Meiema

I am so excited you’re here and are interested in finding out more about what makes me, me! I am 28 years old, but I’ve always felt like an old soul. Growing up, I was the kind of friend you would want to introduce to your parents because I was (most of the time) good and responsible. There were many times my friends weren’t allowed to go somewhere, until they told their parents that I would be there and that would be that - if I was there it was a guarantee my friends would be kept in check. In fact some of them referred to me as their children’s “conscience” 😂

I have 12 younger siblings, and yes we have the same parents, and yes we had many TV’s, and noooo we aren’t catholic. In all honesty I love being a part of a big family, it’s always an adventure and as we’ve grown up it’s not just a sibling relationship anymore, we’re all genuinely best friends too. There are a lot of grandchildren now too, and my goodness they are CUTE!

My family are very creative and talented, between us we have artists, make-up artists, nail techs, musicians, photographers, pilots, seafarers, and half of us are still in school so we will have to wait and see what the second half of us will become. 

I’ve grown up surrounded by creativity, participating in music, dancing, cultural groups and art, so for me it was a natural transition heading into the world of photography. I never really thought about becoming a photographer, I would just take photos on my iPhone 5s and edit them in VSCO until my husband discovered I had a knack for photography and bought me my first camera. That was it for me, I have been hooked ever since. I took my camera everywhere and four years later I launched my own photography business. 

Often I’ve been asked what I think my strengths are as a photographer, and as I’ve thought about this question I have discovered that it’s not really about what I can do with a camera or editing software - although this skills are certainly helpful. Every year on my birthday, my friends and family send me lovely messages and every year I am encouraged by these words “you SEE people” and I fully identify with that. I notice the people and moments that many would usually miss, I often see the parts of people that most people miss. In the world of wedding photography, you will often see me tearing up because even though I only get to see one day of someones life; I see the dad seeing his daughter as a bride for the first time and I know his entire journey as a father has flashed before his eyes, and even though his daughter stands before him radiant like a queen, he still sees that little girl who would come running to the door, eyes filled with joy as he returned home from a long day at work; I see a mama bear coming to terms with her once newborn baby, is now a full grown man, about to commit himself to protecting his spouse, the way she protected him. There are so many beautiful things in life, and I love that photography gives us the ability to capture and immortalise a moment in time. It’s magical. ✨ One day I hope I will have one of those full circle moments as a photographer - I hope I have the opportunity to take photos of someone getting married who I photographer when they were just a bump! Yes, I am in it for the long haul!

To sum up this ‘about me’ section, I want to tell you how I would want you to feel after working with me. 

I want you to feel seen and heard. I want you to feel comfortable and natural. I want you to feel excited to see your photos. I want you to feel beautiful in your photos. I want you to feel that I’ve accurately portrayed what makes you, YOU.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this far, I really appreciate it. I hope that this has either inspired you to collaborate with me or has confirmed that I am not the right fit. If it’s the latter, I wish you all the best in finding the perfect photographer. If you’re interested, here are a few of my recommendations.

hello coco studio (Coffs Coast)

Jeremy Becker (Coffs Harbour)

Steve White Images (NSW)

Acorn Studio (NZ)

Pia (NZ & EU)