Yana Skakun
Yana Skakun
Cardiff, Wales
Natural and cinematic portrait photography across Cardiff — Roath Park's Edwardian lakeside, Bute Park's riverside meadows, Cardiff Bay's waterfront, and the open landscapes of the Vale of Glamorgan beyond.
Cardiff is Wales's capital and its most photographically varied city — the Edwardian civic architecture of Cathays Park, the Victorian shopping arcades of the city centre, the green spaces of Roath and Bute Parks, and the regenerated waterfront of Cardiff Bay provide a range of portrait environments within a compact, walkable city.
I photograph all types of portraits in Cardiff: personal branding and professional headshots for Cardiff's growing professional sector, family and couple portraits, creative and editorial sessions, and actor portfolios. My approach is relaxed and natural — I work to reveal genuine character rather than produce standardised results, and adapt the session to Cardiff's specific locations and light.
I cover Cardiff and the surrounding areas including Penarth, the Vale of Glamorgan, Caerphilly, Cardiff Bay, and the Brecon Beacons is accessible for backdrop landscape sessions.
Roath Park — the formal Victorian-to-Edwardian park in north Cardiff with its 30-acre lake, the lighthouse memorial to Scott of the Antarctic, and the extensive rose gardens and glasshouse — is the most versatile outdoor portrait location in the city. The lakeside walk and boathouse provide water reflections and open sky; the formal gardens and the park woodland provide contained, shaded portrait settings.
Bute Park — the 130-acre park running along the River Taff from Cardiff Castle to Pontcanna Fields — provides the finest riverside portrait setting in the city. The mature arboretum, the Castle wall backdrop, the river bend at Forest Farm, and the open Pontcanna Fields meadow give varied portrait conditions across a single continuous green corridor.
Cardiff Bay — the regenerated docklands area south of the city — provides a contemporary waterfront portrait environment: the Senedd (Wales's parliamentary building), the futuristic Wales Millennium Centre, the Norwegian Church, and the long promenade around the Bay provide architectural backdrops of genuine distinctiveness for personal branding and professional sessions.
Cardiff's exceptional covered Victorian shopping arcades — the Royal Arcade (1858, one of the oldest in Britain), the Morgan Arcade with its original tiled floor, and the Castle Arcade with its painted ceiling — provide interior portrait settings of historic character that are easily accessible in the city centre and usable in any weather.
The green corridor of Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields, and Llandaff Fields forms Cardiff's longest continuous park space. The daffodil meadows of Pontcanna in spring, the river walk sections, and the mature trees in the Welsh Ground cricket area provide portrait settings across the full year with excellent variety of mood and light.
The Vale of Glamorgan — the rural hinterland south and west of Cardiff — provides coastal cliffs at Southerndown and Ogmore, the medieval ruins of Ogmore Castle, and the beach at Aberavon for country and coastal portrait settings accessible within 30 minutes of the city centre. Penarth's Edwardian pier and cliff walk also provide a compelling urban-coastal portrait location.
£245
45 min
£395
90 min
£595
Half day
Personal branding and professional headshots, family and couple portraits, creative and editorial sessions, actor and performer portfolios, and corporate team photography. Cardiff's range of environments from the Victorian arcades to Cardiff Bay and the Vale of Glamorgan countryside gives great variety for any session type.
Roath Park and Bute Park are the most-used outdoor locations. Cardiff Bay is the first choice for professional branding sessions wanting a contemporary urban feel. The Victorian arcades are excellent in any weather for a characterful indoor-urban look.
Yes — the Brecon Beacons National Park is about 45 minutes from Cardiff city centre and I photograph portrait and couple sessions there for subjects wanting a dramatic Welsh landscape backdrop. The Sugarloaf, Pen y Fan, and the Waterfalls Country near Pontneddfechan are all used for extended sessions.
Complete the form below with your session type (personal branding, family, couple, creative etc.) and preferred dates. I'll confirm availability and send a brief questionnaire to plan the session — locations, mood, and purpose.
Share your ideas and dates — I'll be in touch within 48 hours.
Get in Touch
Tell me about your vision and I'll be in touch within 24 hours.