#TUEmpower by @jesscandradi

I was a mediocre student at school, but there's something about photography that always interested and excited me. However, I was never given a camera to experiment with; my parents were supportive in everything I did, but they never spoiled me in the sense that I had to earn what I wanted. Long story short, I ended up studying patisserie in Australia, got my first job during that time, and saved up for my first camera.

I managed to finish and graduate from Culinary School, and though I enjoyed working in the culinary industry, I couldn't shake the feeling that my true passion was Photography. That's when I decided to take a leap of faith to shift my career from being a pastry chef to a photographer. The route wasn't always easy.

People constantly undermined my decisions, but I made that barrier as my motivation to make it work.

It took me 2 years to slowly find my niche and style, and I realized that when you put so much love and hope in your heart to make it work, it will work! It's been 6 years now since I decided to become a photographer and I'm still going strong.

Aside from the struggle of kickstarting my photography career, I also had my issues with body image.

2013

2020

I used to be super conscious and insecure about my body because I had such an unhealthy diet. At some point in my life, I decided to eat a healthier diet, exercise and embrace self-care which have helped me gain an extent of mind-body clarity. It also took me a couple of years to finally be able to embrace my body type. I have a pear shaped body, I may not have a thigh gap, I may not have the slimmest hip and that's okay because;

I am who I am and that’s my power.

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@jesscandradi’s story is an exclusive blog post by Things Untouched.