I have always been interested in photography, but for years, I never actually owned a proper camera. It was one of those things I thought I would get around to “one day”. That changed during our first trip to Europe—specifically, when we arrived in Paris.
I didn’t have a fancy camera, just a little Canon PowerShot, but I found myself taking photos constantly. I was mesmerized by the beauty of Paris. Of course I was shooting the big iconic sights but also the little things—pastries in the shop windows, street corners, flower markets, and the people going about their day. I wasn’t trying to be artistic, I was just drawn to the details. That trip really lit a spark in me.
Once we got home, I bought my first DSLR and decided to really focus on learning everything I could about photography. Initially I thought I might try photographing families or children as a little side hustle, but it didn’t take long for me to realise it wasn’t the right fit. I was always worried people wouldn’t like how they looked in the photos, and that pressure took the joy out of it. I continued taking photos of friends and family, just for fun, without the stress of having to deliver.
Then, a few years later, I enrolled in a floristry course—and that is when things shifted again. Having fresh flowers to work with each week, I naturally started photographing them. I hadn’t planned to go down the path of floral art photography, but something just clicked. Flowers don’t talk, they don’t pose, and they don’t expect anything. I could play around, try things, and if it didn’t work, no one had to see the results. It was freeing.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish the course because of a back injury, but by then I was already hooked on photographing flowers. At first I shot everything against a bright white background which looking back produced very “vanilla” high key images—but we all start somewhere! What’s been most exciting is seeing how my style has slowly evolved.
These days my style is very different and I am creating more arty ethereal images and who knows how my photography will evolve in the coming years. I do feel flowers and nature will continue to feature heavily in my future photography though.
Capturing flowers has become part of my creative life in a way I never expected. It’s my quiet space, and it all started with a little point-and-shoot camera on the streets of Paris.
