Hajnalka Berényi-Kiss
Your Painterly Photograper in Vienna
Meet Hajnalka
PORTRAIT AND PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHER
Hello there, gorgeous human! I’m Hajnalka, a Vienna-based portrait photographer and visual artist. I'm passionate about crafting unique artistic portraits for my clients.
Connection and Bespoke Design
Your trust is everything to me, so before your session I take the time to get to know you and guide you through the process. From the very first email until you receive your prints, you have me 100%.
I’m the person behind the concepts, the designs, the sourcing of props and costumes, the styling, the sets, the edits, the composing, the colour gradating, the messages, the little videos, and the camera.
Loving a well-planned project and meaningful details, which is why I don’t take more than a few sessions a month. This way I can be fully dedicated to providing you with the bespoke experience you deserve.
The Gift of Self-Love
We always think there will be a better time, a less stressful time, a more convenient time. But the truth is, time is the only thing we never have enough of. That other time might never come and you would surely regret not having chosen yourself. You would regret not having taken that trip or done that thing you wanted so much.
So why wait? You deserve to have this now. Gift yourself the gift of self-exploration and unapologetic self-love.
My Bio would say
loves the dark and dramatic, is borderline order-obsessive, thrives on creative experimentation, enjoys conversational swearing, will make you a good vegan cappuccino.
What I'm about
FIND OUT IF I'M THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU
I’m “la petite Europe’.
Little Europe is what my French Airbnb hosts called me back in the summer of 2014. I confused the hell out of them being a British-sounding Hungarian from Serbia living and working in Vienna. I hold two passports and speak four languages. There. I’m an international mess. Or just really really European. Not quite sure. What I do know is being multilingual and multicultural has thought me to be open and always curious about the stories and experiences of others.
I’m all about connection.
When it comes to my work, I’m convinced that trust and respect are two of the most crucial ingredients to epic portraits. Nothing can replace genuine human connection. I want you to know I genuinely care about what I do and how it impacts those I photograph. You have endless options in booking a photographer, but if you’re choosing me, I’m also choosing you. I limit myself to just a few sessions each month which allows me to focus on your needs and give you the experience you deserve. I never want you to feel like a number. I want you to feel seen, valued, and feel like a muse.
The aesthetics I love.
My work is heavily inspired both by Renaissance art and modern cinematography. I can’t help but love Game of Thrones aesthetics. Quality is more important than quantity because excellence rarely comes in bulk. I'm most inspired by the people I photograph and creating work that is meaningful. I want to create portraits for you that make you feel, that inspire you and stop you in your tracks. My work exists between beautiful stillness, theatrical movement, and genuine emotion. I direct a lot, from head to toe, and have more poses up my sleeve than you can imagine. However, my greatest strength is to make you feel safe and at ease in front of the camera.
I’m vegan.
One last fun fact: My body runs on plants; I became vegan before it was cool or easy. It’s been about a decade and have more muscle than ever (which was never much, but hey, I'm functional and can do all the gear lifts). Apart from indulging in vintage shopping, living plant based is my contribution to a healthier and more sustainable planet. So, please expect vegan snacks and a good vegan cappuccino in my atelier. If you scroll a little further, you will see both the atelier and the cappuccino.
Want to know more about the portrait experience?
Get your free Portrait Guide here.
Awards and Accolades
Not to brag, more like to show you that I deeply care about the art I create. So much so that even experts think it’s fine (art). Pun totally intended.
AWARDS
2024
- Illustrative Portrait for Team Austria | World Photographic Award 2025
- Merit Award (2 entries) | In the Fine Art and Illustration category, Federation of European Photographers 2024
- Nominee Award (3 entries) | 10th Fine Art Photography Awards 2024
2023
- Merit Award | In the Fine Art and Illustration category, Federation of European Photographers 2023
2022
- Silver | 8th place in the Creative Portrait category, The Portrait Masters Image Awards 2022
- Bronze with Distinction | The Portrait Masters Image Awards 2022
- Bronze | The Portrait Masters Image Awards 2022
- Merit Award | In the Fine Art and Illustration category, Federation of European Photographers 2022
- Photographer of the month | Fstoppers, March 2022
- Distinction Award | In the Fine Art and Illustration category, Federation of European Photographers 2022
2021
- Nominee Award (2 entries) | 7th Fine Art Photography Awards 2021
FEATURED
- Interview on the "Headshot Photography" podcast, on YouTube and Spotify, 2024 November
- Enchanted Living Magazine, Editorial "The Renaissance is Female", 2024 Winter Issue
- Spellbound Magazine Cover, The Enchanted Realms Edition, 2023 November
- Figgi Magazine, Fantasy Issue, 2023 December
- Marika Magazine, Halloween Issue, 2023 November
- Narrative Painterly Portraits | Trendyartideas.com
EXHIBITIONS
The Portrait Atelier
Where the magic happens
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DIRECTLY INTO YOUR INBOX
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