EllieClaire is a lifestyle photographer specializing in weddings + families in the Central Florida + surrounding areas.

When I first picked up a camera over ten years ago, I was drawn to what I could create. It was my creative outlet— my mother and grandmother have both channeled their creativity in different ways and I struggled to discover how to be a “creative,” until I found photography. Going into senior year of high school, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar on a ten-day photography tour. The images I took away from this trip—of zebras grazing in the early morning fog and a mama lion cleaning her cub— hang throughout my home to this day, though the trip was nearly a decade ago. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I started to become bored, though. The more I traveled, the more amazing things I saw, and the more images I had of immaculate buildings, cities, sunsets, and landscapes. Don’t get me wrong, all of this was and still is spectacular for me to experience, but I wasn’t using my passion to bring joy to those around me. In the Spring of 2017, I decided to invest in a couple new lenses, which have blessed me and others in ways I couldn’t picture then. Capturing people in all their special moments— from graduation to marriage to basic family portraits and holiday cards—brings me incredible amounts of joy and excitement.