My name is Iliyana Gonzales. I live and work in France. I began pursuing photography in 2008 after I unexpectedly won a National Geographic contest, which sparked my interest in photojournalism. I then took part in joint exhibitions on social themes and won a photojournalism award, but I eventually gravitated towards art, portrait and fashion photography. I believe that drawing with light gifts us with beauty and creativity and can positively impact and change people’s fates. I love doing retro photography – I look for inspiration in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, the Impressionism movement and in the works of Helmut Newton, Sara Mun, Irving Penn and many others. In my photography I love to highlight my appreciation of nature and dreams in a thought-provoking ambiance of beauty and allure.