I guess that’s pretty obvious.
I’ve been a Victoria, BC photographer since 2009. I photographed my first wedding in October that year and was always drawn to documentary photography involving people. I’m not really sure what else I’d want to do with my life.
I’ve been teaching new photographers since 2015. I love helping people discover a love of photography or just capture better photos of their lives. You can check out my education website here.
I used to work in building engineering, real estate marketing, and even tourism, operating a 1920s manual elevator in Niagara Falls. Since the pandemic made making a living on mostly wedding photography very difficult, I’ve been working in a doctor’s office. I love a new challenge.
I’m so not cool. I was a 90s version of a hipster in high school, but now I just want to be relaxed and authentic.
I’m not a girly girl, but I have a weakness for retro dresses and colourful shoes.
Movies inspire my photography more than photographs do. My favourite film is Dead Man for its stunning black & white cinematography, haunting Neil Young soundtrack, and quirky humour. But I still appreciate some silliness – I’ve watched The Princess Bride & Superbad more times than I can count.
I have a serious obsession with Ireland and I spent a month living in Dublin, but would love to explore the rest of the country one day.
My favourite books are creative non-fiction. I suppose my favourite photographs are also creative non-fiction.
I spend hours pouring over cookbooks and cooking magazines. I’m always willing to try something new, from baking bread to making candy. I’ve been watching too many baking competition shows lately.
I used to be a bit of an indie snob, and I still listen to a lot of obscure music, but a good radio pop song can really brighten up my day.
I love my cats Freddie and Abby and snuggling up inside on a rainy day. Or any day, really. I can be a bit of a homebody at times. I also really love photo sessions where clients invite me into their homes.
My name rhymes with Sarah (in case you were wondering). My pronouns are she/her.
My Values
Representation
It bothers me that many wedding vendors only show thin, white, straight, young couples on their website and in their social media. There seems to be a trend of showing more LGBTQ+ couples and more racial diversity these days, but it still leaves me wondering where are all of the couples who don’t look like conventional models? Where are the couples over 40 even? Representation matters. If I wasn’t in the wedding industry, I might worry that people my age and size don’t have a chance of getting married. Spoiler: they get married all the time!
Check out this blog post “Why I Blog Every Wedding or What Really Matters About Weddings” for the guiding philosophy of my business. In short, I strive to capture my subjects (including all wedding guests) for who they really are, to capture the essence of the moments, to see what’s really there. I don’t care how much you spent on your wedding or what you look like. I just want to help you celebrate your love.
The Environment
I try to live in an environmentally conscious way, in my business and in my life. Below are some ways I apply these principles to my business:
- In everyday life, I usually take the bus or walk to get around (unless I need to transport a cat). For photo sessions or weddings where I have to lug a bunch of gear and time is a factor, I take a car share car or carpool with my second shooter.
- My business is essentially paperless. I send and sign contracts digitally. I track all my expenses and invoices digitally and send them to my accountant that way as well. If I’m going to use paper, it’s for something worthwhile like creating gorgeous professional prints of your photos.
- I do phone or video consults with potential clients (or no consult at all for those who are already sure of what they want), unless people prefer to meet in person.
- My flashes have their own rechargeable batteries, the same as my cameras, that often last an entire wedding, so I don’t need spares and I never dispose of them.
- I don’t use printed promo materials.
Want to get to know me better? Check out my instagram profile. I’m trying to interact more with my followers via comments, videos, and stories, so let’s connect.
The portraits of me in the polka dotted dress and red coat were taken by DL Acken.
