"do what you love...
love what you do"
At a gift shop in Napa Valley, USA, I found a simple sterling silver bracelet with these words inscribed on it and have been wearing it every day, ever since.
All my life I've been obsessed with photography. As a child, I remember modeling for my grandmother while my grandfather snapped the pictures on his 35mm camera. As a young adult I fell in love with the Tasmanian wilderness in my attempts to capture the pristine beauty of my island home. And when I became a mum, my daughter became my muse as I developed an interest in portraiture. It was then that I decided to turn my love of a hobby into a successful career.
My professional experience extends to the Napa Valley in California, USA, where I worked as a wedding, commercial and portrait photographer. Like Tasmania, Napa Valley is the perfect place to plan a destination wedding, and I am forever indebted to the many brides and grooms who have not only allowed me to photograph their special day, but who have also been willing to let me share their photos on this website.
Of course, Napa Valley is also an internationally renowned wine region, boasting beautiful vineyards and wineries beckoning photographers like me to tell their stories. I am lucky to have some prestigious family owned vineyards in my portfolio, having had the privilege of shooting their stunning properties, harvests and punch downs.
Living in the Valley, I have also had the pleasure of being welcomed by wonderfully friendly Americans who have invited me to photograph their gorgeous children and families, adding to my passion for portraiture. One of the most valuable things I have learned from working with clients like these, is that the importance of personality and people skills cannot be underestimated in this industry. A photographer's artistic eye is pertinent but it is only one piece... combined with state of the art equipment (like my Nikon D3 and suite of accessories) and the technical know-how to use it, as well as the ability to make people relax and just be themselves, is what I've come to believe makes a photographer one of the best.
Every photographer has their mentors and I'd like to acknowledge a few of mine. I am very grateful to Briana of Briana Marie Photography, and both Shawn and Gene at Studio on Main for teaching me so much more about the art and science of photography. Last but not least, I am also thankful to another colleague and dear friend, Kelly Farley, the brilliant designer of this website. You guys rock!
Believe it or not, my seven year old daughter actually took this picture of me. Isn't she clever? I think she might be following in her mother's footsteps... we'll see.