Today we’d like to introduce you to Idora Yasin.
Hi idora, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
If I look back at where my photography journey truly started, it began as a way to give myself a voice. I grew up as the quietest and youngest of four sisters—painfully shy, easily overwhelmed, and often convinced by myself I wasn’t interesting enough to belong in the conversations happening around me. It’s strange to think a child can hold that kind of self-doubt, but I did.
Everything shifted when my the first time my dad handed me his camera when I was younger. I became instantly fascinated by the idea that a single moment could be preserved forever. I photographed everything, but I was especially captivated by people: family at gatherings, friends at school, and anyone whose presence felt gentle or familiar. I was drawn to the people who made the world feel a little softer. Behind the lens, all the fear I carried dropped away. I still struggled socially, but photography became my way of connecting. I was 12, and from that point on my parents made sure I had a camera with me everywhere I went.
I kept photographing through my teens, but it wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I realized I wanted this to be more than instinct. I went on to study multimedia so I could merge my love of writing, visual storytelling, and human connection into a single creative path.
Professionally, I got my start in 2012 shooting concerts. It was a whirlwind—small bars turned into bigger venues, and within a year I was shooting major shows and music festivals. I loved the intensity, but the pace of that world eventually pushed me toward portraits, where I could slow down, breathe, and shape stories with intention.
Portraiture grounded me for years, until my work in photo production made me realize I wanted something even more narrative-driven. That pull led me to transition into editorial and fashion photography in 2023, and it felt like coming home. In that space, I can craft stories that feel intimate, intentional, and visually honest.
I’m still evolving, but what’s constant is the clarity: I know the stories I want to tell and the worlds I want to build. Photography started as my way of finding connection; today, it’s how I create it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it definitely hasn’t been easy. From the beginning, there has always been something I needed to overcome. The challenges have ranged from people to the industry itself, and from my mental and physical state to my mindset, finances, and even social media (which I wish I were better at, since it comes with the territory, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). There is always something.
When I first started shooting concerts, someone very close to me asked, “This isn’t what you’re majoring in, so why are you doing this?” Perspectives like theirs taught me that mindset is often the hardest part. Even with all the evidence that I am meant to be doing this, I can still take one negative word and feel defeated.
What has helped me push past both the voice in my head that tells me I’m not good enough and the people who have insisted this field is too much or not for me, is simply continuing. There is a very specific happiness that comes from the work itself. I meet new people, I learn from them, and they remind me why I started in the first place.
For me, everything comes back to the act of noticing people and giving their moments a place to live. That’s what storytelling is in my world. It’s not a concept — it’s the way I stay connected to myself. It’s how I make sense of where I’ve been, and it’s how I stay honest about where I’m going. When I think about my life as a whole, I want to look back and see a body of work that reflects what I saw, what mattered to me, and the people who shaped me. I don’t want a life built from other people’s expectations. I want a life made of the stories I chose to pay attention to.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’d describe my work as living at the intersection of documentary and character-forward portraiture: images that feel real, textured, and emotionally grounded whether I’m shooting on location or in-studio. I’m always thinking about who a person is, not just how they photograph, so I bring elements of their personality directly into the environment: the light, the pacing, the mood, the set design, and the way I encourage or pause. Everything is shaped around making someone feel genuinely seen.
That approach threads through all the stories I’m building. Whether I’m exploring identity, community, intimacy, or the relationship someone has with their own body and presence, each series has its own visual language but shares the same intention: to portray people with honesty and emotional depth.
What I’m most proud of is finding a voice that feels like mine. I didn’t come into photography with a blueprint; just instinct, curiosity, and the sense that images could hold things I didn’t yet know how to articulate. Over time, that instinct has become a signature: portraits that feel lived-in, intimate, and rooted in who someone really is.
What sets me apart is the way I blend direction with intuition. I guide, but I don’t over-script. I respond to the person in front of me — their energy, humor, stillness, comfort, edges — and build from there. I’m always chasing the details that make someone feel like themselves. At the core, my work is about honoring the emotional truth of the person I’m photographing
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m always open to collaboration, especially when the ideas have purpose and push everyone involved forward. I love working with artists who show up with intention and a willingness to experiment, grow, and make something that expands all of our creative worlds. Discretion matters, but community matters even more, and I believe in presenting people for opportunities that truly fit their voice, their pace, and the direction they want to grow in.
If you want to work together, the best way is to reach out with a clear vision or even the beginning of one. I’m interested in projects rooted in story, identity, and character, and I’m always excited to connect with people who care about their craft and respect the process.
Support can look like many things: sharing my work, recommending me for shoots, booking me for portrait or editorial projects, or including me in creative conversations where my perspective could add depth. I care about mutual growth. When one of us moves forward, the whole community grows with us.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.idora.info
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/idoraidoraidora
