August 12th, 2026

THE STORY

May 1st, 2024. I was playing a game of basketball (“bump” if you’re Canadian, “lightning” if you’re American) when I went to chase down the ball. It took just one step. Suddenly, it felt like someone had hit the back of my calf with a baseball bat.
I hobbled off the court, looking around, already knowing something wasn’t right.

A few days later, I was sitting with my surgeon when he told me my Achilles tendon was fully ruptured. Fully. Ruptured. He explained we’d be going the non-surgical route—which honestly surprised me, because everyone I knew with this injury had surgery.

What that meant was a knee-down cast and being completely non-weight bearing for three months.

Normally, that would’ve been manageable… except I had a wedding booked for mid-June.

Not just any wedding—a beach wedding on Vancouver Island. And to top it off, they were planning a first look that morning by a lake… which required a short hike to get there.

I cried. Then I cried again.

After that, I messaged the groom and told him everything that had happened. I said if they wanted to find another photographer, I would completely understand.
His response? He still wanted me there.
So I said yes—and started figuring out how on earth I was going to make it happen.

THE SOLUTION

I went deep into research mode, trying to figure out how anyone had managed to shoot a wedding with an injury like this. Honestly… there wasn’t much out there. I found a few blog posts from photographers with broken feet, but most of them were still able to walk carefully. Not quite the same situation.

One person mentioned using a scooter, but I knew right away that wouldn’t work for me. A beach wedding? Sand? There was no way that was happening.
So I kept looking.

And then I found the thing that would completely change the game for me (and honestly, save the entire day).

The iWalk 3.0.

It’s essentially a hands-free crutch that straps onto your leg and lets you “walk” without putting weight on your foot. The best way I can describe it? I looked like a pirate.
But at that point, I didn’t care what I looked like—I just needed a way to show up and do my job.

I knew that if I had this, I could be completely hands-free and still use my cameras. I had a harness with a camera strapped to each side of me, so I could walk, carry my cameras, and still have both hands free if I needed them.

It took TONS of practice to get comfortable with it. I started inside my house, just getting used to the movement and figuring out how to balance. Once I felt comfortable there, I took it outside and started practicing on grass and uneven ground—which was a whole different challenge. Then came the stairs. I quickly learned that the only way to safely get down them was to go backwards.

I slowly worked my way through all of these little challenges, knowing that I had a beach wedding coming up and there was no way I could show up unprepared.
To help with the adventure, I also got a cane with a special base designed for sand. That gave me another point of contact and a little more stability once I got onto the beach.

At this point, I was basically becoming a one-legged wedding photographer with a whole bunch of gadgets strapped to me. 😅

THE BIG DAY

I had my plan of attack for the ceremony figured out—I’d use my iWalk and a cane. But there was still one major question:
What was I going to do for the first look at the lake?

Luckily, we had a friend on the island who knew someone with a canoe. So, with my husband in the stern, my camera gear safely in front of me, and me doing my best to stay balanced, we set off across the water toward the first look.

When we arrived, my husband had to help me scramble up the rocks on my knees. The ground was full of rocks, dirt, and tree roots, so he also had to help stabilize me while I carefully made my way into position.
But we made it!

We took their first look photos, and then the bride and groom asked if they could get in the canoe for a few photos.
My answer was an enthusiastic YES! 😂

At that point, I was willing to do pretty much anything that involved me not having to walk. And honestly, the canoe ended up being such a fun and unexpected part of their wedding day.

Then it was our turn to get in the canoe, and out came some of my absolute favorite pictures from the entire day!

With the trees framing the couple behind them, the soft cloudy sky giving me beautiful, even light on their faces, and the reflection of the water underneath them, everything just came together. They quickly became some of my favorite images I’ve ever taken.
I was honestly just giddy. 😂 I was so excited looking through my camera and seeing how everything was coming together, while my husband paddled us around and kept the canoe exactly where I needed it to be.

It was definitely not how I had pictured photographing a wedding on Vancouver Island, but because of my situation, I ended up creating some of the most beautiful and memorable images of the day.

With the first look out of the way, it was time for the ceremony.

This was probably the part of the day I was most nervous about. It was outside,on sand and rocks, with people watching, and I was very aware that one wrong step could send me tumbling, cause a commotion and potentially damage my cameras. 😂

Honestly, it was stressful.

Thankfully, I never tripped. I was able to move around slowly and carefully, keeping my iWalk strapped securely to my leg and my cane close by whenever I needed a little extra stability. I definitely wasn’t moving around the way I normally would, but I was there, I was working, and I was doing everything I could to make sure I didn’t miss the moments that mattered.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any great behind-the-scenes photos of me in action during the ceremony. But I did find someone who sent me this still (from a video) of me on that day.

This picture is a bit blurry, but it’s a pretty good reminder of just how crazy this whole day actually was for me 😅

I wanted to write this blog for anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation to the one I was in: a torn Achilles (or really, any lower-body injury), with photo shoots or weddings already on the calendar, and feeling discouraged, frustrated, or even a little depressed about what the next few months might look like.

I want you to know that there is hope, and there is a way to work through the setback you’re facing.
It might look different than you imagined, and it might take a lot more planning, creativity, and patience than you’re used to, but an injury doesn’t necessarily mean you have to put everything on hold.

For me, the iWalk 3.0 made a HUGE difference. It allowed me to keep doing what I love while I recovered. I was able to photograph this beach wedding, a senior session, and even a few family sessions… all while being non-weight-bearing.

Was it easy? Absolutely not. 😂

Did it require a lot of practice and figuring out new ways to do things? 100%.

But it was possible.

So if you’re reading this because you’re injured and wondering how you’re going to keep doing the things that matter to you, I hope this gives you a little encouragement.

Your circumstances may have changed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your story, or your plans, have to stop. ❤️