meet the collective
Stephen Ban
FOUNDER/PHOTOGRAPHEROriginally from California’s Bay Area, Stephen moved to Vancouver as a child and has embraced the Pacific Northwest ever since, moving to Victoria in 2012 after completing his Ph.D in Australia. He is trained as a marine conservation biologist and currently works for BC Parks. He has had his work published in the Guardian newspaper and Creators Magazine, as well as used by organizations such as Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue.
For portrait work, he tends to favour low-key, high-drama lighting, and especially enjoys recreating vintage and cinematic looks from the film noir genre. He also draws artistic inspiration from the pre-Raphaelite painters such as John William Waterhouse and Edmund Blair Leighton.
Emilee Wilson
PHOTOGRAPHERAfter several years of professional modelling, Emilee’s interest in being behind the camera percolated. It was heightened by a desire to capture and tell stories through filmmaking. She fell in love with photography with the purchase of her first DSLR, and she has been shooting non-stop ever since.
Though she can be a goofball, Emilee is dedicated to making sure all aspects of her shoots are perfect. She’ll often use analogies to try to get her subjects in the mood, though it seems to just make them laugh most of the time. Emiliee’s modelling experience allows her a unique connection with clients.
Emilee dabbles in a wide variety of styles and refuses to isolate her work into a niche, even though this may be purportedly unwise as a business practice. She prides herself in the versatility of her work.
Aaron Von Hagen
PHOTOGRAPHERHailing from the Canadian Arctic, and having stepped foot on every continent, Aaron’s passion for photography and his pursuit of adventure has no borders.
Aaron started with landscapes, discovered astrophotography, and became a wildlife opportunist. Once he began exploring the art of portraiture, Aaron loved learning about manipulating light (both introduced and natural) to capture people, their personalities, and the stories their images tell.
Aaron has led workshops on local, national, and international stages. Whether teaching someone the basics at home or leading groups of photographers through the dunes and deserts of Namibia, Aaron thrives in a workshop setting. He enjoys meeting people, learning, and sharing his knowledge with others.
Anastasia Ungureanu
As someone born and raised in Victoria, Ana was bound to happen upon The Blackfish Collective. She was ecstatic when she was asked to join the administrative team.
From there, Ana has taken a more hands-on approach as a team member, including stepping in as a posing coach.. Outside of her time with Blackfish, Ana works as a freelance model, which she has been doing professionally for six years. Before starting her career as a model, she, like many of her co-workers, developed a fondness for photography.
While Ana may spend more time in front of the camera than behind it, she is very grateful for the opportunity that introduced her to the industry. Ana takes strong pride in helping clients have an exceptional shooting experience with Blackfish.
Kaya crawford
BOUDOIR/INTIMACY COACHCanadian-born and Australian-raised, Kaya has a love for directing and storytelling. As an intimacy and model coach, she feels passionate about empowering models to feel confident and gorgeous. Kaya has been working in the theatre and film industries for the last 5 years, specializing in creating supportive, body-positive spaces. Her collaborative approach makes each session feel fun and easygoing.
Andréa Kathryn
HAIR, MAKEUP ARTIST, STYLIST, COACHING & DIRECTIONOriginally hailing from Vancouver, BC during its adoption as “Hollywood North” Andréa has a diverse history in the Arts. Starting as a published writer in the ‘90s, she accidentally found herself networking in film and media.
While working under one of Vidal Sassoon's premiere stylists, Andrea was one of the original Blanche MacDonald professional makeup students. She stepped in on the set of the Stargate pilot when a stylist didn't show and fell headfirst into a world that has spanned Art Direction, Set Design, Editorial Fashion and much more. From words to pictures, her work has been published internationally and been seen on screens for three decades.
matthew mccormick
ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER
(Vancouver)Matthew was born on the East Coast, however, he has spent the majority of his life living in BC. He graduated from Emily Carr with a Bachelor’s in Film and Screen Arts in 2023. Matthew has a heart for filmmaking and videography, but he is also a very skilled photographer.
His love for photography began in high school, starting with yearbook and classes in analog photography, landing a job doing drone photography for a local realty company. Matthew continues to take portraits, as well as expanding into genres such as boudoir, commercial, product, and fashion photography. His photos have been used by Vancouver Fashion Week, African Fashion Week and by local designers. Matthew also has work published internationally in magazines.
What Matthew loves about working at Blackfish is the constant collaborative environment. He strives to deliver high-quality images, with a comfortable and enjoyable session for clients.
Xavier Déry
ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER
(Ottawa)With 20 years of photography experience, Xavier has done every kind of photography, but he keeps returning to bright, natural portraits. Xavier has photographed beautiful landscapes across Canada, Chile, Afghanistan and Antarctica.
Xavier enjoys bright and colourful portraits, focusing on the face and the eyes. Working with so many wonderful creatives has him constantly exploring new styles, looks, and techniques.
When it comes to boudoir, he enjoys making the subject look their best. For Xavier, the best shots come from power: a piercing gaze back at the viewer of the image. Xavier finds it exudes confidence. This can be difficult for first time subjects, so he encourage practice ahead of a shoot, but he will help pose and provide feedback.
Ruth Morrison
MAKEUP ARTISTA long time lover of beauty and ritual Ruth began freelancing in 2015, offering both glamour and editorial services. "I really fell in love with the science behind makeup artistry, the color theory, the formulations of products and how they work together. I believe people should react with you look great, instead of your makeup looks great and I try to enhance and never mask features" Ruth considers herself an islander after over twenty years in Victoria, originally from Manitoba she is no longer considered winter hardy.