OLENA HASTILOW PHOTOGRAPHY & ART 

Creative self-portrait in green and red tones using multiple exposure, showing an experimental and conceptual approach to photography

As the series continues, the relationship between the body and the surrounding material becomes more active. The fabric no longer simply encloses the figure; it begins to respond to gesture, movement, and pressure from within. In  Week 8 , the hands enter the image more clearly, drawing the material inward toward the centre of the body. The gesture is subtle but deliberate. The wrapping tightens across the torso, and the silence that once surrounded the figure now appears to

As the series moves further into its early stages, the images begin to show subtle shifts in how silence is carried by the body. Rather than dramatic change, these weeks focus on small adjustments in posture, fabric placement, and spatial balance. In  Week 5 , the wrapping loosens slightly from its earlier sealed structure. One shoulder becomes partially visible and the material redistributes asymmetrically across the upper body. The containment remains intact, but the enclos

I’m excited to be speaking at the SheClicks stand at  The Photography & Video Show 2026  at the NEC in Birmingham this March. My talk,  Unlocking Creativity in Photography: Seeing, Slowing Down, Trusting the Process , explores simple ways photographers can reconnect with creativity and develop their own visual voice. I’ll be presenting the talk twice during the show: Friday, 14 March 2026 – 11:00 Monday, 17 March 2026 – 15:00 Creativity in photography is something many photog

A look at Weeks 2, 3 and 4 of Woman Who Has No Voice, a year-long self-portrait photography project tracing how silence begins to settle, tighten, and shift within the body.

Portrait photography doesn’t have to be intimidating. In this blog, I share simple, beginner-friendly tips for creating beautiful natural-light portraits and show how colour and multiple exposure can transform them into dreamy, expressive works of art. Discover how light, connection, and layered textures can turn a simple portrait into a visual story.

This image marks the first week of  Woman Who Has No Voice , a photographic series that will unfold gradually across 2026. Silence begins here This image does not tell a story in isolation; instead, it establishes a starting point for the work. The subject’s body is still, and the gestures are restrained. In this first image, silence is not questioned or challenged. It simply exists – present, held, and unspoken. By returning to the same subject body week after week, the proj

As this year comes to an end, I wanted to share the starting point of a new photographic body of work that will unfold slowly throughout 2026. Woman Who Has No Voice , is a year-long photography project that will be released on an almost weekly basis. This work explores silence not as absence, but as something carried within the body. A condition that can be inherited, internalised, resisted, and, over time, reconfigured. Through fabric, gesture, and layered mixed media eleme

As this year slowly approaches its end, I felt it was finally the right time to write my very first blog post. I’ve been meaning to share my story for a while now - not as breaking news, but as a personal reflection on how life, loss, and creativity have shaped me these past two years.   Looking Back at How It Started Photography has been a part of my life for many years to a lesser or greater extend. What began as a passion, eventually became a career change in 2024. By the