The woman behind She Shootz.

The photographer came later. The creative was always there.

I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a football photographer. Photography found me almost by accident—and it started with a disappearing fence.

For more than two decades, my working life has been in Defence, including facilities and building management. Preparation, problem-solving and reliability gave me a work ethic I bring to every match.

The creative side was always there too. I once ran a cake decorating business: colour, balance, composition and detail mattered. The medium was just different.

What sort of sorcery is this?

During COVID, I was at the zoo with a friend who photographed lion cubs through cyclone fencing. Then he showed me the photograph. There were the cubs—but no fence.

I could see the fence. I knew it was there. I needed to know how he’d made it disappear.

That curiosity became a camera, and a determination to understand it. I taught myself, experimenting with light, lenses and composition, trying street photography, astro and plenty in between.

Then some guys from a local football team suggested I photograph a game. So I did. Somewhere along the way, football became the thing.

Finding more than the action.

Football gave me people, stories and emotion. I love the tackles, saves and celebrations. But the moments that stay with me are often quieter: a player after a difficult result, a goalkeeper resetting, a kid meeting their idol, or an exhausted smile after the final whistle.

That’s when my photography started becoming She Shootz.

Knowing when to step closer.

I’m naturally outgoing. I enjoy talking to people, having a laugh and building relationships around the game. But I also know when to give someone space.

Sometimes I’m right in the middle of the celebrations. Other times, I hang back and let the moment unfold. Reading those moments is as much a part of my photography as knowing how to use the camera.

One chapter at a time.

My photography has taken me from local football through the Victorian leagues, the Australia Cup and the A-League to the international game. I bring the creativity, curiosity and discipline with me—and I’m still learning. I hope I always will be.

Wherever I’m photographing, I’m looking for more than what happened. I’m looking for what it meant to the person it happened to.

Results become statistics. Seasons finish. Players move clubs, grow up and begin new chapters. Photographs can hold onto a moment after everything around it has changed.

The player is the story. I’m just there to make sure some of those stories aren’t forgotten.