I was born and raised in the Republic of Abkhazia, a small country on the coast of the Black Sea. When I was seven, a civil war broke out. Although fortunate to have survived the long conflict, my family was utterly poor - we lost everything. We fled to Russia the same week the war ended. I still remember the small fishing boat we left on, and that awful storm that almost sunk our vessel. After another three years of poverty, we moved to the States - the land of plenty.
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The tough childhood has taught me to be thankful for all that I have; and to be honest - I've been blessed with so many wonderful things. One such blessing is my job - I absolutely LOVE what I do.
There are so many aspects of being a photographer that I enjoy - being able to express myself artistically, working with amazing couples, attending gorgeous weddings, teaching others my skill, and most importantly - making people happy by capturing beautiful images of them. I love being a photographer.
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Nowadays I spend my time photographing people, retouching images, teaching aspiring photographers, and being with my family and friends.
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My name is Daniel Usenko. I am a photographer.
All images ©2010 Daniel Usenko Photography
