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I believe in a world where people are allowed to become visible, not only on the outside, but on the inside. A world where images don’t just show what moves people, but make it felt.
EjaFoto – Erika Kopanyiova
Passionate photographer with heart and depth.
“I photograph to make visible what has long been there.”
How my path has shaped my impact.
My path to photography wasn’t a straight one. It wasn’t a sequence of successes. It was a journey through questions, pain, standstill, new beginnings, and the ever-repeated rediscovery of my own perception.
I was born in Slovakia, in a culture where being down-to-earth, steadiness, and responsibility are simply part of life. In October 2015 I moved to Saxony-Anhalt, and in 2018 to Berlin. There I experienced the diversity of human expression, people with presence and people longing for clarity. That city allowed me to widen my view and create space for depth. Since March 2026 I have lived in Notzing, in the middle of Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), and from here I am beginning a new chapter.
There were times when I felt lost to myself. Times when I felt how important it is not to lose the connection to who you are. I learned early to be seen through what I achieved, through movement, through what became visible when I showed myself. Later I recognized that I had placed this same gaze on other people too: I often saw their potential more than the person standing in front of me today. This gift took me far, but it also taught me how easily you can lose sight of someone in the process. These inner experiences shaped me not only as a person but also as a photographer. They showed me that true strength doesn’t lie in perfection, but in presence. Not in doing, but in being. Today, as a photographer, this is exactly how I show up: I don’t look for potential. I look for the presence that is already there, completely without expectation.
All of this has taught me to see people not just superficially, but to truly perceive them. The moments in between, the unspeakable, that which moves people but remains unsaid. This ability is the foundation of my work today. It is what distinguishes my images from mere depiction.
My journey has been shaped by encounters with people of character. By stories that do not fit into words. And it is exactly this kind of life experience that I bring into every photographic process.
My way of seeing
I do not just see a face, a body, or a pose.
I see how someone breathes when stillness arises.
I see how someone aligns themselves when clarity is present.
I see what lies behind roles, expectations, and external forms.
My values in my work
I work from a mindset that is more than just a photographic style.
Calm instead of haste
Perception instead of staging
Depth instead of surface
Responsibility instead of arbitrariness
These values guide me in every moment, in every look, and in every image that is created.
My Vision
I believe in a world where people are allowed to become visible not just on the outside, but on the inside. A world where images do not just show, but make tangible what moves people.
This vision is reflected in all of my projects.
With EjaFOTO, I want to create spaces where presence emerges naturally and where people become visible in their authentic stance. Not louder. Not louder. But clearer. Not bigger. But more truthful.
With New You Version, I go one step further. This is about processes in which people discover new possibilities. Where inner clarity gains outer impact. Where identity and public image align.
Both projects share the same core idea:
That true identity becomes visible when people no longer have to portray something, but instead arrive at their true selves.
My vision is to bring this kind of perception and depth into the world through my camera, through my presence, and through my willingness to hold spaces where true presence can emerge.
Where and how I create impact
I live in Notzing near Oberding, in the middle of Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), since 2026. I love working close to home and in the surrounding area, but I am open to projects throughout Bavaria. For multi-day engagements (retreats, for example) I also travel nationwide, and generally, just as in all the years before, I am on the move across Europe. I especially love creating impact within German-speaking countries: the German language gave me a new way to experience myself.