The Person Behind Phukeya
Hi, I'm Alesia Kalinina, and Phukeya is mine. I've had a camera in my hands for over twenty years, and I've spent the last fifteen of them living on this island. Phuket stopped being a holiday for me a long time ago. It's home, and I know its light better than I know most things.
I've done over two thousand shoots here and across Thailand, plus sessions in the Seychelles, the Maldives, Switzerland, Italy and Malaysia. That number matters less to me than what it taught me: how to read a person quickly and put them at ease in front of a lens.
How I work
My background is editorial portraiture, so I direct. You don't need to know what to do with your hands or where to look. I'll guide your posing, your angle and your expression, frame by frame, and I'll tell you when something is working.
I shoot with natural light, in the afternoon and into the evening, when the sun drops low over the west coast and turns everything gold. No studio, no harsh flash on a white wall. Beaches, viewpoints, gardens, villas and the open water are my rooms.
What I care about most is the half hour before the photos even start, when we just talk. I want to understand your mood and what you're hoping to walk away with. The pictures get easy once that part is sorted.
I've also built up my own collection over the years: flying dresses, jewelry and hats I keep for one-to-one portrait clients who want something more styled. I enjoy that side of it, pulling a look together with someone rather than just handing them a camera-ready pose.
Why I keep it small
I'm not trying to photograph everyone on the island. I take a limited number of bookings in a handful of styles I'm genuinely good at, and I'd rather turn work down than rush it.
That's also why I'm honest about my limits. There are styles I don't take on, and when something sits outside what I do well, I'll tell you straight rather than stretch to fit it. Knowing what I'm not is part of doing the rest properly.
The private work I do, like boudoir for women, men and couples, I keep discreet. Privacy comes first with those sessions, always, and it's the same care I'd give you.
What I love about this
I travel for the right shoot. I'll happily drive to Khao Lak and back for a single session by the water, close to seven hours on the road in a day, and not think twice about it. My favourite spot of all is a wild island off the coast, quiet and almost empty, worth every minute it takes to reach.
After fifteen years I still get a small thrill when someone sees their gallery and recognises themselves in it, relaxed, looking like the version of themselves they liked best. That's the whole job, really. Everything else is just lenses and light.
Let's Talk
Tell me what you're hoping to walk away with