Liene Pētersone became the best wedding photographer in Latvia for the second time. Her feminine tenderness and, at the same time, her brave love of travel have allowed her to travel not only to the farthest corners of the world, but also to the weddings of young couples, capturing them in wonderful photographs. We meet on a not-so-sunny Saturday in one of the cafes in the center of Riga, Liene drinks cappuccino , which she enjoys as one of the greatest desserts and daily joys of her life, and we travel through Liene's own life and the path to the title of Latvia's best wedding photographer.

Judging by your social media profile activity, one thing that really defines you is getting to know the world. Where did you get such a joy to travel from?

I wear a ring everyday, the main message of which says: "Life is a journey!" and it really is. Travel is the balance in life that I so desperately need. Being a photographer, the load is heavy every day, there is a lot of work and only on trips outside of Latvia I am able to fully disconnect my mind from everything else. I have my favorite places where I need to go at least a couple of times a year. One such love is London, which calls me back again and again. There is that special aura, opportunities, diversity of people. I would even like to say - also limitlessness and a complete feeling of freedom. There is such a nice carousel of the world. I love those moments when I can be in London in the summer and just lay in a park and people watch. People around me often laugh at me, saying that there are hundreds of other places in the world to see, but I count myself among the people of habits - if I find something good and something that suits me, then I will stick to it. But traveling is my need - right there, in the world, in terms of saturation, one day is like three days here in Latvia. I don't crave many things, they don't make me happy.

The world makes me happy and the memories I get there are only mine and no one will take them away from me.

You can say that every wedding day is also like a small journey. What took you on this journey of your life?

Yes, you can really say that - weddings are half of the photography trip that I do every day. I got to a wedding for the first time at the age of 22, when I also photographed it - I had never been to any wedding before in my life, so it was through the photo lens that I saw the wedding for the first time. It was my friends wedding where I was a guest with a camera. Everything I saw really inspired me and the fact that the couple loved the moments I captured helped to realize that this could be my . So all the magic of the wedding remained somewhere in me. However, if we talk about the beginning of this journey , it wasn't like I woke up one morning as a child thinking I was going to be a photographer. I have obtained both a bachelor's and a master's degree in business management, and in parallel with my studies I started studying at the Biruta Magele photo school. During my studies, due to the heavy workload, all my days were planned minute by minute, but now I see the result - being the organizer of my own time and schedule and creating my days exactly as I want.

Knowledge of business management can definitely come in handy when you are a photographer...

I have realized that I cannot take on all the jobs in the world, because I am clearly aware of how much time I want to devote to each job, so I do not photograph more than 10-12 weddings a year. I always want people to find me through my works, rather than me somehow making them notice me through aggressive marketing.

Es arī katru reizi cilvēkiem pārprasu, vai tiešām būšu tā  īstā , kas viņiem vajadzīga, jo man ļoti negribētos, lai pārim kāzu dienā būtu kāds šaubu moments.

However, you have been the real for many couples. This fact has probably helped you to become Latvia's TOP wedding photographer twice...

I am very lucky with those people - couples who choose me as their wedding photographer. It's not just my success, it's a set of circumstances that lead us to where we are.

The first time I was rated as the best wedding photographer in Latvia, it felt a bit like it "happened". However, receiving the award again this year, in a way, it served as a confirmation to myself that the first time was not as much of a coincidence as I thought. I myself know how much I invest in it and how mercilessly I give my time to this work. Often the client and their needs come first in my life, which leads to many sleepless nights and sometimes tears. This year, I am most happy that in the categories "portrait" and "young couple" one of my pictures has won the highest rating for the first time within the competition.

How do you explain it yourself - what is the key to your success?

I think it is a set of measures. I prepare a lot for every wedding - it's important for me to tune in emotionally the night before, as well as prepare everything necessary, so that I know there will be no rush in the morning. The bride does not need a nervous photographer next to her, so the photographer must also be confident in what he is doing and radiate calmness.

I have deliberately chosen to photograph relatively few weddings in order not to lose the quality of my work and to devote as much time as I want to processing the pictures. I still don't see it as a business, but as a hobby.

If it were a business, I would definitely take on a lot more weddings, and as a result, I would probably work more sloppily.

But we're all only human - has there ever been a time when you didn't feel ready at all?

I remember one such time particularly vividly. It was an ordinary Tuesday in July and I woke up sick. I wasn't supposed to photograph the wedding that day, so I had decided that I would spend the whole day in bed, until I received a call from a very excited groom who had a wedding that day and suddenly, so to speak, a lot of things fell apart including the photographer. I said I couldn't help and recommended two other photographers to him. While he was calling them, I decided in my head if he was going to call me again, I would. I realized that at this moment he is much worse than me. He actually called me back after 10 minutes and I agreed. In a couple of hours, I prepared all the necessary equipment, washed my hair and ironed the dress, because it is always important for me to look good myself on the couple's wedding day.

I can't go to a wedding in jeans and a t-shirt, so I have my own collection of wedding photography outfits. They are mostly feminine dresses because I like to look festive so that I look like one of the party members.

And, yes, in a word, I was ready and I must admit that the evening after photographing this wedding I felt much better than in the morning when I was lying sick.

Your collection of photography wedding dresses definitely shows your femininity. What are you like as Liene - female?

Despite the relatively masculine occupation, I see myself as a feminine being. I like feminine things, cleanliness in myself and around me. I am not feminine in the traditional sense of the term - I don't cook lunch, but my beloved man does. According to my horoscope, I am an Aries, but I have made sure that only the best qualities of an Aries are combined in me. ( laughs. It cannot be denied – Liene has a really great sense of humor. Auth. ). I am focused on compromises, discussion and I try to do everything so that both sides are good. In relationships, I highly value the peace that reigns between us. I am also given a lot of freedom and the person next to me fully appreciates what I do and supports it.

However, the most important setting in my life is to be a good person.

Judging by your loved ones in the movie, you are a romantic.  August Rush , The Holiday , Great Expectations and as a cherry on top - The Intouchables , which you wouldn't call romantic...

But there is very good humor in it, which is an important part of my life - it helps to live easier and does not allow me to sink into sadness. I especially appreciate witty humor with intelligence. I also like Hollywood romantic movies because they charge and give positive lightness. If I fill myself with something, I want it to be something bright. But if there is a heartfelt moment in the film, I will definitely cry - maybe that describes my ability to empathize.

One more thing can be noticed about you - your friendship with other photographers. You travel together, have picnics on hot summer days and have morning coffee at each other's studios. What is it that binds you to each other?

I write on my website that

true and strong connection between people inspires me more than good books.

I stick to that in my life as well. I had a special meeting in my life with my friend and photographer Aiga Rēdmani - we think alike, we feel alike and we really have a special bond. We were even born in the same year and month, five days apart. I value and cherish this friendship between our photographers - we discuss things related to photography every day and go on trips due to our flexible work schedule. We are not competitors, definitely not, we are friends. Even when submitting photos for contests, we discuss among ourselves which could be each other's best works. The goal of our group of friends is for the Latvian wedding photography industry to be as high-quality as possible and move to the world level.

This is probably what every wedding photographer wants, but what does Liene Pētersone herself want in the future?

You know, I'm not planning anything. I'm not one of those people who build dream castles - it's too risky and can end in disappointment.

I'm letting myself go where it takes me to be surprised during this journey .

It allows me to perceive my everyday life much more calmly and to know that life is a journey and I am only its traveler.