I have been a photographer for over ten years, specialised in portraits and weddings. I have always loved capturing my subjects with very shallow depth of field, through my favourite 50 mm lens.

My journey with Lensbaby began in December 2019, nine months after I was badly hit by a car and I was left on the road by the driver.

I hit my head very badly, and this caused chemical imbalances in my brain, which resulted in a change of my personality. I would wake up in the morning and looking into the mirror a stranger would stare back at me.

The justice system never solved my case, and this had caused even more damage: It took my voice away, and completely broke my trust in human beings.  I thought I had nothing left to hold onto. Being a photographer I tried to create artwork, but traditional photography didn’t give me joy anymore.

Around October – November time (2019) I started thinking about my college years as a photography student (2009 – 2013), and how much I enjoyed experimenting with different techniques and equipment. I remembered during a research for a college project, I came across some photos that were taken with the Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic, and how mesmerised I was by the beautiful blurry effect of the images. 

Accessing this memory was like a light switch in my head, and the feeling just hit me instantly: I am a blur, I am undefined, I am neither this nor that. And this is pretty much how I perceived life itself back then. I needed a medium that allowed me to express not only what I see, but how I see it and how I feel it.

In the blurriest time of my life it became perfectly clear to me that I wanted to shoot extraordinary and I wanted to create perfectly imperfect images. 

I spent an entire month researching, looking through reviews and observing pictures taken with Lensbaby products. 

My first two Lensbabies arrived in December 2019: the Edge 50 with the Composer Pro II and the Sweet 80 Optic.

I still remember exactly how I felt after taking the first few shots with my new optics. It was like waking up from a coma. All of a sudden everything had become interesting and even in the most ordinary subject I could see the extraordinary.  I found myself in a world where I was finally content. In a world where I had found my voice again and I was able to use that voice through my images. 

In July 2020 Lensbaby featured one of my photos – Waterlilies – on their Instagram page. The feeling of being acknowledged, and to be seen by the company I so highly value, was a life changing moment for me. 

People, who I never knew before, congratulated me and this caused me such joy that was unknown to me before. Their appreciation warmed my heart greatly, and gave me a huge amount of encouragement and positive energies to keep going. I finally didn’t feel alone. I felt a certain kind of belonging that I had lost a long time ago.

It made me realise that Lensbaby is not only an amazing brand with the most incredible and unique products, but also a kind and supportive community of people.

I never in a million years could have imagined that I could make connections through my Lensbaby photography, and this is absolutely priceless.

In October 2020 I was one of the winners of the Lensbaby at Home competition, which was a great reassurance for me that I am on the right path with my photography. I was awarded with a gift voucher and I used it towards the Edge 80 Optic, which was the main source of my inspiration to become a Lensbaby Artist.

Through this brand and community I am not only creating but I am also healing. 

In January 2021 I received the great honour of becoming a Lensbaby Ambassador, which is a dream coming true, and there are no words to describe my happiness. 

Lensbaby had a profound impact on my life as a person and as a photographer, and for me it is far more than just a brand.  It is a way of seeing: in a new way, a way of feeling: everything is possible, and a way of living: embracing life as perfectly imperfect.