Oksana Parafeniuk: “Virtually all the stories I work on are about war”

Ukrainian photographer Oksana Parafeniuk told why she has not despaired of photojournalism, even though the camera makes you feel the war deeper, and why she continues to document events in Ukraine, even though she often shoots very vulnerable stories.

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“Wow, I'm doing something so interesting myself”

For the first time in my life, a photograph appeared when I was a child. When my sister and I were little, my parents loved to shoot on film. We lived in a dormitory, and Mom and Dad showed and printed pictures in a small cell. We have a lot of black and white printed photos from that time — a huge box. Mom's brother was also fond of photography. It was not his uncle's main profession, but he had a professional camera and great interest. Sometimes he took pictures of us. I remember when I was ten or eleven years old, my uncle asked me to remove it, my mother and grandmother. He had a large Nikon, it was difficult to hold it, and all the photos came out with a collapsed horizon. Of course, then I didn't decide to become a photographer, but I was struck by that moment — wow, I'm doing something so interesting myself.

In the first years of the university, one of the friends had a small, one of the first, a digital camera. I tried to get rid of it and I liked the process itself. I decided that I wanted to buy a small camera. At that time, my parents stopped taking family photos, there was no smartphone yet, that is, the photo was not present in my life.

I studied and worked in part at the Fulbright Program office. She started collecting her salary to buy a camera. I couldn't decide which camera to buy for a long time and eventually saved up enough money for a semi-professional SLR camera. It all started with instructions for the camera, then I became more interested in shooting techniques and the work of other photographers. At that time I was not interested in photojournalism, instead I took portraits of friends, still lifes, landscapes, that is, something more creative and in my free time.

Photography was like a hobby for me. I bought a film camera, tried to show and print pictures myself. My uncle had a large collection of photo books by famous photographers. He lived in Kharkiv, from time to time came to Kiev on business. When I found out that I was interested in photography, I began to bring me photo books. It was a great opportunity, since at that time there were practically no places to browse photo albums. My uncle brought them from the United States when he went there for an internship. Fueled my interest in photography.

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“Photojournalism and documentary photography were the closest to me”

Photojournalism started for me since 2013, with the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity. It so happened that I started working as a fixer with foreign journalists. The first small task was on Maidan with photographers — a kind of introduction to photojournalism for me. She worked with journalists in Kiev, then began to travel to Donbas. On the Maidan, I filmed a little, although I was very unsure of myself. I have a friend, Emine, who studied photojournalism in America and knew many photographers who came to shoot the events of that time in Kyiv. We all went to bars in the evenings, met, talked, and then it seemed to me that I would never be able to work like them.

My base in photojournalism was accumulated while working in the field with foreign journalists. That's when I met my future husband, Brendan Hoffman. I saw the process of the photojournalist from the inside, his communication with the editors, the selection of photos. It is important to have someone — a friend or mentor who can prompt these moments. However, the formation in the profession still depends on the photographer, no one will go and take pictures for someone.

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The style of photography is influenced by many things: your idea of life, the books you read, other photographs and photographers whose work you look at and admire. I love going to museums, looking at paintings, all of that leaves an imprint on a photograph. Brendan has greatly enhanced my interest in photojournalism. He helped me understand how to compose a frame in which many people, talked about body language in photography, we could watch and discuss for hours the work of other photographers, artists. However, we sometimes disagreed about ethical things, that is, when to shoot and when not. Often I did not take a photo because it seemed wrong to me, I was afraid to violate the boundaries of the other person too much. Brendan said that in that case I just wouldn't be able to do my job...

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For several years I worked as a fixer, but I did not take pictures myself. I decided that it was rather irresponsible — to take my camera and shoot in parallel with another photographer. Sometimes I regret this, because now there are no personnel at all from many important events and places in Donbas. Nevertheless, I perceived the work as a fixer as temporary and wanted to do something of my own. I realized that nothing interests me more in life than photography. The process of work prompted me to choose a direction — photojournalism and documentary photography were the closest to me. I never wanted to shoot fashion or weddings, and when I photographed my friends or landscapes, I could not imagine that photography could become a career. When I saw with my own eyes how photojournalists work, I felt that I could too.

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“The photo editor was not intimidated by the lack of publications”

My very first project was about memory, lost home, memories — collages of new photos and snapshots from a family album. In the Zhytomyr region there is a city of Korostyshiv, where my mother comes from. This is my favorite place in Ukraine, and we often come there in the summer. Near our house there is a sanatorium, on the territory of which we walked as a child. When the war broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, many displaced people from Donbas came to the sanatorium. I always thought that Korostyshiv is a very special place for me, close to me in spirit, where my roots come from. However, for people who have lost all their native places, this sanatorium does not matter as much as it does to me.

I decided to get rid of the sanatorium and how internally displaced families live in it. I was lucky to meet my family immediately — two sisters Yulia and Lila, and one of them already has two daughters. They were interested and we decided to create something together. I photographed them in places where my children's photos were taken — I have a lot of children's photos left with Korostyshev. I made a series of collages: I cut out new photos and pasted them into my old pictures. She wanted to show that people lost everything and moved to another world. The most important thing was not even the result, but the process of working on this project. We walked together in the places of our childhood with my sister, I told about Korostyshiv — a new city for them. I hoped that in this way they would like it more, it would become more intimate. And they told me about their childhood in Luhansk region.

https://www.oksanaparafeniuk.com/wooden-box-of-photographs

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My second project led to further interviews for various media. In 2016, in terms of the number of medals at the Paralympic Games, Ukraine ranked third in the world. I knew almost nothing about Paralympians, and I was struck by this fact. Especially against the background of the fact that not much has been done in Ukraine for people with disabilities. I began to explore this topic in more detail and came across information about golf. This is a team game for visually impaired or blind people. On the Internet, I found the coach's phone and called. She was very open to working together, and I went to shoot golfing for two years. This project came in handy when a familiar journalist advised me to a photo editor of a major media. He saw that I had no publications, but he was not intimidated by the lack of experience. The photo editor asked what I could show him, and I sent a photo project about the golf ball — this is how my work as a photojournalist began.

https://www.oksanaparafeniuk.com/goalball-field-of-vision

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I was not sure that photography would generate enough income and by early 2022 was working regularly as a fixer and producer. She collaborated with NBC and received many orders from various media as a photographer. At the time of the invasion, I was in my sixth month of pregnancy, and although I was very active until February 24, everything changed after. I had to look for safer places and stories, and after a few months I took a break to give birth and care for my son. After returning, I decided to work only as a photographer, and so far I can focus only on this.

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“It is important for me to stay here in Ukraine”

Recently I was talking to a friend who works for international humanitarian organizations, and we said that it would be ideal if there was no war and we had no work at all. I don't want to stop taking pictures, just the reasons for shooting are too complicated. I never really thought about who I would work for if not as a photographer. Maybe I would like to be a diving instructor and take pictures underwater. You can't escape from the photo:)

I am often asked if I want to film conflicts and wars abroad. In the early stages of my work, I had such ambitions. But now I am photographing life during the war in my country, and for me it is my duty and desire to tell the world what is happening here. I do not want to go to another country, in which I do not know the context of events deeply enough, and try to shoot something there. It is important for me to stay here in Ukraine.

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At the beginning of her work as a photographer, she shot very different topics — these could be reports in Donbas or portrait photos in Kyiv. When the coronavirus epidemic began, she photographed the stories associated with it. The last few years are just war. I practically do not shoot at the front, but document the impact of war on people's lives. I work as a freelancer, I shoot a lot for The Washington Post, one of the first international media outlets with which I collaborated, this is where my cooperation with international media began. I am on good terms with the photo editors of this publication, and when I have several orders, I prioritize The Washington Post. A month before the invasion, I was called by their then photo editor and offered a permanent collaboration to keep me on rotation and covering the events of the war. At that time, I was already expecting a child and said that I would not be able to work where it was dangerous. It was unusual for them to offer such a job to me, because for such shoots, The Washington Post usually hires photographers with whom they have collaborated for many years and together covered complex topics.

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It's hard to say which topics I will never take up. It would not take materials that could worsen people's situation or even harm them in some way. People who find themselves in difficult life circumstances are not always aware of the risks that may arise from their statements or publications in the media. In general, there are practically no topics that I would refuse, for me it is rather a question of which approach to shooting each topic to choose.

Since I did not work for a year after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, I am not called to shoot at the front. But if there were suggestions, I would think hard about whether to go or not - this question is very difficult to answer, especially when there is a small child. Many of the colleagues I work with either do not have children at all, or do not yet, so such decisions are not the same for everyone. Materials from the front are very important, but you need to carefully assess the risks.

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“All the time I think about how people can live on after losing loved ones”

I have two shots that I still think about every day. The first shooting was almost a year ago, when a drone hit a house in Odessa and a mother with a four-month-old baby died. The father and two-year-old daughter survived because they were in another room at the time of the attack. Journalists and I met with the family of the deceased, filmed the destroyed house, and it was very difficult. I have a little son, and the fact that a four-month-old boy died made this story even more complicated for me. The father of the child took out a pacifier from under the rubble, on the strap of which was written “baby”. I washed it of blood and kept it for my memory. I took a picture of the pacifier and cried a lot. During filming like this, you usually hold on because people have grief, and you give them space to be emotional, do your job. That time I could not restrain myself. Mom and boy were found in their arms, she probably breastfed him, and they slept together. Such details are very much stuck in the head.

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The second story happened in September 2024, when Yaroslav Bazilevich's wife and three daughters were killed as a result of an attack in Lviv. When this happened, we were doing another, also very bitter story in Kharkiv — about a girl who died from shelling in a park. Then there was shooting in the Poltava hospital, where the wounded due to shelling people were brought. In the end, we went to shoot a story about the Basileevichs. Yaroslav and I met at his parents' house. We didn't even expect him to come out to us and tell us for so long. He is a man of incredible spirit and strength. It was very difficult for all of us. I have relatives in Lviv, they have similar things in their house, furniture, and there was a feeling that this tragedy happened to someone very close. Yaroslav held on, but there was such immense pain in his eyes. After the interview, we just cheered on the whole team. On the same day, Yaroslav's youngest daughter Emilia was supposed to have a birthday, and we asked permission to take some photos in the cemetery from afar so as not to disturb or disturb.

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I often mention these two families, especially during the attacks, I think, whose lives are destroyed by shelling today. It is very difficult to edit photos after such shooting — all memories come to life again. After these stories, I couldn't function properly for a long time — all the while thinking about how people could live on with such loss. These are stories not filmed on the front lines, but they were very difficult materials for me.

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“I don't want to work as a photojournalist if I completely lose my ability to empathize”

Sometimes it seems that photos cannot change the situation in Ukraine. However, there is hope that someone abroad will read something and learn more about our country. I would like to believe that these materials will help support Ukraine, and help foreigners better understand what is happening in our country, that the materials will testify to the crimes of the Russian Federation. Mostly I work with the American media, and our materials are seen by millions of people, high-ranking officials. However, I do not know for sure whether our articles had an impact on making any decisions regarding Ukraine.

I was shooting material about facial surgery for the military. I looked at the work of doctors and thought that these people are doing really important work that has a tangible result and impact on people's lives. I have no doubt that journalism is important. It's important, but unlike surgery, you can never feel this effect right away. The situation can be influenced by the long-term work of many mediators. You just feel like a small part of this huge mission — to tell the audience what is happening in reality.

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However, it is difficult for the audience to perceive and watch photographs from the war over such a long period of time: destroyed houses, mutilated fates of military and civilians. At some point, there is no longer enough resource for this. On the one hand, the challenge is to maintain empathy for these events. I don't want to work as a photojournalist if I completely lose my compassion. On the other hand, a complete immersion in emotions on the set simply will not allow me to work, so during the photo shoot I hold myself in my hands, and after work the emotions are covered. To continue working, it is important to keep your mental health at a level sufficient to function and take pictures so that the audience is interested, feels something, does something. There are a lot of challenges.

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“War, one way or another, is everywhere in our country”

During the war, I work on sensitive topics. The Washington Post team and I did a series of materials on the recovery of the military after all kinds of injuries at the front. One project was about returning to intimate life after defeats at the front, the other was about soldiers who had lost their sight. About how to be a parent when you can't see your child. Filmed about complex injuries on the face, recovery from which takes years.

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As a female photographer, I am often hired to do stories about women. This topic is interesting to me — even when I make materials where a woman's story is not central, I try to notice their fates. Recently I did a great report with colleagues about women who go to the front with men.

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For me, materials about children are important. I would like to travel more and see how the war affects children in Ukraine. We are talking not only about children who stayed with their parents near the front line, but also about families in western Ukraine. War, one way or another, is present everywhere in our country.

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Due to the fact that I often focus on women, I received a grant from the Women Photograph community. Although I am a photojournalist, when I think about my own project, it is important for me to move away from traditional documentary photography. I want to make the photos for the grant in a different way, to go beyond photojournalism itself and while I'm thinking about the idea. It's hard for me to get away from the flow of work right now. But when you live in a war with a small child, the question always arises whether to use your free time for your own project or, nevertheless, it is more important to spend it with your son.

I have different ideas about long-term projects, in fact there are a lot of stories in Ukraine. But now it's not easy to focus on one thing. While the war is in an active phase and many events are happening, it is difficult to focus on just one topic. We do not know when or how the war will end, but we will feel its impact for a very long time to come. And, accordingly, we will show it through visual stories.

After the birth of a child, I was very tormented by the fact that I do not work, do not photograph and do not make any, at least a small, contribution to information about the war. Brendan said at the time that now everyone is working at a frantic pace and sooner or later will get tired, and foreign photographers will leave Ukraine to shoot other wars or disasters. My husband was right, I have a lot of work to do now.

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“Photojournalists give up motherhood because it destroys the opportunity to work”

In the world in general, there is a change for the better in photojournalism. For example, there is such an organization as Women Photograph and others that loudly say that most of the photos were taken by men from the Western world. Now photo editors offer shooting to many women photographers. Although it is also a little strange when you are hired exclusively on stories about women. Of course, a woman who, for example, has been abused by men will be more comfortable working with a photographer, but women photographers can shoot all other subjects as well.

After the Russian invasion, the attitude towards photojournalists in general has changed in our country. People began to understand that photography is important, they became more open to shooting. It used to be much harder to convince people to take pictures.

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I had a fear that if a child appeared, no one would take me on long-term shoots that involve trips. I was worried I wouldn't have a job at all. In the interview, I was afraid to say that I was pregnant. I read conversations with female photographers and understood that having a baby has an impact on my career. Some photojournalists give up motherhood, because it partially destroys the opportunity to devote themselves to such a demanding profession to the fullest. Pregnancy and the birth of a child affect a career in any field. However, the child grows up, and you gradually return to work. Much depends on the support of your family. If there is someone to leave the child with for a few days, you can agree on different filming and business trips.

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“It is important to have successful cases in front of your eyes”

I often try to understand why I did not dare to work as a photojournalist for so long. Ten years ago or more men worked in this profession, often self-confident men. I didn't feel like I could fit in well with this team. Some male colleagues did not take the woman with the camera too seriously. When colleagues with whom I am comfortable remained in my regular communication circle, my thoughts of self-doubt decreased significantly. Words of support from photographers you respect always inspire you to work further. Communication with photo editors who order shots and appreciate my work also helps to move on.

Many girls have self-confidence since childhood not at the highest level due to upbringing, attitude towards women in society, a long history of gender inequality. It takes a lot of work to convince yourself of your own strength. It is important to have successful cases in front of your eyes, on which you can focus and understand that everything is possible.

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When asked about women photographers I'm inspired by, I think of Lynn Johnson, who has been shooting for National Geographic for a long time. We met her not in a photographic environment, but at the university. I worked at Middlebury College in the United States in a French school, and Lyn was studying French and we were able to go for coffee and chat every Saturday. I am very impressed by her photographs and long-term projects, her special attitude to life and her delicate work with the people she photographs. When the full-scale invasion began, she wrote and supported me a lot.

I really like Carolyn Drake's project about boarding school, I have her photo book, and her other newer projects “Men Untitled” and “Knit Club”. Over the years, her visual language is transformed, she constantly finds new ways to narrate. I'm curious about this because I also want to try a different approach to storytelling.

I have a friend Marta Ivanek, a Canadian from the Ukrainian diaspora who has lived in Ukraine for a long time. She has a very soft, warm approach to people and to photography.

Anastasia Taylor-Lind combines photography with poetry. I am very impressed by her approach and understanding that photography can be more complex. In fact, there are a lot of good photographers that I just didn't remember right away.

I am motivated by stories shot by other photographers in Ukraine. For example, Linsey Addario's project about a girl with cancer was very touching. Her photos really immerse you in the world and experiences of this family.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/04/world/europe/ukraine-war-children-cancer.html

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“If it was possible to sacrifice a career so that there was no war, so that there was not all this filming, I would go one hundred percent for it”

I am not sure that there are female and male themes in Ukraine, and how justified such an approach is. There are topics in which the characters of the shooting are more comfortable with the fact that you are a woman. For example, childbirth or various vulnerable stories. However, it also depends on the person - not every female photographer will be comfortable, and vice versa. This is more about human qualities than gender. Recently, I was shooting a story about women who experienced sexual violence by the Russian military during the occupation. I was hired not only because I am a woman, but also because I often shoot sensitive topics. However, the translator for journalists was a man. It seemed to me that he did not cause discomfort, because he behaved very delicately. Personally, I have no feeling that I would not be able to remove some topic just because I am a woman.

Thank you for the interesting question about whether I would have achieved more in the profession if I were a man. Maybe so, but that's not the only reason. To be honest, I don't know what influenced my self-esteem more — poverty in the 90s, the fact that I was a girl, or perfectionism. I would definitely have achieved more as a man if I had been born in the United States. If I were a man in Ukraine, maybe it would be easier to become part of the photojournalist community and start photographing earlier. Take pictures and do not be afraid that you will shoot worse than someone else.

For me, the question is, if I were a man, would I have realized sooner that I liked it, and whether I would have listened to myself more, believed in myself. Perhaps I would not have spent years of my life studying a specialty that I do not do at all (I studied information technology at university). And if at school there was an opportunity to learn more about different professions, if there was a greater choice of what is really interesting to do.

When I tell people about my job, I don't want them to think that my career is the most important thing to me. In fact, if it was possible to sacrifice a career so that there was no war, so that there was not all this filming, I would go for it one hundred percent.

The birth of a child also influenced Brendan's career. He also worked less because he wanted to be near us, wanted to see the child often and stopped shooting at the front altogether. However, it affected me more because I had not worked for almost a year.

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“Foreign colleagues, unlike us, have a life outside war”

I manage to combine my personal life with work, because my husband and I understand each other well. He is also a photojournalist. I gave birth to a son in Poland, but we almost immediately returned to Ukraine. It was not easy for me, because I am very worried about him during air alarms. This greatly affects my performance. During large mass attacks, we go down in the subway, and during night drone attacks we sleep in the corridor, because every night is practically impossible to spend in the subway.

My husband and I decided to live in Kyiv and work in Ukraine, but our decision not to leave our son overnight with anyone but the two of us adds to the difficulties. I don't want to transfer this stress to anyone else — my mother, sister, nanny. If my husband and I simultaneously receive accommodation not in Kiev, one of us refuses to work. Someone makes concessions and then we change. However, under such conditions it is difficult to dare to undertake a long-term complex project, because it will take a lot of effort and energy and I will spend less time with my child.

Sometimes photojournalists need to leave their children for a long time and go to work. However, some foreign photojournalists who travel to countries where there is war do not have to worry about the safety of their children because they are left in a peaceful country. We, Ukrainian journalists, live in other realities, and this greatly affects the emotional state and productivity of work.

For female photographers, the biggest risks are probably physical safety and mental health. It is very difficult to live and work in a country where there is a war. I cannot afford detox from the cell phone and social networks, since it is necessary to monitor whether the anxiety has begun. I have this fear that the phone will be far away and I will not hear the alarm start notification. Especially when I'm around a child.

I film war at work, but when I return home, I still stay in the same context. Foreign journalists can return home, where they are safe and where they can be rebooted from the war. Of course, this completely fails, because the war leaves a deep mark on everyone. However, foreign colleagues, unlike us, have a life outside the war.

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“Increased emotional armor”

The changes that occur during war are gradual, and therefore immediately imperceptible. I remember the first months after the invasion, when we were still in Poland. I constantly monitored the news, watched photos and videos of colleagues from Ukraine. Every day there were terrible events that were just shocking. We have not had less such news, but now it is a little easier for me to switch to work or household chores. Photos from the graves of dead civilians and military, destroyed houses, wounded are equally striking, but the body's ability to recover from these emotions has increased. Apparently, emotional armor has grown. But I hope I haven't lost my ability to empathize.

The time I spend with my son helps me recover from difficult filming. When I read aloud children's books to him, I stop thinking about everything else. I used to not really like to cook, and now this process helps to switch from work as well.

Swimming pool activities also help to recover. It seems to me that being in the water or underwater is a good distraction from all thoughts. Before the full-scale invasion, I tried diving and it was the only activity that helped to forget all the excitement. A few months ago I had the opportunity to go on vacation and continue the diving course. In Kiev, I signed up for the pool, although I like to swim in open water much more.

I recently signed up for watercolor painting lessons. During the war, the creative perception of reality disappeared somewhere because of all the stress and negative emotions. Perhaps drawing will help stir something inside and there will be a desire to create.

My husband and I were advised by many friends to focus on our own stories and make a photo project. However, we have hardly any photos from the first day of the invasion, not even on the phone. Then we started photographing the family and our family story was published in the book “War and Love” by Fotoevidence. Over time, many photos of Luke's son were collected. I printed them in black and white and decided to embroider on the photos. I took three pictures and it turned out to be quite interesting. I don't know if I will be able to make a project out of this, or if it will be a meditative embroidery process, the result of which only my family will see.

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“Over time, photography has become a work through which I feel war much more deeply”

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Before, I liked to just walk with the camera, look for frames, moments. Now photography has become a work through which I feel and see war much more deeply and hope to tell those stories to others. I don't often take the camera in my hands just like that, for my own pleasure, except when I'm shooting my son. Photographing people's lives is a way to dive deeper into events, analyze and tell others. I appreciate it when I get feedback on my work — Instagram helps a lot. People write what touched them, what story struck them. Very inspiring reviews of the people I photographed. It is important for the heroes of the stories when the materials with them are published and are asked to bring them a magazine or newspaper. In recent years, people have realized that the work of journalists and photographers helps inform the world about the war in Ukraine, and they need to be heard and be able to tell their story for the media. When I feel that my work is important to people, it really motivates and inspires me to work further.

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Oksana Parafeniuk— an independent photographer who lives and works in Kyiv, where she explores manifestations of human resilience and dignity among people facing difficulties. Her main interest lies in exploring creative approaches in documentary photography.

In addition to her own projects, Oksana has collaborated and published her work in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, NBC News, BuzzFeed News, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera English, Rest of World, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, MSF Doctors Without Borders, UN Women, UNHCR, L'Oeil de la Photographie and others.

Oksana was an instructor at a National Geographic photo camp in Moldova in May 2023. She is a member of Women Photograph and The Journal Collective.
Oksana earned a master's degree in French/Francophone Civilization, Culture, and Society from Middlebury College, where she was awarded the Catherine Davis Peace Fellowship. The author is fluent in English, French and Ukrainian.

Personal site and instagram of the photographer

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We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Katia Moskalyuk
Editorial director: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar