For almost three decades, she lived for her family, raised four children, supported those closest to her and rarely asked herself what she truly wanted.
Today, Yana Simakova is a photographer, the founder of LUMIOANNA.photo, and a woman who helps others see their own beauty.
In an interview with MosFocus Magazine, she speaks openly about deciding to start her life again, why age should never become an obstacle to change, and what self-love really means.
— Yana, if you had to describe yourself in just three words today, what would they be? And why those three?
Yana Simakova:
Strong, sensitive and genuine.
Strong — because I have learned to get back on my feet after some of life’s most difficult challenges.
Sensitive — because my heart has always been more important to me than any masks or social roles.
Genuine — because today I no longer want to live up to other people’s expectations. It is important for me to be myself.
— The phrase “From the shadows into the light” often appears in your story. When did you realize that you no longer wanted to live someone else’s dreams and were ready to create your own?
Yana Simakova:
Probably when I realized that one day you can wake up and understand that you have lived your life for everyone except yourself.
For almost twenty-seven years, I was first and foremost a wife, a mother and a person who supported the family.
And only years later did I ask myself for the first time: “Where is Yana in this whole story?”
That was when I decided to step out of the shadows and allow myself to live my own life.
— You devoted almost three decades to your family. How difficult is it to start practically from scratch after 27 years of a familiar life? What was the hardest part?
Yana Simakova:
Starting over after twenty-seven years of marriage is very frightening.
You lose not only your familiar way of life, but also your sense of stability.
The hardest part was believing that I still had the right to dream, make plans and start again.
But it is precisely at that moment that real freedom is born.
— Many women are afraid of change because they think, “It’s too late for me.” Did you have that fear? And how did you overcome it?
Yana Simakova:
Of course I did.
I also felt that youth was already behind me and that many opportunities had been lost.
But then I realized one very simple thing: it is only too late when a person stops living.
Age is experience, not a sentence.
— Can divorce be called not an ending, but a beginning? When did you first feel that way?
Yana Simakova:
Today I am absolutely certain that it can.
Of course, at first there was pain.
Then emptiness.
But gradually came the realization that an enormous number of new opportunities were opening up ahead.
Sometimes the end of one stage of life becomes the beginning of the happiest chapter.
— You have four children. How did they react to your decision to change your life and start building your own brand? Did they support you?
Yana Simakova:
My children became my greatest motivation and support.
They saw what I had been through, so they understood how important this step was for me.
I really wanted to show them by my own example that you must never give up.
Life can change at any age, and you can always find the strength within yourself to start again.
I think this example will remain the most valuable thing I can give them.
— You say that you spent your whole life creating beauty and helping others. When did you first want to create beauty in your own name?
Yana Simakova:
Probably when I finally heard myself.
For many years, I invested my energy, care and creativity in other people.
And one day I realized that I wanted to create beauty through my own vision, my own feelings and my own story.
It became not simply a profession, but a way of speaking honestly and openly with the world.
— Why did photography become the language through which you decided to tell women’s stories? What makes it special to you personally?
Yana Simakova:
Photography is much more than beautiful pictures to me.
It is an opportunity to show a person who they really are.
Very often, a woman comes to me not actually for photographs.
She comes for a meeting with herself.
And when she looks at herself for the first time without criticism, complexes or the usual limitations — something truly magical happens.
Those are exactly the moments I work for.
— There are an enormous number of photographers today. What makes the philosophy of LUMIOANNA.photo different? What does a woman receive after a session besides beautiful images?
Yana Simakova:
LUMIOANNA.photo is not about perfect poses and flawless filters.
It is about accepting yourself.
For me, every photo session is a small journey during which a woman rediscovers her own beauty.
She leaves with more than photographs.
She leaves with a different view of herself.
She begins to notice her value, inner strength and uniqueness.
If a woman becomes more confident after our meeting, then everything was worth it.
— You work not only as a photographer, but also as a retoucher and designer. How important is it for you to personally control the entire process of creating an image?
Yana Simakova:
It is fundamentally important to me.
When I personally accompany the entire process — from the first meeting to the final processing of the photographs — I can preserve exactly the emotion I saw in the person.
I have never wanted to change a woman or make her “perfect.”
On the contrary, my task is to emphasize her individuality, preserve her natural beauty and character.
— Many women come to a photo session saying, “I’m not photogenic,” “I’m not beautiful,” or “I’m too old.” What do you usually tell them?
Yana Simakova:
I always smile and say one simple phrase:
“You are not unphotogenic. Perhaps no one has truly seen you yet.”
Very often, the problem is not appearance at all.
It lives inside — in doubts, fears and other people’s judgments.
Beauty does not begin in front of the camera.
It begins with accepting yourself.
And when a woman allows herself to be genuine, you can immediately feel it in every frame.
— Has there ever been a moment in your work when a woman literally changed the way she saw herself after a photo session? Tell us about a story that stayed with you.
Yana Simakova:
Fortunately, there have been many such stories.
But I remember one especially well.
After the session, a woman spent a long time looking at the photographs and then suddenly began to cry.
Through her tears, she said:
“For the first time in many years, I looked at myself and thought: how beautiful I am…”
For me, those words were a much greater reward than any diplomas, competitions or professional achievements.
That is exactly why I create my projects.
— The “Beautiful Mom 2025” competition, where you took third place, became an important moment in your life. What changed inside you after that achievement?
Yana Simakova:
For me, it was not so much a victory in a competition as a victory over myself.
I received confirmation that age, life experience and everything a woman has been through do not prevent her from being beautiful, vibrant and inspiring.
This story once again proved to me that if a person believes in themselves, opportunities can appear even where they once seemed impossible.
— Today, women’s self-realization is discussed more and more often. In your view, where is the line between caring for your family and losing yourself?
Yana Simakova:
That line appears when a woman completely forgets about herself.
We often believe that loving our family requires complete self-sacrifice.
But that is not true.
While caring for the people we love, we cannot stop caring about our own soul, dreams and desires.
I am convinced that a happy woman gives her family much more love, warmth and inspiration than someone who lives exclusively for others while forgetting herself.
— What does self-love mean to you today? Is it simply a beautiful phrase or a daily process of working on yourself?
Yana Simakova:
Self-love is definitely not a beautiful phrase or a fashionable trend.
It is a daily choice to respect yourself, listen to your feelings, take care of yourself and refuse to accept things that destroy you from within.
When a woman begins to treat herself with love and respect, everything around her changes: her outlook, her energy, her relationships with people and even the way her life unfolds.
— If you could speak to your twenty-year-old self, what is the most important advice you would give her?
Yana Simakova:
I would hug her tightly and say:
“Don’t be afraid to choose yourself. You don’t owe anyone anything. Don’t let fear make decisions for you, and don’t postpone your life until ‘later.’”
Today I understand that the sooner a woman begins to listen to herself, the happier her journey becomes.
— You are creating a project that helps women see their inner strength. What kind of women do you want to bring together around you? What is your bigger goal?
Yana Simakova:
I want to bring together women who once lost themselves but are ready to find their inner light again.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, what life experience they have or what challenges they have gone through.
Only one thing matters — the desire to believe in themselves again.
If thanks to my work even one woman stops doubting her own value, then none of this was in vain.
And my biggest dream is for there to be thousands of such women.
— Social media is now filled with perfect images. How can women preserve genuine beauty and individuality without becoming another stereotype?
Yana Simakova:
I think real beauty begins exactly where the desire to look like someone else ends.
Today it is very easy to lose yourself while trying to meet other people’s expectations and constantly comparing yourself with beautiful images on the internet.
But individuality is what makes a person truly beautiful.
Imperfection, sincerity and character — none of these can be replaced by filters or artificial intelligence.
— What do you dream about today? Not as a photographer, but as a woman who once decided to start her life again.
Yana Simakova:
Today my dreams are very simple and very genuine.
I dream of inner peace and a large creative studio where beautiful projects can be born.
I dream of traveling more, seeing my children happy and, one day, meeting a person beside whom I can simply be myself — without fear, without masks and without having to prove anything.
And I also very much want my project to inspire thousands of women to believe in themselves and take the first step toward a new life.
— And finally. If, after reading this interview, even one woman decides to take the first step toward herself, what would you like to tell her right now?
Yana Simakova:
Don’t be afraid.
No one will live your life for you.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it may never come.
Believe in yourself, even if right now it feels as though you have no strength left.
Remember: sometimes just one small step can change your entire destiny.
Quick Questions
Your morning begins with…
Gratitude to God.
Three things you never leave home without:
A phone, a smile and faith.
The bravest thing you have ever done?
Starting over.
What inspires you most?
People. Children. Light.
Your favorite shot is…
An honest look.
A woman is beautiful when…
She loves herself.
Your main value in life?
Family.
What does “happiness” mean to you today?
Being yourself.
A book or film that changed your worldview?
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.
Complete the sentence: “My new story begins…”
…with choosing myself and loving life.