The person behind Cup of Green.

About Elena

I'd rather catch the moment you didn't plan.

Cup of Green is me. I'm a documentary-led photographer based in Caterham, though I started out a long way east. I was born in St. Petersburg. These days I work across the towns around Caterham and down into South London.

Yes, it's about the tea. People ask about the name and I promise it isn't a branding exercise. I've always been pulled towards green things: nature, gardens, anything that grows. Green is my favourite colour and I also drink copious amounts of green tea and matcha.

Then there's the other reason, which I have said out loud on a training once, when we were all asked to describe ourselves as a drink.

"I'm like green tea. Transparent, no sugar coating, a bit bitter sometimes, but actually good for you."

I stand by it!

I'm not a "chin up, shoulders back, smile a bit more naturally" photographer. My job is to create a space where you feel comfortable enough to forget I'm there. Then I catch the look you didn't plan, the moment you thought was nothing. Those are the ones you end up keeping.

Before photography, I spent years in HR. It taught me the most useful thing I do: reading a room, working out what people need before they've said it and making an uncomfortable space feel a little easier. That's most of what a good shoot is.

What that means for you

Relaxed and real.

No stiff line-ups unless you want them. I work at kid pace, follow the day as it goes and keep everything calm. You get to be present, and you come away with photos that look like your real life.

I live in Surrey with my husband and our eight-year-old son, so I know what a real family day looks like: the mess, the negotiations, the snacks. It's why my sessions run at your pace, never the camera's.

I'm fully insured, with ten years of shooting behind me and more than 41 five-star reviews on Google. You're in good hands.