Meet Olga Trehub

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Olga Trehub. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Olga, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

Our whole lives are about communication. Our jobs, professions, personal relationships, and relationships with ourselves are all about effective communication. Our passion for doing anything is about communicating with the world through creativity.

As a professional writer and communication strategist, I felt an acute communication disconnect when war broke out in my Ukraine.
I couldn’t find the right words, write a post, or talk to my friends on the phone. I was saving my family and my child, and I had to know that my family was okay. My communication during the long weeks of being an internally displaced person and then a refugee was reduced to a short messages:

– How are you?
– Are you holding up?
– Hold on…

Later, I realized that I had PTSD, the consequences of which I am still dealing with. But I want to say that even in the most difficult moments of our lives, it is very important to find and restore the effectiveness of communication in ourselves, through ourselves, and to the world around us.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

In a new country, I faced a language problem. As a writer who was able to describe and convey any emotions and knowledge through words, I realized that I was mute, not knowing the foreign language perfectly.
As always, my camera saved me. I call myself a passionate photographer because that’s exactly how I felt when I bought my first camera on my 18th. I didn’t make a living from photography; I was an amateur, the soul of every company and event, because people would get a bunch of photos from me afterward. When fleeing my home, where there was a war, I grabbed the necessary things in my backpack and camera. I was also on mute with my camera for many weeks. But while living in Poland in a hostel, I picked it up and began to photograph my family and the emotions of my fellow Ukrainians in times of complete uncertainty and confusion.

It won first place and grand prize at The Artists Forum Photography Competition, was voted best portrait at the Los Angeles Photography Awards, and received honorable mention at the European Photography Awards.
My niece Alisa was in my work. I took this portrait in the first days of our stay in the U.S. It seemed that all the difficulties and emotions of the past long weeks were displayed on her face and in her eyes. It took many days before she started smiling again.

My work on myself and restoring the effectiveness of my communication has paid off. I was noticed, and my work and my attitude to processes and interaction with people were noted. I was invited to work as a portrait photographer for the local Desert Magazine. I’m not so afraid of making mistakes in English anymore, or my English has improved, but sometimes it takes me just 15 minutes to turn a sad, angry, and overduty mayor into a smiling guy with sparkles in his eyes. That’s exactly what I need! A couple of my photos appeared on the magazine covers, and that’s how I went from being a passion to a paid photographer. I communicate with the world through photos, people’s smiles, and their sincere emotions, without which there can be no good portrait.

And when I don’t feel like communicating with anyone, I go to the ocean or the forest. It’s the best way to recover, heal and listen to the world.
I’m holding up.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The art of listening and hearing, of seeing not only someone else but also inside yourself, and of feeling emotion — I believe that it is necessary for any good photo.
Sincere, genuine emotions and light make a miracle. But it is also essential to carry light in yourself from the beginning of the shooting to the last byte on the memory card and to give this light to the person you photograph. I think a photo shoot is therapy, phototherapy, if you will. More than once, I’ve received feedback that my portrait photo shoots raise self-esteem for weeks; people come out happy with themselves even before the edited photos appear. But of course, I usually show them the raw images during the process. And I talk a lot, and we laugh a lot. A photoshoot is a charge of positive and creative energy, and I’m happy that I always find people who are beautiful at heart.

How would you describe your ideal client?

An ideal client is a person with simple human principles, kind, bright with whom it is easy to have a conversation or just to be quiet. This is a person with high emotional intelligence. I quickly find a common language with such people, and such people get back to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oliphoto.pro/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliphotopro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olga.tregub/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-trehub-4535bb149/