Hello!

My name is Elena Cherepanova, I’m 35 years old, originally from Yaroslavl, Russia, now living in Belgrade, Serbia, for already 9 years.

“Skullova” is my artistic pseudonym — my last name means “skull” in Russian, so it felt fitting.

I speak Russian, English, Serbian, and a bit of German.

I’ve been shooting since 2008. My first camera was a Nikon D60, then I moved to a Canon 7D, and now I shoot with a Canon R6.

Since 2011, I’ve been working as a professional retoucher and photo editor — this is my main source of income, and Photoshop honestly feels like my second home :) I also have a long background in teaching Photoshop. I’ve been doing it since 2014 — online (via Skype), and also at my own photo school in Russia. More than 100 students have completed my course!

I love to shoot in dark, gothic, and fantasy styles — I’ve been into this kind of atmosphere, music, aesthetics, philosophy, and literature since I was 14.

I’m not a model, but I know how to pose and enjoy doing it in front of the camera of my talented boyfriend, photographer Marko Smiljanic (markosmiljanic.com). Almost all of my photos in the last 4 years were taken by him. Thanks to my own posing experience, I can help my models feel relaxed and confident during a shoot — guiding them comes naturally to me.

I enjoy photographing unique and characteristic people for my portfolio. I’m especially drawn to long hair, pale skin, bright eyes, slender builds, unusual hair colors, freckles, asymmetrical features, and dreamy, androgynous vibes.

My experience as a retoucher helps me envision the final look of a photo even before we shoot.

I’m also a musician. 12 years ago I thought music would be my career, and photography just a hobby. Everyone in my family sings — my parents still tour Europe with their choir. I started singing as a child and began learning violin and piano at 6. I finished music school by 15 and became a keyboardist in a local black metal band. Since then, I’ve had many musical projects, but my biggest pride is SEA OF DESPAIR — I’m the keyboardist and vocalist, and we still exist to this day! We’ve released 3 albums and you can listen to us here: www.youtube.com/c/SEAOFDESPAIR.

I love to travel and never miss a chance to explore new places. My best travel partner is Marko — we both share the same love for adventure.

I hope my art inspires people, and my wish is to keep growing as a photographer and retoucher!

Would you like to know about me? Follow me in Instagram @skullova_elena