Who wouldn’t follow her?
Since March, photographer Murad Osmann has been capturing a series of signature poses of Natalie Zakharova, Osmann’s stunning girlfriend, in exotic locations he’s called “Follow Me.”
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The photographs became an Internet sensation after the beautiful snapshots of Zakharova leading him around by the hand in iconic locations went viral. In less than a year, Murad’s photographs have attracted thousands of fans, have been featured at an Art Basel exhibition and have inspired copycat travelers.
Now, the Moscow-based couple have a fresh batch of images in the series that feature places like Madrid, Istanbul, Miami and London — and have a new book coming out.
“When we began the series, the time spent on preparing was minimum and the shots were spontaneous,” Osmann told FoxNews.com. “ Now we plan everything ahead. We look for locations and choose the outfits for them.”
Zakharova, who’s also a journalist, takes charge of styling the shoots as they travel. Recent photos feature Zakharova at various locations dressed in indigenous clothing – from a classic Flamenco style dress in Spain to a Carnival mask in Venice.
Osmann said the first photograph was taken by accident in Barcelona when Osmann and Zakharova were on vacation. Annoyed that he was taking pictures while they were supposed to be relaxing, Zakharova grabbed him by the hand, but Osmann continued to take his snaps.
Since then, the couple has toured dozens of countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, China, the U.S., England, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Turkey. But Osmann notes that they have “a lot more places to visit.”
They also recently signed a book deal. Due to hit shelves this fall, the collection will feature approximately 80-100 images from Osmann and Zakharova’s travels. From a stunning Moroccan sunset to wading through rice fields in Bali, the couple explores traditional and modern elements of the societies they visit.
Imitators have now sprung up, hoping to capitalize on the unique success of these snapshots, but Osmann only welcomes a new perspective on his original idea.
He says, “I am happy that people are following my idea and doing their own versions. It is always fun to see different types of vision that people have.”
To see more of Osmann’s work, check out the slideshow and look for the hashtag #followmeto on Instagram.
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