This month, I’m saddened to be saying goodbye to my amazing assistant, Desiree. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Desiree (Desi) for more than two years, and it’s been great having her help throughout the many ups and downs of the pandemic, and beyond. She’s now taken on an exciting new internship, and I’m so very proud of her!
While Desi’s time as my assistant was somewhat short, her long standing relationship with the Gemini Visuals team was not. I have known Desi for many years – she is a dancer, locally, and I’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow up while capturing her own studio’s photos. Her studio (Essence of Dance) always books in for creative sessions with senior, advanced dancers like Desi, however, I’ve also had the pleasure of capturing her graduation photos, headshots, and more.
No matter which side of the camera she’s been on – whether it be helping me behind-the-scenes, or being the main subject of a photo – Desiree has been awesome!
If you’ve come for a photo session with me within the last two years, you’ve probably seen Desiree here working behind-the-scenes! Yes, this is the girl behind the mask! So many of my clients have met her, but due to the pandemic, they weren’t able to meet her without a mask on. These photos are the ultimate reveal!
Assistants like Desiree are crucial to my success as a photographer because it means that I can fully focus on all technical and creative aspects of the session without being occupied by the little things. I am so grateful for Desi’s help over the last two years, especially during my many outdoor sessions. Her work ethic is like none other – she never hesitated to drag our gear around town, whether it was down to Jericho Beach in Vancouver for a dance session, out to sandy Crescent Beach or Pitt Lake for a maternity session, setting up balloon garlands and cake smashes, or providing an extra pair of hands for posing newborns.
As a talented dancer herself, I’ve always appreciated her extra eye for detail. Now that she’s moving onto other things, I’m looking forward to having the help of her younger sister, Danica, who will be taking over her role. Danica is also a dancer, and I have a good feeling that Desi’s excellent work ethic runs in the family!
Before we say goodbye to Desi, I thought it would be fun to share a little Q+A with her here on the blog. I’m so excited to see where life takes her – the future is bright!
Q&A WITH DESIREE
Q: When did you start working at Gemini Visuals? How did you get involved?
I started working for Adrienne about 2 summers ago when I was 17! She’s always partnered with my dance studio to do creative pictures, so she has shot pictures of me for a while before I started working for her.
Q: What types of photoshoots did you assist Adrienne with? Which was the most fun?
I did mostly everything! Newborn, family, dance creatives and dance schools, etc. – however, dance shoots are OBVIOUSLY always a favourite!!
Q: Did you have a favorite photo session that you helped with?
Not really [one favourite], but the monochrome dance shoot with Essence Dance Studio was pretty fun!
Q: What kinds of things have you learned through working at Gemini Visuals Studio?
I learned how to be more independent! The first time I drove by myself was to a photoshoot location. Adrienne also taught me a lot about how to take care of yourself.
Q: What are your next steps / are you heading next?
I’m working in Tsawwassen First Nation now and planning to go to school in September to learn my native language h?n?q??min??m?.
As Desiree heads out to work on other things, I hope that it’s not goodbye, but “see you later!” . Here at Gemini Visuals, we’re so grateful to have had her help. THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK, DESI! We’ll miss you!
