ELMphotos2019, Ottawa, ON (2026)

06/01/2026

Over the next little while, we’ll be sharing individual images and stories from the incredible women who participated in our waterfall empowerment sessions.

Today, we’re sharing story.

“I’ve always had a disconnected relationship to my body since I was a kid. By my late 20s, I was at a crossroads; could I stand aging as a man?

I looked at my thinning hair in the mirror and my beard. I was getting older in this vessel and the reflection in the mirror was distressing. I was left with the vision that what was happening to me wasn’t natural and I was in someone else’s skin. I didn’t choose to be a man and it was killing me. The answer was ultimately no. I couldn’t stand the idea of waking up one day as an old man and I had to make a choice or die.

I chose to transition from man to woman, pursuing hormone replacement therapy and gender-confirming surgeries. Little by little, the reflection in the mirror was less alien to me and more aligned with my spirit.

Receiving the photos was shocking. I looked comfortable. I looked feminine and beautiful. I had just turned 30 and I felt amazing!

Choosing to transition was a choice for myself, to give the prospect of being myself and aging in a more aligned body a shot, and it’s working.

The chaos of medical consultations and fighting insurance companies is being replaced by a new journey of enjoying the quieter moments, putting down roots in my community, supporting my friends and loved ones, feeling natural and effortless in my femininity, and the powerful contentment of waking up every day being me in this imperfect but beautiful vessel.

The waterfall empowerment session is my chance to come into my middle age being in my most authentic form, feeling natural and connected to myself and the world around me.

Like the rush of the water above us, there is so much power in embracing our unique authenticity.”

05/28/2026

Over the next little while, we’ll be sharing individual images and stories from the incredible women who participated in our waterfall empowerment sessions.

Originally, we planned to share these images together in collective posts. But as the sessions unfolded, some of the women chose to share pieces of their journeys with their bodies, healing, growth, and resilience. We wanted to give those words space to exist on their own.

These words are from our model who’d like to remain anonymous/untagged:

“I didn’t think I cared much about how my body looked. When my doctor told me 10 years ago that SSRIs could cause weight gain, I waved her off because I didn’t mind- I didn’t think I cared about how my body looked. A slower metabolism didn’t cause much weight gain at all, I was active, and after all- I didn’t think I cared.

I got tattoos, all of them intended to represent a part of me. Even if I outgrew Batman comics, or anti-depressants, they still would have a hand in who I’d become. I would never regret them. I wouldn’t care about how my body art looked.

Over the years, add in mobility issues from a recurring bone tumor, a (still) slow metabolism, tattoo aesthetic changes, stretch marks from carrying children, breasts that have been chewed on and depleted— I certainly do care about how my body looks.

I think I started really acknowledging caring about how my body looked once other people made comments. From pig noises from family members, to “wow you lost so much weight- you look so good [now]”. I do care, and it was easy to pretend I didn’t when my body wasn’t a conversation piece I’m faced with daily.

I’m trying to change that conversation, though. I am grateful for this body. Stretched, chewed on, and drilled into. It is resilient. It has given new life. It is mine.

And years from now, my body will still be resilient. I will care about how my body looks, but only because it is an album of my life’s history. I will flip through the pages with love, fighting the conversations, and appreciating the journey this body has been through with me.”

05/25/2026

Five years ago, we created waterfall images that have stayed with us ever since. This spring, we returned.

Not to recreate them… but to honour the women standing in front of our cameras now, the stories carried in their bodies, and the years that have passed in between. To celebrate the versions of ourselves that exist across time, and the quiet power in continuing on.

Bodies change.
Bodies carry babies.
Bodies survive trauma.
Bodies heal.
Bodies grow softer.
Bodies become stronger.
Bodies age.
Bodies experience loss, grief, joy, illness, pleasure, survival, celebration, and everything in between.

We talk a lot about body positivity, but the truth is… some days loving your body feels impossible. Some days your body feels unfamiliar. Some days it feels heavy with everything it has carried.

Your body does not have to be loved every moment to be worthy of respect.
It does not have to fit beauty standards to deserve celebration.
It does not have to be small, smooth, young, healed, or unchanged to be honoured.

Your body has kept you alive through every chapter.

That alone deserves acknowledgment.

These images weren’t about perfection. They were about existing.

Taking up space.
Witnessing one another.
Allowing softness.
Allowing strength.
Honouring our bodies, exactly as they are.

Some bodies in these images have created life.
Some have survived things they never should have had to.
Some are carrying grief.
Some are carrying joy.
Some are still learning how to exist inside themselves gently.

All of them deserve to be witnessed.

Models:

05/24/2026

PSST… 👀 …💥YOU💥 want to read this 👇🏻
Every summer we drop our themed outdoor bo***ir sessions at a special rate… and this year is ❣️WILD❣️
✨ This year? $249 + HST ✨

Yes… you’re reading that right.

For May, June, July, and August, select outdoor bo***ir sessions are:

$249 + HST
• 30 minute session
• 5 edited images INCLUDED
• Option to purchase more from your gallery

This is hands down the lowest session fees we offer all year.

Now here’s the catch 👇
Wedding season is BUSY…so spaces are limited.

We can only take 5 outdoor bo***ir sessions per month.

That’s it.
No extra spots
No squeezing in later

👉 First come, first serve
👉 50% Deposit Required
👉 Payment plans available

Dates will be booked through chat, we just need to know which month you want in on 💌

❤️ Solo + Couples welcome ❤️

✨ Available session vibes:
• Waterfall (June–August)
• Riverbank
• Car / Motorcycle (bring your own 🔥)
• Car wash (client covers rental of bay)
• Picnic (bring your own snacks if you want the full vibe, all other props included)
• Golden hour glow
• Field sessions (July & August)
• Beach

Themed NOT included (but coming soon):
• Farm marathon with tub
• Outdoor bed + milk bath setups

If you’ve EVER said
“I want to do this someday…”

This is your moment.

Because once those 5 spots per month are gone…
they’re gone. 🔥

05/24/2026

FLASHBACK SUNDAY 🔥✨
These images are from one of our bo***ir marathons featuring the beautiful Sarah, with makeup by the incredibly talented Sarah at The Alchemy Room💄🤍

Every summer we release our Outdoor Bo***ir Sessions at a special rate… and they’re always some of our most loved sessions. 🌿☀️

This year:

✨ $249 + HST ALL IN
• 30 minute session
• 5 edited digital images included
• Option to purchase more
• Outdoor locations + themes available
• Empowering, fun, and designed to make you see yourself differently ❤️

Choose your vibe:
🌊 Waterfall (June–August)
🏕️ Riverbank
🚗 Car / Motorcycle (BYO vehicle)
🫧 Car wash (rental required)
🧺 Picnic (BYO snacks)
🌅 Golden hour
🌾 Field (July/August)
🏖️ Beach

We only open a limited number each month (June–August) because Canadian summers disappear in the blink of an eye 😭☀️

These sessions aren’t about changing who you are. They’re about remembering you’ve been that woman all along.

Hair & makeup available as an add-on ✨

📍Ottawa
🌐 www.elmstudios.ca
📸 DM us or apply through our website to book

05/20/2026

🚨 WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT… 🚨

Josh has officially been FIRED. 📸

Fired up to chase golden hour.
Fired up to wrangle wild toddlers and somehow turn chaos into magic.
Fired up to fix veils, calm nerves, hype you up, and capture the moments you’ll want to relive forever.

At Elm Photography, we believe your photos should feel like YOU. The laughter, the tears, the messy moments, the in-between glances… all of it.

We specialize in:
✨ Weddings that feel natural, not forced
✨ Family sessions full of real connection
✨ Bo***ir that leaves you feeling empowered
✨ Capturing memories you’ll hold onto forever

📍 Ottawa + beyond

🌐 www.elmstudios.ca

📸 Bo***ir:
💍 Family • Couples • Weddings:

Drop a 🔥 if Josh deserves to keep his job

***ir

05/11/2026

One session. Five completely different vibes.

One of our favourite things about bo***ir is that it doesn’t have to fit into one box.

For this bo***ir marathon session, our client wanted to create multiple completely different looks and moods and this location made that incredibly easy. Between the lighting, textures, and different settings, we were able to create FIVE totally unique feels throughout her session.

(We’re only sharing a few).

The image in the kitchen? No hair or makeup. Just mood, beautiful light, and a rich cinematic vibe that felt powerful exactly as she was.

Then we shifted into something more editorial and bold with tights, a statement jacket, and boss energy.

And of course we created some more classic lingerie inspired images too.

Bo***ir is art. It’s storytelling. It’s empowerment, and empowerment looks different for every person.

Sometimes it’s soft and bare faced.
Sometimes it’s bold and untouchable.
Sometimes it’s sensual.

There’s no right way to exist in front of the camera, and honestly, that’s the magic of it.

www.elmstudios.ca
Makeup by the amazing Sarah of The Alchemy Room

04/10/2026

Beth 🔥

The confidence. The energy. The way she owned every single frame… absolutely unreal.

Thank you, Beth, for trusting us with your story and allowing us to share these incredible images. This is what bo***ir is all about… stepping into your power, embracing every part of yourself, and walking away seeing YOU the way the world already does.

And can we take a moment for that glam 😍
Makeup by the insanely talented Sarah from … flawless as always.

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines wondering if you should book… this is your sign.

✨ SUMMER OUTDOOR BO***IR IS COMING ✨
Think golden hour glow, water, fields, soft sunsets, and that effortless, natural confidence.

We’re dropping our special summer session pricing soon and spots will be LIMITED.

Trust us… you’re going to want in on this one 👀

www.elmstudios.ca

04/02/2026

Cell phone -> raw -> final edit ✨
Same moment… but not the same story.

Featuring the insanely beautiful .na.bella ❤️

This wasn’t just a photo.
This was stepping out into the cold, heart racing, second guessing… and doing it anyway.

That moment where you stop overthinking…
and start owning yourself.

That’s the part people don’t see.

Could this be created with AI? Of course.
But AI doesn’t give you the experience.
It doesn’t guide you, pose you, hype you up, or catch you in those in between moments where everything just clicks. It doesn’t leave you feeling empowered or with a once in a lifetime experience.

That’s what a professional does.

Josh started back in 2019 with a camera and a vision.
During the pandemic, Bex stepped in on the editing side after learning from incredibly talented photographer friends and staff photographers at SuicideGirls… and we’ve been building and refining this together ever since.

He captures the moment.
Bex brings it to life.

Every image is intentionally shot and carefully edited in Adobe Lightroom Classic & Photoshop. Years of growth, skill, and real connection behind every final image.

You’re not just investing in photos.
You’re investing in the experience.
In confidence.
In pushing past your comfort zone and seeing yourself in a way you never have before.

And that feeling?
That stays with you long after the session ends.

02/10/2026

🔥 For the first time in six years, we didn’t host Valentine’s boudie sessions. ❤️‍🔥

No studio.
No red sets.
No heart props.
No marathon magic.

And if we’re honest? It hurt our hearts 💔.

So we’re throwing it back today to last years Valentines boudie box sets and reminding you of something important…❣️

We have ✨ THREE ✨ spots left for our March bo***ir sessions.

And trust us, you do not want to miss these.

These sessions are currently being offered for the price of just our session fee…$499+hst
but they include:

✨ Professional makeup
✨ 10 edited digital images
✨ Full guided posing
✨ A Bombass boutique suite
✨ That “holy sh*t that’s me?” confidence boost

That’s huge savings.

March is about to be unreal.

If you’ve been waiting… this is your sign.

DM us and claim your spot before they’re gone. 🔥

ELMphotos2019

06/01/2026

05/28/2026

05/25/2026

05/24/2026

05/24/2026

05/20/2026

05/11/2026

04/10/2026

04/02/2026

02/10/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category