’m extremely active. I love trail running, climbing, hiking, biking, backpacking and skiing but I cannot stand the gym.
When traveling, I always plan the most epic itinerary while husband kicks back and gets to reap the rewards. I also love traveling with just the girls! Nothing like a girls trip to bond with your best friends and make some incredible memories.
My family are big travelers, too — together we’ve been to Italy, France, Germany, the Dominican Republic, and many little road trips across the U.S. when I was growing up. I think they’re the reason I love to explore so much!
I’ve crossed off several big bucket list items, including road tripping all around Iceland in a camper van, doing a multi-day hut trek in Peru, and backpacking the Teton Crest Trail in Wyoming.
On my bucket list? Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro or completing the Tour du Mont Blanc!
Want to work together?
Photography and Videography
Using high-resolution camera gear, allow me to shoot beautiful photos and videos of your product, property, or tourism destination for all of your social media or commercial needs.
Social media
Instagram and TikTok to share your product with my community of highly engaged adventurers.
Long-term partnerships
I’ll be a brand ambassador for your company, coordinate giveaways, or develop a custom package based on your needs.