Help Alla enhance her photography and support her family

Alla Olkhovska is a photographer and gardener living in Eastern Ukraine very near to the front of the war between Ukraine and Russia. She and her husband and mother-in-law and other family members live with the constant very real threat of loss of life. Unable to leave the country, Alla supports herself and her family by selling rare clematis and peony seeds online from her extraordinary garden, which she manages to cultivate amid war. But that's not all, she also has written books, made webinars, done countless interviews, counselled and advised many international gardeners and helped produce a documentary about her own story. All of these endeavours have relied on her immense talent as a photographer.

Alla shoots with a Nikon camera, but has only a macro lens to work with. She craves being able to work with a wider and more versatile lens. This is not in any way a frivolous need: the photography allows her to maintain her independence in earning her own living. While she also needs and relies on charitable contributions, Alla's photography fosters a creativity that helps her support herself.

She has her eye on a particular Nikon lens that she would be able to purchase in Kyiv: the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR. She writes, "This is my dream lens. It has a good range of focal lengths which will allow to shoot much more - a huge range of shooting possibilities."

As you likely know, Alla and her family are currently living with the harrowing realities of war. She tells us,

"There are hostilities taking place in my region, the assault on it goes on and the front line is driving closer to us with every passing day. Terrible missile, bomb and drone attacks take place almost every day, the air alerts are very frequent and long, sometimes an alert can last a day or two without any stop... And we also have blackouts which can be both short and long..."

Amid the chaos and fear, Alla is trying to sustain herself by focusing on the beauty of her flowers, which in turn draws people to her seeds. Please help Alla acquire the resources she needs to continue the work that supports her family in wartime. Thank you!

Who I am and how I know Alla

My name is Sherry Coman. I'm a professor at a Canadian college. In May of this year, I curated and produced an exhibition of Alla's photographs, working collaboratively with her. During the preparation time, I had several zoom calls with Alla in which I became more deeply aware of the tremendous perils she lives with daily. I have also been profoundly moved by her desire to find beauty amid the harsh realities of her circumstances. As a film and media professor, I am able to deeply appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of her photographs.

You can find out more about that exhibition here.

How the donation works

When you make your donation to GoFundMe, and after your financial institution has transferred the funds, they go into my bank account. I then use Paypal to send the money on to Alla. I will cover any transitional fees. You can be assured that 100% of your money goes directly to Alla.

Other ways to support Alla.

There are other ways to support Alla and her family that are available on her own blog: lindengrovegardens .tilda.ws , and through the website built by her dear friend Mia Broder : allasgarden.com.

Thank you in advance for your support!