I never used to consider myself a “people person”. Building this business has asked me to grow in ways that I never imagined myself growing…administratively, financially, but most of all socially. I’ve reconnected with old acquaintances and crossed paths with hundreds of new faces, all of whom have deepened my desire for human connection. And in this season of my life, that’s what really makes me tick — not just people, but the invisible strings that bind us; the role we play in each others’ stories. Sharing space with myself, humans, animals and this beautiful planet we all live on lights my soul on fire. I love long chats and deep dives into all that’s raw and real; dreams and fears and emotions. And I love documenting it all in words and photographs. That’s me. That’s what I’m here for.
There’s a lot I love about this job and this life — but connection is by far my favourite.
My story
We bought a house in Bancroft, Ontario and commuted into the city every morning for work. We lived for the weekends and I began, once again, to feel somewhat lost on a path that had once looked so familiar. Early in 2020 I launched a photography business and was forced to back-burner it weeks later when I suddenly found myself in the throes of a painful divorce.
My first heartbreak was life-shattering but as it turns out, that’s exactly what I needed. I picked up the pieces and turned them into art because it was the only way I knew how to heal. I threw myself into my work and began harvesting a business from the seeds I’d planted that spring, and by the time I turned 30 in 2022 I was able to resign from my editing job and focus solely on photography.
Nowadays life fits just right again. The fact that I’m my own boss and get to create for a living gives me butterflies in my tummy. I’m no longer a vegan, but I do still run on occasion. I still enjoy stringing words together and probably always will. I’m in a wonderful relationship with a wonderful man, and we have a beautiful daughter. My love for adventure still runs deep, but my life is also simpler than it’s ever been — in the best way. Slow. Intentional. Full. Just the way I imagine little Emily would have wanted.
I grew up in a rural town surrounded by fields and trees. We travelled a lot when I was a kid, which instilled in me a deep-rooted love for adventure.
My parents divorced in my pre-teen years and the loss, albeit difficult, propelled me forward as a young artist. I scribbled my feelings in journals and poured my soul into manuscripts that still live unpublished among the digital files of my past. High school came and went and I stumbled off to university in pursuit of a career in creative writing.
I ran a lot in those four years — both literally and figuratively. University, for me, was marked by dozens of half marathons and a great deal of hustling to figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life. I got engaged to my high school sweetheart while I was studying overseas in Swansea, Wales, and parted ways with him shortly after returning to Ontario.
A few years later I found myself living a few hours up north with a wife and a career in the publishing industry. I spent those days editing articles, cooking vegan food and teaching yoga. For maybe the first time ever, I felt like my life fit me just right, so I started sharing pieces of it on social media. Capturing moments in photographs gradually became just as important to me as documenting it in words.
Things that bring me joy
Being near the water
Hiking
Reading
Snow
Taking pictures
My family
Camping
Burritos
Thrift shopping
Astrology
Exploring
Books
Nanaimo bars
Writing
Coffee
Financial planning
Cooking
Tidying
Plants
The moon
follow my journey.I’ve always loved taking pictures, but my personal Instagram account is what made me a photographer!
When I started sharing snippets of my life back in 2017, I knew very little about the craft. The only “equipment” in my arsenal was a seven-year-old digital camera I knew next to nothing about, and editing images was a foreign concept to me. But in order to reach more people with my words, I knew my pictures had to be up to snuff. So I started messing around with my camera settings and downloaded a few editing apps on my phone. A few years and a few thousand followers later, I’d gained the confidence – and the know-how – to turn my hobby into a business!
Want to follow along? I still share regularly on my personal account and love connecting with my clients on a more intimate level. Feel free to come say hi!