The child animal whisperers - PHOTO

Elena Shumilova, from Andreapol, Russia, began taking pictures of her sons Yaroslav and Vanya in early 2012 when she received her first professional camera.The pair were immediately accepted by the animals from a young age and their incredible bond continues to strengthen as they get older.Elena, 32, was able to capture images her boys playing with such animals as rabbits, dogs, cats and ducks as they become totally immersed in their communication with their furry friends.As Yaroslav, aged five, and Vanya, two, grow up Elana plans to continue documenting their animal adventures through photography.She said: 'When I graduated from school I practiced with sketching and painting a lot. That defined my feeling of photography and composition.'Children and animals - they're my life. As a mum of two sons we spend a lot of time on the farm, so I often shoot my boys with dogs, rabbits and ducks.'I prefer to use natural light - both inside and outside. I love all sorts of light conditions - street lights, candle light, fog, smoke, rain and snow - everything that give visual and emotional depth to the image.'When shooting these pictures, I largely trust my intuition and inspiration when I compose photos of my children with animals.'I get inspired mainly by desire to express something I feel, though I usually cannot tell exactly what that is until I have taken the shot of them with the animals.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az