Illia: Your Own Style Is Built Through Constant Practice [Photography, 56.2k Followers, Ukraine]

Illia Interview

Illia is the creative force behind "Fancienton", a platform dedicated to cinematic photography, dark fantasy aesthetics, and accessible photo editing education. He explains how breaking down his editing process turned a personal passion into a thriving learning community and why authentic style always matters more than chasing trends.

Q. For those discovering your work for the first time, could you please introduce yourself?

I am an artist and photographer, the creator of the "Fancienton" project. I specialize in creating visual content and editing photos in a wide variety of styles. My main goal is to help people blur the line between everyday reality and the world of cinema, proving that anyone can transform ordinary moments into captivating images that stay in people’s memories.

Through my blog, I create unique color presets and help beginner creators master photo post-processing, making high-quality visual design accessible to everyone.

Q. Every journey has a singular turning point where a passion project transforms into professional trajectory. When you look back at your earliest days in the field, what was the one specific lightbulb moment or piece of work that this profession was no longer a hobby but a true calling?

The turning point came when I decided not only to shoot and edit photos for myself, but also to share them with other people. As soon as I started breaking down the transformation process in detail, showing the original ‘before’ image and then comparing it with the final ‘after’ result, the audience’s reaction pleasantly surprised me. I realized that people enjoyed the content I was creating and that it was useful to them. 

After that, I decided to continue sharing my knowledge with others. It stopped being just a hobby and turned into a platform for digital learning. I still have many discoveries ahead of me in the field of photography and photo editing, and I continue to grow together with my audience. Every new project is an opportunity to learn something new, while feedback from the community often helps me see creativity from a different perspective.

Q. A common misconception among external audience is that digital execution easy or instantaneous. What is one technical challenge about your daily work that outsiders completely underestimate, but it is absolutely crucial to master?

The biggest misconception is that photo editing is simply about applying a filter and making a few basic adjustments. In reality, the main challenge is preserving color harmony while maintaining the natural look of the details. Whether I’m recreating a warm sunset (golden hour) or creating a mysterious atmosphere for a photo, I have to make sure that the colors work well together and that every effect complements the others harmoniously. This requires careful work with masks, tone curves, and many other tools in order to control exactly where the viewer’s attention is drawn.

Q. The digital media landscape changes rapidly forcing creators to adapt and change their methodologies. How has your workflow changed over the past 3 years to keep up with the shifting trends without losing your authentic signature?

Over the past three years, my workflow has become much more structured. While I used to spend a long time experimenting with ideas and editing, I now dedicate more time to planning and choosing the theme before I even begin working. This allows me to create content more quickly without sacrificing quality. 

I have also learned how to adapt my videos to the modern short-form format, keeping only the most important and engaging parts while preserving my own style. For me, it’s important not just to follow trends, but to use them as a tool without losing my own vision.

Q. You have built a loyal community by breaking to down gatekeeping barriers in photography and showing lightroom exposure and color wheel metrics. For aspiring digital artists, what is single most practical bit of advice you whish someone had given you post processing when you where first starting out?

I would probably say that it’s important to rely on your own taste and continue developing it, because creating content should first and foremost bring you enjoyment. When you create something that you genuinely like, you grow, and people who share your vision will naturally be drawn to you. 

It’s also very important to keep learning new things all the time. Today you practice lighting, tomorrow you start learning color theory, and step by step you become better. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes. Your own style is built through constant practice.

Q. Cinematic color grading normally takes hours of meticulous work, yet to succeed in short form digital space, you have narrow it down highly engaging 5 second video. How do manage to satisfy platform algorithms with your desire to produce meaningful high quality art?

Yes, in most cases, creating a good edit can take a couple of hours, but viewers don’t need to see the entire editing process. I provide ready-to-follow guides that can easily fit into a short video, making them quick to watch and easy to recreate. This way, everyone benefits: the algorithms get engaging short-form content, while viewers gain new knowledge and the opportunity to improve their skills.

Q. When a follower looks at your tutorial, they look at lightening fast transformation from mundane “before” image to epic “after” frame. Could you pull back the curtain to walk us through actual timeline, from the moment you select a theme to precise steps of dissecting color tone to exporting the final preset?

The part that takes the most time is choosing the theme. I can spend quite a while going back and forth between different ideas before finally deciding on one. After that, I review specific scenes from the film and identify the color palette and atmosphere that I want to recreate. Then I select the photos I need and begin the editing process. I try to stay as focused as possible while editing in order to recreate everything exactly as I see it. Once the preset is finished; I test it on different photos and make adjustments if necessary. In the end, I end up with a product that I consider flawless.

Q. Let’s wrap things up with a fun one! Since your entire universe is built around editing photos cinematically, what is your absolute favorite comfort movie that laid the foundational blueprint for your visual style?

I probably couldn’t choose just one, so I’ll mention my two favorites. The first is Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. In my opinion, it’s a flawless film that explores incredibly fascinating themes and asks important questions, while its visual style was one of the first to leave a truly strong impression on me. 

The second isn’t a single film at all, but the entire Harry Potter series. I absolutely love the visual style of every installment, especially the way each film gradually transitions into a darker atmosphere. My favorite is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. However, these are only part of my inspiration. Over the years, I have watched countless films, and each of them has left something of its own in my visual style.

Bio:

Illia is a photographer and content creator from Ukraine, who is the creative mind behind the "Fancienton" brand. Specializing in cinematic photography and color grading, he turns ordinary moments into movie-like scenes. Through his blog, Illia shares high-value educational content and step-by-step tutorials, helping other artists master post-processing and color correction without any gatekeeping.

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Interviewed By: Anwesha Rai