So, good… decision made, new bio. Ok great. Now what. The cursor blinking rhythmically on the blank screen in front of me.

Who am I? Why am I Erin Wallis. What makes me, me. Oh lord, someone help me. Lets face it, writing your own bio is not fun, cool or awesome. If you love writing your bio, you are clearly crazy. Where do I start? Erin Wallis is a photographer. Erin Wallis is a new mom to a little girl, Maisie. Erin Wallis was pregnant last year, used to work on cruise ships, used to lifeguard, used to teach swimming lessons, at one point did volunteer work in South America. Does that make me Erin Wallis? Maybe what you’ve done can define you. The truth is, I think that where you come from helps define who you are in the present. A past can help define what you love, how you see, how wide or how small your view is. Yes, I believe that… but am I my past?

That last poor excuse for a paragraph is the reason why this process is so painful for me. I over think it. Instead of just spitting it out. What do you need to know about me? Better yet, what do you want to know about me? I have no idea. At the moment, I am sitting in my office in my beautiful studio behind my house, sun streaming in through the window. I have lulu’s on, flip flops with socks (NOT joking but no one was supposed to see me and I certainly wasn’t supposed to announce it to the internet), I am listening to Adele, and drinking a latte. I’m dreaming up ideas about upcoming mini sessions, a new holiday card collection, about to continue editing and tying up loose ends from my last few weddings, all while Bryce is out in the sunshine with our little girl and dog. That is me, right now. So professional.

I’m not sure what might be interesting for a bio. But I do know me. Right now.
A little bit of the present, a little bit of the past wrapped up in a super quirky package. There you have it. Not that you’ve asked, but….

I am a firm believer that love is art, that anything is possible and that you have the ability to design and create your own life.
I have a peaceful heart.
I eat nectarines in the shower, oatmeal cookies in the bath, and love to walk my dog in the rain.
I live in a renovated 100 year old home. I like new houses, I just don’t want to live in one.
I like things with stories, be it an heirloom ring passed down from generations or a special stone found on a beach in your favorite far away land.
I’d rather something be “ugly” with an amazing story, than be “pretty” with no substance.
I love the sea.
I love to think that when I see a dragonfly float in the air around me, it is my old friend Mady paying me a little visit.
As a child, my favorite toy was a wooden Buddha doll. I brushed his teeth and he was my best friend.
I like beach fires, mermaids, sour candy, and veggies straight out of the garden.
When I was pregnant (last year) with my little girl Maisie, I saw rainbows everywhere.
Maisie is my little girl, a little peach and my kindred spirit.
Maisie’s daddy is my favorite man alive.
I have traveled all over the world, seen the Great Pyramids of Egypt, stood inside the Sistine Chapel, ate lunch outside the Eiffel tower, wandered through Monet’s garden and bought wool and wine in Chile. I’ve had coffee in Turkey, sat in massage chairs in Japan, and I once skipped out on visiting the Great Wall of China to buy the Soprano’s box set in a crazy seedy downtown Beijing market.
I like to think that the world is good, that my baby will one day sleep through the night and that my friends are also my soul mates.
I like fresh air, big skies and a room with a view.
I choose to see beauty everywhere.

Now, you try it! (but first, have a peek at my little peach, in a bucket)

Us. Self Timer. Coombs Market.

Blue skies and sunshine always lead me astray from the computer. Not to mention a nearly five month old little girl who I can’t stop kissing. I have come to the conclusion that my blog will be here. The same as when I left it last, but my little girl just keeps changing! Her little cheeks the perfect size for kissing. She is so snuggly right now, so perfect… its hard to stay away! That, and I always have more words in the fall. When the leaves change, when the dew returns to the grass in the morning. When the rain falls. I’ll see you then.

For now, images of a couple so clearly in love… its contagious. I mean, I photograph weddings. I see love. All the time. I see a lot of love pass between a bride and groom on their wedding day. Not often, but at times you can see a bride be so caught up in the ‘wedding’ that they aren’t even paying attention to the reason they are getting married. I’ve never been married, never had a wedding. But I know love. I know what it feels like to be loved and in love. For that, I feel lucky. There is nothing more inspiring on a wedding day than seeing a bride and groom so clearly into each other, that they barely notice you are there. I love that, like for real.

At one point in Michelle and Jeff’s wedding I said, “just ignore me” as I was changing settings on my camera, when I looked up to see if they had heard me… they hadn’t, they were already ignoring me.

I have no idea what kind of bride I would ever be, but I do know what I’d hope to be like. Totally and completely into each other is a pretty good start!
Michelle and Jeff and your beautiful little boy… inspiring!

(ps. it appears I had a few words tucked away after all)

Darby, a local Campbell River RCMP contacted me about photographing her 26 year old horse Tosca. Our schedules seemed destined to misalign forever.
Then, it worked. The tide was way out, and I met them at Stories Beach in Campbell River.
It was exhilarating. Tosca running her heart out along the shoreline. Darby clearly happy to be documenting what she had thought about for so long. Me, covered from head to toe in sand and the salty sea water. Near the end of the shoot Darby said “Would it look good if we went in the water?”

“UM. YES!!!” I was thrilled.

I love so much about these images. The incredible beauty of horses, and their power. The blatant love between a girl and her old horse. Their 14 years together. The reflections, the light, the uniforms, the history, the purely Canadian images that make me love where I live, and what beauty surrounds us. Love it.

What an honor to capture these images for you Darby. An honor and an absolute pleasure.

When Alisia contacted me last year regarding her Cape Mudge wedding I was so thrilled to be a part of it! Love those kids, these girls, that place. Something so special about Cape Mudge, and the people that call it home. Here are a few from Alisia and Marks Quadra Island wedding!

This weekend I have a wedding on Cortes, one in Campbell River and two on Quadra again next week! What a life!