The story behind Jena Lee Photographs:
“I think most of photography is motivated by family.
A pregnant woman buys a camera to capture the new life she’s creating, a father brings the camera to his daughter’s sports games, the grandparents are in town, your cousin is getting married, you completed a hike with your significant other. The camera comes out at your brother’s birthday or your mom’s graduation.
Friends are always sharing the pictures they took on their phone of their children accomplishing various life milestones. My Auntie shared a picture of the garden created in memory of her daughter. My other friend is sharing vintage film pictures in memory of her Mother who lost the battle against cancer.
What I am trying to say is that people take pictures of what they love, and what they love is their family.
Myself included.
And I’m so thankful to have these photos because my family was changed profoundly two years ago.
Losing a family member changes life in ways you don’t understand until you lose a family member. You realize the fragility of the life around you and you hold people a little bit closer than before. In a terrible way, loss makes you more empathetic, more rich, and more full of love. In a huge way, it makes me a better photographer.
My Dad is the motivation behind every snap I take. When I work with families, I try to pull out as much emotion as possible from them to create the very best photographs as possible for them. I know that one day these photos are where they will turn to relive their time together. I know that one day their family will change too and they will be so thankful to have these photos, just like I am.
So that’s where Jena Lee Photographs’ movement comes from, knowing how quickly life can change and that photographs are one of the only things that will last forever.
I want everyone to have that.”
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Jena LaRoy completed her Professional Photography Diploma in 2017 and has been on the search for human connection ever since. Based in Golden British Columbia, she uses her photography to share stories about people. She is known for her laid-back style of taking photos that puts people at ease in front of the camera and has found that asking people about their lives and sharing stories brings out the most natural emotions and creates incredibly genuine portraits.
