Aloha Moments Hawaii

Who Am I?

Aloha, my name is Tobey Yamashita, the owner and photographer of Aloha Moments. I absolutely love animals and it gives me joy being able to capture your pets in a way that is timeless. I am currently 19 years old and have been doing photography for 8 years and 2 years professionally. I am also a pet owner of Basil (pot belly pig) and Tortoise (sulcata tortoise). I am a full-time online student at Grand Canyon University with a major in business administration and minor in photography.

My Story

My journey that led me to creating my own pet photography business was planted way before I had even picked up a camera. Being born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii I spent majority of my time camping, hiking, or at the beach. From this sprouted a love for nature and animals. I first picked up a camera in 2015, which was a GoPro and allowed for me to take photos of waves, landscapes, fish, and turtles. My journey continued as I finally picked up my first DSLR camera and began taking photography seriously, investing all my time and money into perfecting my craft.

Unfortunately, in 2021 my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and my photography was put on a hold. In 2022 I graduated from high school and moved to Pheonix Arizona to attend Grand Canyon University for a major business administration and a minor in photography. In Arizona, I decided to pick back up my passion for photography and began wildlife photography. This led me to gaining a large online community and even winning awards from Arizona’s Nature Conservancy. In September 2023, I made the decision to move back home and help my mom take care of my dad until his passing in November.

I continued my college career with Grand Canyon University online, while remaining on Oahu. I needed to start making money and find a career, so for a few months I tried to offer my portrait photography, but it failed! This is when I discovered I could combine my passion for animals and photography, through pet photography. I began taking photos of my friends and family'ys dogs, and they seemed to love my work! This leads me to the present time, a 19-year-old pet photographer looking to build something out of passion.

My Mission

My mission is to turn your pet’s beauty and personality into a piece of art that will last lifetimes. By providing the highest quality photography and services to you and your pets I am able to create an everlasting memory that loved ones can look at to remember their furry friends. I also strive to build an environment in which every dog, no matter their reactivity, breed, or training, has the ability to be celebrated and given the opportunity to be memorialized in the form of a photo.

My Vision

My vision is to build a community that will hold onto their pet’s memories in the form of beautiful art. I hope to be an influence in the pet community both locally and globally in building awareness of the importance of photographs, especially of their furry friends. In the future I see myself and my photography being a form of connection and documentation of the bond between all living creatures.