About the photographer

Hi, I’m Chanelle. I’m a portrait and lifestyle photographer in Ottawa, though my career technically began in the Philippines with a film camera and a dream. We didn’t have DSLRs back then, so I spent my youth mostly just vibe-checking the world through a viewfinder... and the obsession stuck.

That spark survived a Fine Arts degree and eventually dragged me onto cruise ships for a few years of "glamorous" maritime labor. If you want to talk old school, I spent my days hauling around external flashes that were.. no joke.. larger than my actual head. I looked less like a photographer and more like a human satellite dish searching for a signal.

My real specialty, however, was the "Let's hide the evidence" maneuver. I spent half my career frantically kicking half-empty margaritas and bread baskets out of the frame while the boat was literally (and emotionally) rocking. My go-to move for stiff couples? I’d just deadpan, “Okay, now just pretend you actually love each other!” It usually resulted in a burst of genuine laughter, a frantic hair-tuck, and finally... the best shot of the night!

After a few years of "researching" (read: eating my way through) Europe, I’ve finally parked my passport in Canada to launch VOS Image Lab.

Think of the Lab as a sanctuary from the “Chin up! Now tilt! No, the other way!” school of photography. If I can make people look majestic during a Category 4 swell while hiding a plate of shrimp cocktail with my foot, I can definitely handle your portrait session. My style is bright, candid, and warm... specifically designed for people who want beautiful photos but would rather do literally anything else than "pose."

Welcome to the Lab! Let’s make something better than a selfie!

**When I'm not shooting, you can usually find me walking uphill, pressing the gas pedal, clinging to a wall, OR fulfilling my contractual obligation to amuse my supervisor, Alaska the cat.