“A great model is someone open to pushing boundaries and embracing unconventional settings. Sometimes this means hiking to a remote location, braving cold temperatures or working in public spaces.”

Combine the adventuresome spirit of a National Geographic documentarian with a cover photographer’s eye for feminine beauty, and you get Alex Yaro. A career behind the camera first began in his native Ukraine, where tastes that would inform his distinct style first began to take hold. “Ukraine is a country of breathtaking landscapes and striking models, with its Slavic beauty always holding a special place in my heart,” Yaro says.

More specifically, “Slavic women possess a natural grace—a refined elegance and fluidity in their movements and demeanor that emerges effortlessly,” he continues. “Their figures are marked by highly feminine and harmonious proportions. A slender waist is one of the defining features, with the contrast between the waist and hips creating a strikingly feminine silhouette. Strong yet graceful and elongated legs further enhance their elegance.”

With this fully formed vision of beauty, Yaro immigrated to the United States 15 years ago and got to work honing his style. “Lighting is a cornerstone of style,” he says. “I primarily work with natural light, and nearly all my photographs are taken outdoors. Some photographers heavily modify body and facial features; I rarely make such alterations and prefer to select models whose natural appearance aligns with my vision.” These proclivities for the unedited feminine form and natural settings led him on ceaseless circumnavigation of the globe that so far has included more than 100 countries—22 of which he visited in the past year alone. And it’s not like he’s hanging out at the Ritz and snapping pics of a belle on a balcony against some distant landscape.

“I gravitate toward minimalist locations—deserts, snow-covered landscapes and water scenes, where the focus remains on the subject without distractions. To find these spots, I rely heavily on tools like ChatGPT for initial research, then dive into Google to visualize the location and plan how the model and the scenery will interact.” Not only does Yaro need to be willing to venture to these entirely remote locales, but so does his subject. “To me, a great model is someone open to pushing boundaries and embracing unconventional settings,” he explains. “Sometimes this means hiking to a remote location, braving cold temperatures or working in public spaces. The best photographs are born from a combination of the model’s personality, the light and the location.”

Yaro is of course partial to shooting in his homeland, but aside from Ukraine, he’s got a short list of favorite destinations. Nepal recently left a lasting impression after he beheld (and braved) the Annapurna Circuit—a mountainous 81-mile trek that circles the Annapurna mountain range’s massif and apexes with the Thorong La pass at 17,769 feet. In Namibia, Yaro got close to a native tribe and even walked alongside a cheetah when he wasn’t lensing au naturel model shots in the country’s namesake desert. Greece is another favorite, specifically the island of Mykonos, as are Morocco and Iceland. You’ll find shots from these excursions and others if you join the 480,000 who follow Yaro on Instagram. But for all the Continued from page 53 envy-inspiring travel porn, it’s important to remember that his penchant for working in challenging locations has brought about more than one harrowing situation.

“During a shoot near the active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua, I was poisoned by toxic fumes and nearly lost consciousness,” he recalls. “I’ve also photographed in the dangerous Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, where I narrowly avoided trouble with local gangs. Additionally, I sometimes cover global protests or revolutionary uprisings, such as the massive demonstrations in Paris in May 2023, where the risk of arrest was high.”

Continue scrolling through his IG feed and you might spot an alternative subject that seems juxtaposed amid the rest of his material: supercars. “I have a deep appreciation for extraordinary cars,” he says. His own Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 in its top-tier trim makes an occasional appearance, not to be outdone by a Lamborghini Huracán or Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe. The inclusion of these vehicles makes perfect sense when you remember that Yaro is a citizen of Florida’s Magic City, where high-end dealerships are abundant and multiple luxury marque-branded residences are breaking ground.

“Living in Miami, where there’s always a focus on the trendiest elements of a lavish lifestyle—luxury cars, yachts and more—it feels fitting to embrace this aesthetic,” he says. “Photographing models with opulent automobiles captures a unique atmosphere of style, success and luxury. This combination not only commands attention but also underscores prestige and elegance.”

Yaro isn’t alone in photographing pretty girls and fast cars in striking settings. But, as you can see, he has a singular style. And that’s all that matters. As he puts it, “The world is full of talented photographers, but standing out requires a distinctive style and relentless dedication. You don’t need to be ‘better’ than others—what matters is doing it differently.”

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Maxim.

Mentioned in this article: Alex Yaro magazine article models photography