In this episode of Forward Moves, host Raja Haddad sits down with Dubai-based portrait photographer Natalya Urmanova inside her exhibition Whimsical World for a deeply personal conversation about fear, reinvention, and the art of seeing beyond the surface.
Raised around her father’s darkroom and shaped by 15 years in luxury fashion, Natalya shares how she walked away from the corporate world with “shaking legs,” only to discover photography as a portal into a parallel world — one where she could finally live, feel, and create freely.
Known for her cinematic black-and-white portraits, Natalya speaks about photographing essence rather than faces, why she builds meticulous visual worlds only to surrender to spontaneity, and how fear often signals forward motion. From her first exhibition — and the vulnerability behind it — to why she believes in never “staying in yesterday,” this episode is a powerful reflection on creativity, courage, and choosing honesty over certainty.
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🔗 Connect with Natalya Urmanova Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urmanova_imagery Website: https://www.urmanovaimagery.com
🔗 Follow Forward Moves YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forward_moves X / Twitter: https://x.com/forward_moovz Raja Haddad: https://www.instagram.com/octoraj
📌 PINNED COMMENT Natalya says: “The fear of staying was much bigger than the fear of leaving.”
What’s something you’ve felt called to walk away from — even without knowing what comes next? Share your thoughts below
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