“Everyone is surrounded by the amount of magic that they are able to see.”
For photographer Kristina Makeeva, that sentence isn’t metaphor — it’s method.
Known for her global project “Simple Magic Things,” Makeeva builds luminous worlds out of the ordinary. A single snowfall, a reflection in a puddle, the light behind a curtain — these moments become her raw material. “I’m a seeker of magic in the ordinary,” she says, and her images prove it: dreamlike portraits, surreal travel scenes, and compositions that feel both spontaneous and impossibly precise.
Makeeva has spent more than 14 years refining that balance between wonder and craft. Based in Russia and traveling constantly, she has collaborated with Adobe Photoshop, luxury hotel groups, and international fashion brands. Her work has appeared in galleries around the world — most recently in Seoul — yet she rarely dwells on accolades. “The biggest achievement,” she says, “is that I’m still photographing, and I still love it.”
Travel remains her main source of inspiration. For Makeeva, movement equals perception — the more she explores, the more she sees. “Travel expands consciousness,” she explains. “It makes us more tolerant, inspired, and happy.” Each journey feeds the next, turning her camera into both passport and sketchbook.
Her photographs invite viewers to look again — to notice color, texture, and coincidence in places we’ve stopped paying attention to. They remind us that magic isn’t elsewhere; it’s right here, waiting for recognition.
Follow Kristina’s work and travels:
📸 Instagram @hobopeeba
🌐 Website hobopeeba.com
Sony a7r4 + Sony 24-70mm F2.8 / shot in Antarctica. We use giant piece of blue material, jewelry and few penguins for this photo. Edited in Camera Raw + Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Socotra island, Dragon trees photographed through flowering bottle trees in April. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Socotra island, Dragon trees forest photographed through tent door. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Lake Baikal, A girl in a long dress with a train, tailored specifically to match the color of ice, against the backdrop of ice splashes covering the trees. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Lake Baikal, A girl in a long dress with a train, tailored to match the color of the snow, stands against a cliff on Ogoy Island. The sky was specifically chosen to match the fabric of the skirt, as rhythmic elements are important in photography. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Kenya. Shot at the giraffe sanctuary in the capital, Nairobi. The train was specially made for this shoot to highlight the vibrant, green foliage in which this species of giraffe lives. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: The main mosque in St. Petersburg, the dress was made specifically to match the pattern of the tiles of this mosque. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Hutt Lagoon, Australia's pink lake, captured by drone DJI Phantom 4. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Cappadocia, Goreme / The dress with long strips of silk fabric was thrown up several times and then edited in Photoshop. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Holes were drilled in the barn, allowing light to pass through. Light also passes through the dress's translucent chiffon. The dress was tossed and repositioned several times, then combined in Photoshop. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Sony a7r4 + Sony 14mm F2.8 / Location: Azulejo tiles in Porto, Portugal, and a dress made from fabric with the same pattern.. Edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
