Photography has long been my passion. Ever since injury meant I had to leave my first profession which was as a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, I have been behind the lens of a camera.

My first photographic subjects were dancers. As a dancer myself, I appreciated the flow of movement and the drama created by lighting. (It was a fun experience photographing those I had previously danced with.)

Now when I look at a flower, it is like seeing a dancer on stage, in the spotlight, before an audience. But the spotlight is my studio lighting; the stage is my studio; and the audience is you. Just as each dancer has a unique style, each flower is unique, and it is this uniqueness that I wish to capture.

Lighting creates a mood, whether it’s on the stage, in your home, or out in nature. And so, in my photography I like to use lighting to create a mood, usually one of drama. I want to communicate to the viewer the incredible beauty I see in flowers, as well as the emotion I feel, in a setting which I create.

Each time I’m photographing a new flower, I try to make the image different from those I’ve previously shot. Sometimes it can take two days of shooting before I’m happy with what I see. Unlike dancers who will gladly do a position over and over, flowers will sometimes fade before my very eyes. However, one of my favourite photos is one I took of fading roses. The drama in that photo speaks to me. It tells a story.