Slow art for a fast world.
Hey! My name is Jess. I'm an award-winning short film filmmaker, photographer, and writer based in Calgary, AB, Canada.
I am a storyteller at heart. Filmmaking and photography are the languages I use to explore truth, beauty, and the depth of the human experience. Whether I’m behind the lens or piecing together a story in the editing room, I see every frame as an invitation to reveal something sacred; something that speaks to the soul.
I’m drawn to moments that are raw, poetic, and full of quiet meaning. My work often weaves together themes of faith, identity, and transformation, reflecting my belief that stories, when told with honesty and imagination, can heal, connect, and change us. I create because I believe art has the power to restore brokenness, to shine light in dark places, and remind us that we are not alone.
Visual storytelling is how I make sense of a world that often doesn’t. It helps me find beauty in the mundane and express what words sometimes can’t. I’m drawn to stories that invite us to see and feel before we understand—stories told through motion, intentional visuals, and a sense of wonder. Whether behind the camera or in the edit suite, I aim to bring imagination, integrity, and beauty into every project I touch.
When I’m not behind the camera, you can find me with a musical instrument of some kind. Music is an integral part of my identity, my family history, and my roots in creativity. And while I keep music strictly as an outlet, it plays a vital part of my understanding of the innate human desire for storytelling and making sense of this wild, wild world.
my process.
Over the years, I’ve grown deeply in love with the art of storytelling, especially through the lens of fine art photography. While much of the work in my current gallery was captured digitally, I’m now making a full transition into film photography as a creative choice and intentional shift in my process.
Why film? Because it slows me down. It invites presence. Film has a texture, depth, and timeless beauty that digital often can’t replicate. It demands a different kind of attention; to light, emotion, and story… And the results feel more like art than content.
The digital work you see in my portfolio represents the calibre, vision, and consistency I bring to every shoot. Film simply refines that vision, adding warmth, imperfection, and soul. So while my tools are changing, my commitment to capturing meaningful stories, truthfully and artfully, remains the same.
Film stocks I’m currently using that make the magic happen:
Studio portrait work
Black & White — Cinestill BWxx
Colour — Kodak Portra 400
Lifestyle/Street
Black & White — Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5 400, Kentmere 400, Ilford Pan F 50
Colour — Kodak Gold 200, Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Portra 800, Cinestill 50D, Cinestill 400d
“In art, we do not obliterate the darkness. Art is an attempt to define the boundaries of the darkness.”
— Makoto Fujimura
Another thing that I am deeply passionate about is artist advocacy, which is part of an initiative that I am launching this Summer called Renaissance Canada. As an artist advocate, I’m committed to supporting and elevating creatives by cultivating spaces where their voices, stories, and visions are seen, heard, and valued. But beyond that, artist advocacy is about standing in the gap for creatives who are often under-resourced, undervalued, and overwhelmed.
In Canada, many artists face growing financial strain due to funding cuts and unstable income, while also navigating deep mental health challenges such as anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Through Renaissance, I work to champion the wellbeing and sustainability of artists by creating spaces for belonging, storytelling, and restoration. This work matters because when artists are supported spiritually, emotionally, and practically, they become powerful voices of truth, hope, and beauty in a culture that desperately needs it.