Anato. A combination of strong body and powerful mind
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Ana Tomouanu is a romanian model that travels all over the world for work and fun. She gave us a great interview about her experiences and some good advices for all the aspiring models. Enjoy!
Can you tell me a little about you?
Hi, my name is Ana, also known as “Anato” in the photography world. I’m a 25 year old romanian woman who loves art – from photography to theater, music and any kind of self expression.
How and when did you get into your profession?
I started to pose as a hobby when I was 18 and almost 4 years ago I decided to do it as a job. I never expected or aimed to do it full time, but because I was doing it with so much passion, people contacted me for more and more paid jobs, so here I am.
What does modeling mean to you?
Maybe you know this feeling, when you have something very strong inside, a drive, a calling, and you want to take it out and scream it loudly. This is how I feel, moving my body in order to create shapes, forms, connect to the camera and to the light is like poetry to me.
Could you describe your style in three words?
Edgy, passionate, dramatic.
Where do you get inspiration from?
I inspire myself from nature, theatre, paintings, objects, other models and photographers.
What was the most uncomfortable situation you encountered during a session ?
One time there was this romanian photographer who touched my leg and told me not to leave the studio because he wanted to spend “some time” with me. I managed to be calm and to convince him that it’s inappropriate. It was in the very beginning when I had no experience in choosing the right people to work with.
What a model should be careful for ?
The artistic niche is like the underground of photography. It’s very important what image you create, what people you choose to trust, how you behave. We have no agent or protection so we have to be highly emotionally intelligent in order to have a safe work environment. They should also know their value and choose only the best jobs.
What has been your most memorable session and why?
I had many amazing sessions, it’s very hard to choose. I loved working with Alessio Cocchi in Milano, who’s also a creative director for Moncler, I loved the connection I had with Stefan Beutler in Frankfurt – we had an amazingly similar vision about art, or with Gian Giovanoli in St. Moritz this summer because of the greatness of the team he brought and the concept. It’s not just about the pictures, it’s the feelings I have when I shoot with that person.
Can you name four of your favorite photographers you worked with?
Haha this is not fair! It’s very hard to choose and I would be subjective because my favorites are my friends.
What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new model looking to start their own career?
My advice is: work your ass off! Take care of your body and face, be healthy, don’t be afraid to travel, shoot as much as possible and results will show up. Be confident! You don’t have to be the most beautiful, tall, skinny etc. You have to have a great personality and uniqueness in your style. This is the key to success.
“My advice is: work your ass off! ”
Follow Anato on Instagram
