Yana Tsi
Yana Tsi was born in Kerch, a small town in Crimea, a place that has lived under shifting flags and fractured histories. Soviet Union, Ukraine, and Russia. For her, the word hometown remains intact, but the notion of homeland has always felt more ambiguous. That early instability shaped her lens, literally and figuratively.
“I’m a nomad in life,” she says. Constantly moving, changing cities and countries, speaking in languages she didn’t grow up with. In those in-between spaces, where words often failed, she learned instead to watch, to listen, and to absorb.
As a reportage photographer, Yana Tsi has built her craft on chasing truth in motion, the unscripted, the raw, the moments between the moments. Her work straddles the worlds of endurance sport, human emotion, and documentary storytelling, with a signature style rooted in empathy, movement, and visual honesty. Whether she’s photographing motorcycling races or intimate portraits in natural light, she gravitates toward stories with heart.
On March 15th, 2025, her path converged with a powerful mission in Dubai: to document the first-ever 30-kilometer charity swim around The World Islands. The swimmers; Maher Al-Tabchy, and Eric Robertsen were not elite athletes, but determined individuals swimming to raise awareness for juvenile arthritis, autism, and chronic childhood illnesses.
From the first paddle into open water to the final exhausted steps onto shore, Yana was there, not just with her lens, but with her full presence. Ten hours on the water, riding support boats and skimming between waves, capturing an extraordinary feat in real-time.
This wasn’t just a sporting event. It was a statement of purpose. And for Yana, it was a story worth telling with care.
Photography, for me, has always been about being in the center of the moment — present, connected, and unflinching.
She shot the entire day using a combination of the Fujifilm X-H2S, X-T5, and the XF100–400mm lens – a kit built for speed, flexibility, and long range sharpness. Despite the constant movement and unpredictable ocean light, the gear never wavered. Image stabilisation and fast autofocus proved essential in keeping her work crisp and compelling, while Fujifilm’s Film Simulation modes helped her dial in mood and emotion, directly in camera.
The significance of this event extended beyond the lens. As an open-water swimmer herself, Yana understood the mental toll, the rhythm of breath and fatigue, and the moment to moment recalibration it takes to stay the course.
This wasn’t about endurance alone. It was about empathy, about making visible what others often cannot see: the dedication, the discomfort, and the resilience that shapes stories like this.
Her background gave her a unique connection to the people she was photographing. She wasn’t just documenting an achievement, she was bearing witness to a transformation.
For 10 straight hours, I was shooting from the water, bouncing between police boats and the support vessel, navigating the waves to capture every angle of the swim. I was equipped with the Fujifilm X-H2, X-T5, and the XF 100–400mm lens — a combination that gave me incredible reach, flexibility, and image sharpness, even under constant motion. The IBIS and autofocus kept the action tack-sharp, and the film simulation profiles added extra depth to the story, straight out of camera.
“This wasn't just another assignment. It was a project with purpose.”
The images she captured have since been published by BBC, Khaleej Times, and Lebanese media outlets — amplifying the voices behind the swim and ensuring their story reached far beyond the waters of Dubai.
Captured using Fujifilm X-H2S and X-T5, paired with the XF100-400mm lens.
To see more of Yana Tsi’s work – you can follow her on her instagram: @yanatsi_photographer.jpeg or on her website: yanatsi.art