Alona Shubina’s camera lens is a window to the world. As a Ukrainian in the U.S., she has a special view of people and a special desire to see everyone live in peace. As she shared in a posting on the social media platform, Threads, where she sometimes showcases her photos: “What if we stop building walls and start to open up and live with healthy boundaries?”

 

It’s in the name of her photography business: Alohaspics. Aloha, meaning love, and welcome. It’s a word play on her own name that came naturally to her. It’s clear when you look at Alona’s photos of weddings, of friends, and happy memories, that her focus is on the bright side of life. Alohaspics takes on any project from family photoshoots, to weddings, special events, and including commercial photography. According to Alona, their niche is producing “vintage inspired photos with retro lenses.” You might not know, in this world of mainly digital photography, such as from a modern phone, (which Alona also does), the type of lens you mount on a camera can make all the difference and provide unique photos.

 

Alona has been in business as a professional photographer for three years. She has been a photography buff for much longer, though. “I started doing photography because it's been my passion for years, inspired by my dad and grandfather,” she told us. “I picked up a camera in my teenage years and I started to grow, and it slowly became my job.” This growth was facilitated in large part by her involvement in church ministry. “I did a lot of church photography, and this community would fuel my passion so much that I had no doubts to create a job out of that.”

 

Happiness runs in Alona’s family. It may be that she had to leave her home country of Ukraine eight years ago due to war, yet she has kept her positive lens on life. Maybe she gets it from her parents, who have been married for 31 years and are still going strong! Settled here in the South Sound, Alona now has her own “big Christian family” of six kids. In addition to attending church and going on church missions, Alona keeps fit by running. Her unique view on the world provides joy to many.