Meet Galway Photographer Emilija Jefremova: Art in Motion

If you are a fan of the arts, you may already be aware of Emilija Jefremova. The Galway-based photographer is a familiar face to anyone attending cultural highlights like the Film Fleadh or the Arts Festival, as she whizzes across the city on her bike, capturing beautiful, evocative imagery from across the festival spectrum that goes on to grace the pages of national and international media. 

Emilija's natural flow

For Emilija, work and movement go hand in hand. “For me, physical movement is like a reflex, an automatic response to everything I do,” she says. “It’s where I feel in my comfort zone.” 

Changing with the seasons

She can usually be found outdoors, though her chosen activities vary by season – biking, hiking and trail running when the weather allows.

“Nothing can replace outdoor activities, no matter what it is or how intense it is,” she enthuses. “I love nature, exploration, helping my body get its oxygen and vitamin D.

In the autumn, she turns to trail running, the ideal way to soak up the seasonal landscape “when the leaves and forest are changing colour”. On darker days, Emilija hits the gym and partakes in a racket sport or two, not to mention the odd sea swim. “It’s more a dip than a swim,” she laughs. 

“In wintertime, I would go in almost every day, though the women at Ladies Beach always make fun of me – I just go in, scream, and come out and feel great. I love the rush after, so, for me, a sea swim is more of a winter thing.” 

Adventures in the west

“Living in the west of Ireland has shaped a lot of my exercise and outdoor activities,” she says. “I have many favourite places that I already know and like going back  to – Connemara is an unlimited playground for exploring.” 

Early mornings

Whether she’s at home or away, her days typically start early – about 6am (“I go to bed at 10pm though!” she laughs). Whether she’s at home or away, she usually fits in a morning run, as “it’s a good way of sightseeing.” 

Activity on the move

Her travels, for work or pleasure, almost always incorporate fitness and movement in some way: “Climbing Kilimanjaro while filming was pretty cool, and last year’s gravel bike rally, Badlands, in southern Spain was absolutely life-changing. Surfing in Morocco in winter and skiing are both activities I’ve loved as well.” 

Shooting the sunrise

If you follow Emilija on Instagram, you’ll know she’s adept at capturing the sunrise, no matter where she is – sometimes it’s looking out across the Long Walk, sometimes it’s on top of a mountain deep in Connemara.

“I have a genuine fascination with that moment, that first moment of seeing the first part of the sun going up,” she enthuses. “It’s the quietness and stillness – seeing first rays and the shape of the sun coming up gives you a ball of good energy and grounds me for a minute.”

“It’s a moment that is just to yourself; a lot of people are still asleep, so you feel like you have had a secret moment with nature before it all kicks off. Sometimes, if I’m travelling with the camper van, I’ll just slide the door open, watch the sunrise then go back to sleep!”