I was born in Namibia, which is a country in southern Africa. My mom was a goldsmith at the time and my dad worked in a tannery. Pretty soon after they had me we left for Germany where my family is from. I lived in Germany until I was 4, which is when we immigrated to Canada. Although I have travelled quite a lot since, Canada has always been my home. I grew up as an only child on a hobby farm way out in the middle of nowhere in British Columbia. For as long as I can remember, sports and the outdoors have been a big part of my life.
Dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete consumed me into my early 20s. Working out 6 days a week, going to competitions, training camps, etc. After sustaining several injuries this dream started to crumble. I wasn't nearly as happy or driven as I once was. During this time I was also attending University, but the only thing keeping me there was the sports team. I lost interest in school too. I dropped out not once, but twice, from two different Universities. Everything I had been working towards my entire life until then was suddenly gone.
I had recently picked up a job at a nightclub for some income while going to class. This lifestyle took over for the next year. In the beginning it was fun. Getting drunk with friends and partying. Going to festivals. What I didn't realize was that I was slowly growing empty inside. I had no guidance, no ambitions or goals to work towards. With a large chunk of my life that wasn't there anymore I started to get depressed. I started to have random panic attacks, I was very anxious and disassociated. I was at a breaking point and I didn't know what to do anymore. I was fortunate enough to move back in with my parents. If I didn't have them, who knows where I would have ended up. The next step was to sort out my life. I fell back onto what I loved as a kid, skiing.
I sent out resumes to ski resorts all across British Columbia and ended up with a hospitality job in Revelstoke. That Winter changed my life. I met so many amazing and inspiring people, some of them are still good friends of mine today. The following Summer I took a serving job in Lake Louise. This is where my photography journey really begins. My phone was my only camera at the time, but that wasn’t enough to capture the iconic Canadian scenes all around me. A photographer I worked with, at the restaurant, showed me the basics of the exposure triangle and let me try out his camera. I was hooked. The following week I went out and bought my first DSLR with my tip money, a Nikon d5100. From there the obsession had started. Constantly learning and attaining new camera gear along the way. Eventually I moved back to Revelstoke that Winter and it was my home base for the past 9 years (I have since moved to Golden, British Columbia just and hour and a half away).
From here, I’ve travelled around the World and my camera has come with me everywhere. Up until recently photography has always been more of a hobby and creative outlet for me with a few paid gigs here and there. Before now I needed something to sustain my lifestyle and hobby. Photography can get pretty expensive 😅.
Before pursuing my dream of full time photography I started to work as a labourer in industrial mills, mines, refineries, etc. across Canada. It wasn't the most glamorous job. Sometimes you spend 12+ hour days on a jackhammer, we work with a lot of dangerous chemicals and in some pretty uncomfortable spots. It did however allow me to afford everything I needed to pursue the things I am really passionate about. Other jobs have come and gone. I spent years working in the hospitality industry. I've worked on prawn fishing boats in Australia, I've cleaned windows, I even had a small stint of modelling. I'm a very spontaneous person. 😆
Just before the pandemic started I decided I was going to become a commercial helicopter pilot. Learning to fly was a blast. I conquered so many fears along the way. Due to the craziness the world has endured for the last few years it made it even harder to get an entry level pilot job. The timing was unfortunate, but I feel like I gave up on it too quickly as I have done with too many things in the past. The silver lining is that I realized that I don't want to work for someone else anymore. It's time to be my own boss. Even though I’ve taken breaks and put my camera down from time to time it’s the one thing that’s stuck with me for all those years. I’m finally being honest with myself about who I really am. I am a photographer, writer, artist and adventurer.
For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a clear path to follow. I have never been more driven to create and to pursue my photography. I am so excited for what the future has to bring. I recently settled in for Winter after living on the road for the past 6 months travelling around Canada with my partner. I am super stoked to share my adventures, photos and stories with all of you and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
