meet jessa
Jessa recently celebrated her 30th birthday, and in this pivotal year, she feels like she’s truly come into her own. A beautiful and powerful woman, she’s found confidence both in her career and her personal style. As one of my closest friends for almost a decade, it was an absolute honor to create a portrait experience that truly expresses who she is in this moment. For this shoot, we embraced a bold 70s rock glam theme, channeling her inner vixen, strength, and beauty.
behind the scenes
The day started with an incredible beauty team that brought Jessa’s vision to life. Muriel, our professional makeup artist, worked her magic on Jessa, creating a bold, smoky eye look with a touch of 80s glam. Jeremy, the professional hairstylist, gave Jessa the big, voluminous hair framing her face just as she envisioned.
Check out their incredible work and follow them here:
- Muriel: Riel Beautyy
- Jeremy: Artistry by Jer
Jessa brought along a suitcase full of amazing props, including fur coats, leather jackets, and combat boots. We used her coats as a rug, adding to the messy, lived-in atmosphere that perfectly matched the era.
Sharing hair Inspiration with Jeremy
The hair inspiration
Emm choosing outfits together
Showing the pose first
about jessa
Jessa stands out as a remarkable creative force, champion of local arts, and business innovator. As manager of The Handsome Daughter (link), she has revolutionized the venue with her distinctive vision and artistic dedication. She consistently elevates local talent and independent musicians throughout Canada, while serving as a representative for Manitoba Music.
What I admire most about Jessa is her unwavering commitment to building community. She pours her heart into everything she does, and Winnipeg is so lucky to have her shaping our local arts scene.
Theme and Creative Choices
For this shoot, we decided to go a bit outside of my usual minimalistic approach and dive into a more lived-in, 70s rock glam look. The theme was inspired by Jessa’s bold, confident energy—sexy, powerful, and full of personality. We went all-in on creating a mock living room set, with flameless candles from @theinvoryboutique, some scattered cash, and cigarettes to capture that rebellious rock-n-roll vibe.
same day reveal
One of the most memorable moments from this photoshoot was seeing Jessa’s reaction during the same-day reveal. After we shared the images with her over lunch, she screamed in disbelief—seeing herself captured in such an empowering way was truly priceless. It’s moments like these that remind me why I love what I do: I have a unique ability to bring a person’s essence to life through my lens, and that’s something I’ll always treasure.
conclusion
Jessa and I have been friends for almost a decade. We met in Banff in our 20s and instantly connected through our shared love for art, travel, and our views on the world. I’m so grateful we’ve stayed in touch all these years and that we get to witness each other’s growth. I love creating art with amazing women like her ~
This photoshoot was such a fun collaboration with a talented team, and the final images reflect the perfect blend of Jessa’s personality and the creative vision we brought to life. I loved exploring a new approach to styling and capturing Jessa’s true essence in a way that was both empowering and artistic. The vibe was all about strength, confidence, and a little rock-n-roll flair, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it turned out.
