Elena Shumilova is mother to two young boys, Yaroslav (5) and Vanya (2). An architect by trade, the Russian artist only took up photography in 2012, wanting to capture the precious moments a mother witnesses as her children grow up.

The family owns a farm in Adreapol, Russia, where they have many animals including dogs, cats, ducks and rabbits. The special bond that can form between the animals and people is what she tries to capture through her photography. Shumilova tells Daily Mail that when she graduated University she spent a lot of time sketching and painting and it is this background that has come to define her photography and composition.

Be sure to check out her portfolio on Flickr and 500px, the dreamlike portraits are truly magical.

[Sources: Yahoo! Shine, Daily Mail, Huffington Post]