Olesya Alferenko | UNITED STATES

TITLE:

Hope for Ukraine

GEAR:

Canon EOS R5 and Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM

The war in Ukraine had recently begun and I was overwhelmed with grief and sadness. The Ukrainian woman pictured had just come to the US and reached out to me for portraits after randomly finding me on Facebook. I thought that this timing was incredible luck as I felt a strong need to create to express hope and solidarity with Ukrainians. I thought that we both could use a beautiful experience in nature to lift our spirits, so a few days later I grabbed some dresses, picked her up and we drove out to the blooming poppy fields in Antelope Valley, CA. Just as the sun was setting I gave her the Ukrainian flag and we stood there taking in the sunset, hoping that one day soon the sun will set over a peaceful Ukraine.

Unity