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Aydan Aliyeva is a Ukrainian photographer who believes that a single successful portrait can reveal more about a person than an entire series of staged shots. In her art, she holds on to authenticity and "living" moments. She shared with Drive Music Media her thoughts on the harmony of location and shoot themes, her love for experimentation, and the impact of the war on her creativity.
Interviewer: Why did you choose photography? What attracted you to this field?
Aydan: I chose photography because I wanted to bring to life the images that have been forming in my mind since childhood. This field is fascinating to me because it offers endless opportunities for learning, experimenting, and thriving in a competitive market that encourages diversity in photography services.
Interviewer: Where do you find inspiration for new shoots? How do you see the person in the frame? How challenging is it to help someone "open up"?
Aydan: I often draw inspiration from classic 20th-century photography, as well as from film, fashion, and visual art. Each person is unique to me and requires an individualized approach. To help them open up, I often joke around and try to create a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere behind the camera.
Interviewer: Most of your photos are portraits. Why do you focus on them?
Aydan: I love studying human faces, analyzing their structure and symmetry, and observing how light falls on them. A single well-crafted portrait can reveal much more about a person than an entire series of staged photos.
Interviewer: Which shoot has been the most memorable for you? Why?
Aydan: My favorite shoot was one that captured dance. I attended a master class with a well-known photographer, and that experience made me realize that I want to capture more people in motion – to capture moments and the essence of people in dance.

Interviewer: Tell us about unplanned shoots: what might inspire you to do one?
Aydan: Movies and music videos often spark ideas in my mind – color combinations, types of characters I'd like to photograph. I’m currently planning to shoot a couple in a “cinematic” style to tell a story.
Interviewer: What’s important to you when choosing a location? Where would you like to shoot?
Aydan: A shoot location should enhance the image, the people, and their story, conveying a specific mood. If it’s a studio, I prefer spacious settings with minimal details but lots of lighting options to experiment with. I'd love to shoot in well-preserved abandoned buildings, though access to them is often restricted.
Interviewer: What types of shoots would you never agree to? Why?
Aydan: I would never agree to photograph newborns. In general, children and family shoots aren't for me – they’re very energy-draining, and some family members often aren’t too enthusiastic about participating.
Interviewer: How challenging is it to work in today's Ukrainian reality? What are photoshoots and their preparations like during wartime?
Aydan: The hardest part in today's reality is dealing with constant air raid alerts – you never know if something will hit nearby, or if you and your model are safe. Shoots in studios are frequently interrupted as we have to drop everything and head to shelters. The tense situation in the country impacts creativity as well; it’s hard to stay motivated.

Interviewer: Describe your photography in one word. Why that word?
Aydan: I don’t consider my work to be “art”, but I like to think that it highlights the individuality of each person. I often notice qualities in people that others might overlook.
Interviewer: What message do you convey with your photos? What underlying meanings do you embed in them?
Aydan: My goal is to show that everyone has their own unique beauty. Each of us can allow ourselves to be a bit more open during a shoot, since we’re usually expected to wear masks and meet society’s expectations every day.
Pictures were taken by Aydan Aliyeva
George Manta is a digital artist, illustrator from Argentina, and founder of his own design studio — someone who was never drawn to the traditional path or classical art education systems. George believes in self-education and is convinced that if you truly love what you do, you will succeed. He works in the field of concert posters, portraying artists with a deep sensitivity — capturing their individuality while maintaining his own distinctive style. According to the artist, his journey into creating concert posters began with his friends who played in local bands. It was the independent music scene that first opened the doors to art for him. The artist’s main goal is to evoke emotions and create true works of art — not just serve as a visual tool to convey information about a concert. George has created posters for artists such as Paul McCartney, Dante Spinetta, The Rolling Stones, and many others. Most recently, he designed a poster for Paul McCartney's Got Back Tour 2025. George shared with Drive Music Media his insights on the beginning of his artistic journey, his commission for Paul McCartney, the creative vision behind the concert poster, and the easiest and most challenging sides of the artistic profession.
Sofia Lapsiuk is a Ukrainian makeup artist specializing in creative makeup who has chosen to avoid using any animal-based products in her work, creating all her looks without gelatin. Unfortunately, the exploitation of animals for the sake of art still goes unpunished in the fashion industry. According to Sofia, she doesn’t like it when her work is called “creative,” as she considers her looks simple. With Halloween approaching, her next project will be a Frankenstein-inspired look — Sofia is drawn to eerie and macabre styles. Sofia shared with Drive Music Media about the beginning of her journey, her refusal to use animal-based products in cosmetics, and her upcoming projects.
On October 9th, the founder of our media, Asya Radko, was invited to a private viewing of the exhibition "Women in Water" by the renowned American artist and one of the protagonists of pop art, James Francis Gill, held at Castle Fine Art Gallery in Exeter. The collaboration between James Gill and Castle Fine Art began in 2019. The event was attended by Richard Roden, Sales Director at Castle Fine Art in Exeter, and took place with the support of Queens Kunst Galerien and Ted Bauer, CEO of Premium Modern Art. For the artist himself, this exhibition represents a sense of calm and a desire to preserve beauty in such an unstable and turbulent world, given everything happening around us. His goal as an artist is to bring people peace. James Francis Gill began painting in the pop art genre in the 1960s and became one of the first artists to introduce pop art to the world. Our founder, Asya, had the chance to speak with James personally about the private viewing, his favorite painting from the «Women in Water» series, and his upcoming projects.
FEIA is a Ukrainian singer who feels a deep connection to nature and believes that her defining quality is her sense of magic. For her, FEIA is not just an image — it’s who she truly is. She brings all her emotions and the breath of a forest fairytale into her music. In our conversation, FEIA opened up about the beginning of her musical journey, honesty in music, and the meanings she weaves into her songs.
Paul McCartney is a British multi-instrumentalist musician and one of the deepest lyricists of our time, as well as a member of The Beatles, who has remained faithful to his simplicity and craft throughout his life. But he has another side — a love for photography, through which he has captured many important moments of life during the early years and the first wave of The Beatles’ popularity in 1963–1964. The uniqueness of Paul’s photographs lies in their sincerity: they are not staged shots, and they can transport the viewer back in time. The slight blurring and defocusing in some photos adds a feeling of being able to see the beauty in every moment. This is exactly the kind of exhibition titled Rearview Mirror: Liverpool - London - Paris, which opened at the end of August in London at Gagosian and will run until October 4, 2025. Drive Music Media received background information about Paul’s works and how they capture a time before "Beatlemania" through the lens and perspective of 21-year-old Paul — how he saw that time and how he preserved it on his film.