Let me introduce myself…
I’m a mom. I’m a wife. I’m a sister. I’m a university program manager.
I’m a photographer.
photo taken by Jamie Poh Creative
So happy you chose to visit my website! Thank you for visiting and I hope you choose to contact me soon.
My photography journey and how it all began.
I have always loved photography. I was always in awe of the imagery captured in photographs. I remember studying the photographs in National Geographic magazines amazed by the images. Photographs to me were a window into a time that was… moments frozen in an image to be admired, to be studied, or to be remembered.
(l-r) My sister and I, taken 1980
I still remember the first time I was allowed to touch the family DSLR camera on our road trip into California when I was young . I still remember how heavy and awkward the camera felt in my little hands. I remember being told to look inside the viewfinder. I remember being told to use the line that I see inside to make sure the image was straight and to centre the circle in the middle of my posed family. I grew up in a household where money was tight so items like these were handled with extreme care and the children were not allowed to touch so it was no wonder, as a child, I wanted to learn more about cameras.
I began my first photography class when I was pregnant with my second child in 2011. Prior to that time, I was always told I had a good eye and took lots of pictures of all the events in my life. For me, I wanted to remember everything and show my friends/family how we all had fun or look back at how we used to look or do. Pregnant at the time and starting my maternity leave, I had always wanted to learn more about how to use a DSLR camera and took advantage of the time I had for myself before my little one was born in January 2012.
In school I focused on getting portraits right. I asked friends to pose for me and then I would submit them into class for critique. One day, my instructor, after seeing a few portfolio images I submitted, mentioned that I had a good eye and the portraits I submitted were pretty good but she saw something different in them. She urged me to try documentary or environmental portraits.
early work from my first photography classes
With her advise I struggled with the courage to try something new. When I began, I started to feel more comfortable with how to work the light and to frame my subject and the activities surrounding them. Documentary has this ability to capture real moments as they happen while subjects are less aware of the lens and more about what they are doing. It was then I realized that I wanted to capture life as it happened. I had always admired documentary photographers but that’s when I found my love for documentary photography within myself.
My photography approach.
My approach to all my photography is to find the stories… whether it’s learning about what spark started it all for an entrepreneur or finding out what are the best moments people have shared. I love to hear these stories and it helps me find those special interactions to capture within the frame.
I don’t use special lights or flashes, unless I really have to. If you are expecting a mobile studio in the trunk of my vehicle, you will be sadly disappointed. I don’t do studio set ups and capture moments as natural as possible. I use the lighting I have in the most creative ways I can. I usually luck out with some great locations to shoot in with amazing light but there are moments when the artificial lighting takes away from those real moments that I want to capture for my clients. It’s those real authentic moments I want to capture .
Of course, it’s not about the equipment or what I use to edit the images that take the great pictures. It’s the person behind the lens. If my images speak to you, I would love to meet you and talk about how I can capture your story.
Let’s chat!
I book only a few sessions each year to make sure I have time for myself and my family. Be sure to click below to access my contact form to find out more information today!
