Yanaki was employed as an art teacher in a Romanian school in Yanya when he opened his first photographic studio in 1898.
Yanaki asked his brother to join him and learn photography.
Yanaki gained interest in photography and quickly learned the craft.
 Yanaki, after many negotiations, purchased a plot of land on the main street of the capital of the Rumelia Eyalet within Vilayet of Manastir—Manastir.
In 1904 both brothers started to work on the construction of their independent workshop, which they named Atelier for Photographic Art.
Yanaki permanently moved to Manastir in 1905.
 Milton initially worked as a cleaner in the studio, maintaining the equipment, but later he studied photography and quickly showed expertise.
It is assumed that Milton began to participate in the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization during this time.
Milton took approximately fifty photographs of Aromanian revolutionaries in the organization.
It is also believed that Milton helped transport arms from Albania to Macedonia for the 2nd Revolutionary Committee of Bitola.

The Manakis had a passion for travel.
They traveled separately through many of the European capitals.
When the brothers went together to Bucharest in 1905, they were told that film cameras could be purchased in London.
Yanaki was interested and while traveling through Paris and Vienna, he stopped in England to buy a Bioscope 300 film camera from Charles Urban Trading Company.
With this camera they filmed their 114-year-old grandmother Despina; this was the first film shot in southeastern Europe.
The film was made only then years after the first Lumière brothers film, which had influenced the brothers.

King Carol I invited them to visit Romania for a second time to participate in the Bucharest Jubilee Exhibition, a photographic contest, held from the fifth to the twelfth of November 1906.
They won a gold and silver medal for their work and were named the official photographers of the Romanian King.
The brothers traveled in the region to take photographs, mostly in Aromanian-populated villages.
Parallel to their photography work, the brothers started to film documentaries.
During the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 and 1909, they took around 450 photographs and a short film that recorded every significant event of that period.
In 1909, they filmed and made a series of photographs of the arrival of the royal Romanian delegation to Manastir.
They also filmed the visit of the Turkish Sultan Mehmed V to Manastir in 1911—Milton traveled to the port of Thessaloniki where he recorded the arrival of the Sultan by boat, then the Sultan's train journey on the Selanik–Manastir route, the Sultan's reception on the railway station in Manastir, as well as events held in honor of the visit of the Sultan.
The same year they were honored as official photographs of the Ottoman Sultan.

The First Balkan War started on 18 October 1912 between Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Because of the Treaty of Bucharest, the town of Manastir was occupied by the Serbian army on 6 November 1912.
Milton and Yanaki took over 200 photographs of Serbian officers and soldiers and important political figures of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

In early 1914, Milton Manaki made a trip to Grevena and Advella to see his parents and relatives.
After returning home he was recruited by the Serbian armed forces, but he was soon released on account of his contacts with high Serbian authorities.
Due to the conflicts and wars from 1914 to 1915, the brothers did not produce much work and got into financial trouble.
They borrowed money from different clients.
When the Serbian army withdrew from Bitola, Bulgarian officers inspected the brothers' atelier and found three shotguns, and although Milton had purchased these, Yanaki was interned in Bulgaria.
Yanaki bought property in the Bulgarian village Straja and started breeding horses.
Because of the bombing of Bitola in World War I, Milton constantly traveled through Korçë to Thessaloniki.

Their photography worked revived In 1916 when Bulgarian and German officers wanted their
Yanaki was employed as an art teacher in a Romanian school in Yanya when he opened his first photographic studio in 1898. Yanaki asked his brother to join him and learn photography. Yanaki gained interest in photography and quickly learned the craft.  Yanaki, after many negotiations, purchased a plot of land on the main street of the capital of the Rumelia Eyalet within Vilayet of Manastir—Manastir. In 1904 both brothers started to work on the construction of their independent workshop, which they named Atelier for Photographic Art. Yanaki permanently moved to Manastir in 1905.  Milton initially worked as a cleaner in the studio, maintaining the equipment, but later he studied photography and quickly showed expertise. It is assumed that Milton began to participate in the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization during this time. Milton took approximately fifty photographs of Aromanian revolutionaries in the organization. It is also believed that Milton helped transport arms from Albania to Macedonia for the 2nd Revolutionary Committee of Bitola. 
The Manakis had a passion for travel. They traveled separately through many of the European capitals. When the brothers went together to Bucharest in 1905, they were told that film cameras could be purchased in London. Yanaki was interested and while traveling through Paris and Vienna, he stopped in England to buy a Bioscope 300 film camera from Charles Urban Trading Company. With this camera they filmed their 114-year-old grandmother Despina; this was the first film shot in southeastern Europe. The film was made only then years after the first Lumière brothers film, which had influenced the brothers.
King Carol I invited them to visit Romania for a second time to participate in the Bucharest Jubilee Exhibition, a photographic contest, held from the fifth to the twelfth of November 1906. They won a gold and silver medal for their work and were named the official photographers of the Romanian King. The brothers traveled in the region to take photographs, mostly in Aromanian-populated villages. Parallel to their photography work, the brothers started to film documentaries. During the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 and 1909, they took around 450 photographs and a short film that recorded every significant event of that period. In 1909, they filmed and made a series of photographs of the arrival of the royal Romanian delegation to Manastir. They also filmed the visit of the Turkish Sultan Mehmed V to Manastir in 1911—Milton traveled to the port of Thessaloniki where he recorded the arrival of the Sultan by boat, then the Sultan's train journey on the Selanik–Manastir route, the Sultan's reception on the railway station in Manastir, as well as events held in honor of the visit of the Sultan. The same year they were honored as official photographs of the Ottoman Sultan.
The First Balkan War started on 18 October 1912 between Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Greece. Because of the Treaty of Bucharest, the town of Manastir was occupied by the Serbian army on 6 November 1912. Milton and Yanaki took over 200 photographs of Serbian officers and soldiers and important political figures of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
In early 1914, Milton Manaki made a trip to Grevena and Advella to see his parents and relatives. After returning home he was recruited by the Serbian armed forces, but he was soon released on account of his contacts with high Serbian authorities. Due to the conflicts and wars from 1914 to 1915, the brothers did not produce much work and got into financial trouble. They borrowed money from different clients. When the Serbian army withdrew from Bitola, Bulgarian officers inspected the brothers' atelier and found three shotguns, and although Milton had purchased these, Yanaki was interned in Bulgaria. Yanaki bought property in the Bulgarian village Straja and started breeding horses. Because of the bombing of Bitola in World War I, Milton constantly traveled through Korçë to Thessaloniki.
Their photography worked revived In 1916 when Bulgarian and German officers wanted their
Yanaki and Milton Manaki