hey, I'm jacqui!
The face behind the camera, the loud laugh you'll probably hear before you see me, and the person who's happiest when everyone around her is having a bloody good time.
I'm married to a builder who's somehow ageing in reverse, and together we're raising two wonderfully wild girls who keep life interesting (and loud).
I'm a bit of an oddball in the best possible way. I can't fully enjoy a song unless I know every single lyric, I think coriander should be illegal, and I'm firmly in the "more is more" camp.
More cheese. More laughter. More hugs. More everything.
I've been known to smell puppy paws (tell me I'm not the only one), thought the fluffy lint that collected between my babies' tiny toes was the greatest smell on earth, and I laugh far harder than I probably should at jump scare videos... especially if I'm the one doing the scaring.
I love being around people who can laugh at themselves, appreciate a little dark humour, don't mind the odd swear word, and are always up for a proper conversation. You know the kind. The ones where you somehow end up discussing why you still feel guilty for throwing your mum's favourite mug in the bin when you were nine and never telling her.
Because if there's one thing that fascinates me most, it's people.
I absolutely love understanding why we are the way we are. What shaped us, how our childhood experiences spill into adulthood, the little quirks that make us unique, and why we all respond to life so differently. I'm a huge believer in self-awareness and unpacking your own suitcase because I don't think you can truly know where you're going until you understand where you've been. Maybe that's why I love photography so much...
Every session is a chance to meet another beautifully unique bunch of humans. To hear your stories, watch the way you love each other, notice the little things you probably don't even realise you do anymore because they're simply part of your everyday life, and preserve this tiny chapter before it quietly becomes a memory.
And honestly... I think it's the best job in the world.
i want you to feel
EVERYTHING
If you're expecting perfectly posed photos where I'll tell you exactly where to put your hands every five seconds... I'm probably not your girl.
But if you're happy to trust the process, have a laugh, embrace a little chaos, and spend an hour or so genuinely enjoying the people you're with, then we're probably going to get along just fine.
I work best with laid-back humans who don't mind a cheeky swear word, love a good laugh, and care more about how their photos feel than whether every hair is perfectly in place.
But more than anything, I want you to feel safe. Safe enough to let your guard down. Safe enough to be silly, affectionate, emotional, loud, quiet, or whatever version of yourselves shows up that day. I don't want you worrying about whether you're doing it "right".
I just want you to be present enough to feel it all.
My biggest goal isn't just to give you beautiful photos. It's to create a space where you feel seen, accepted, and free to experience every part of your story. The laughter, the quiet moments, the tears, the chaos, the calm, and everything in between. Because without a little yin, there is no yang, and that's what makes life beautifully real. You can't have one without the other, and I wouldn't want to photograph only half of your story.
I don't want our time together to feel like a photoshoot. I want it to feel like you've spent an afternoon with an old friend. Someone who'll make you laugh, encourage you to slow down, and gently remind you to put your attention back where it belongs... on the people standing right in front of you.
i want you to forget...
NOTHING.
There's a quote by Joseph B. Wirthlin that says,
"The more often we see the things around us, even the beautiful and wonderful things,
the more they become invisible to us."
I think that's so true.
It's easy to remember the big milestones. They're different. They stand out. But life isn't built on birthdays and holidays. It's built on the ordinary Tuesday afternoons that all blur together. The washing that always needs bringing in. The way your child climbs into your lap while you drink your morning coffee. The little rituals that don't feel important simply because they happen every single day.
The way your daughter always climbed onto the kitchen bench while you unpacked the groceries. The way your son tucked his feet underneath your leg while you were reading. The face your toddler pulled every time they spotted a bird through the kitchen window. The way they absentmindedly reached up to play with the ends of your hair whenever they were tired or simply the way they held their spoon.
They're all so wonderfully ordinary that we barely notice them anymore. Until one day... they stop happening. And that's what I'm looking for every time I pick up my camera. Not perfect smiles. Not everyone looking at me. Not a highlight reel of your life.
I'm looking for the moments that don't feel important today, but somehow become the ones you'd give anything to step back into. The ones that make you smile years from now and say, "Remember when she used to do that?" Or, "I'd forgotten he always looked at me like that."
Because those habits, the ones that feel monotonous and ordinary, are what make up your days. And one day, you'll realise they were what made up your life. So I don't just want you to remember what your family looked like. I want you to remember what it felt like to love them in this season of your life.
The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.
- joseph b. wirthlin