The Kick Start of Larissa J Photography

Hi, I’m Larissa Janzen — born and raised in Abbotsford, BC. I grew up outside: hiking, fishing, off-roading, always chasing the next adventure. When I was 16, I started bringing my dad’s old Canon Rebel along on those adventures. What began as simply documenting memories slowly turned into something more. A few tourism companies started sharing my work, but photography still felt like a hobby — not a career.

At 18, I moved to Kamloops to study sports journalism. With COVID shifting many classes online, I suddenly had a lot of free time. I met another adventure photographer, and together we explored the backcountry of Kamloops, Clearwater, and Jasper. Being in the mountains made me feel completely alive.

Around that time, I was dealing with the aftermath of a prior car accident that left me with severe, debilitating migraines. After one year, I couldn’t continue my program. Migraines are unpredictable — one moment I could be hiking a mountain, the next I’d lose vision or be in unbearable pain. Moving home was the right decision, but career-wise, I felt lost. The only thing that truly lit me up was traveling — even though having up to 21 migraines a month made that dream complicated.

Instead of waiting for “someday,” I chose to go anyway.

I bought a new camera, packed a backpack, and traveled through Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Yes, there were hard days — but I found medication that made days tolerable, and I experienced things I’ll never forget: kayaking through the Benagil Caves, wandering the streets of Rome, hiking through the towns of Cinque Terre, and standing inside centuries-old architecture. That trip sparked something in me.

When I returned home, I knew I needed to fund this passion of travel and expand my photography experience. Breaking into the outdoor photography industry is tough — it’s full of incredibly talented creatives — so I started by photographing my friends. Engagements, weddings, events… word of mouth grew, and so did my business. I love connecting and genuinely capturing the love everyone has to share.

I absolutely adore photographing my clients but at the time, it still wasn’t quite enough to finically sustain the travel I craved.

I took a role on a corporate advertising team for a grocery company, but I quickly felt burnt out. I did not feel at all fulfilled or passionate about this career path. I took all of my free time to focus on photography, road trips, and eventually part-time work as a social media coordinator for a camping company. As that company grew, so did my role — and my love for blending the outdoors with storytelling.

In October 2025, they offered me a full-time position as a social media and marketing coordinator. My first thought? You want to pay me to take photos and go camping? Absolutely.

Taking that job was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I get to travel, camp, create, and still pursue my own photography. After years of uncertainty, I finally feel aligned — like I’ve built a life around the things that make me feel most alive. As I continue to build my business I always strive to grow and learn. Whether that's from a large wedding, an intimate engagement, or jumping out of a moving vehicle to get a cool shot - I'm ready to take on my slogan as "photographer of everything".