Field Notes from a Wandering Photographer Episode 5 | 2026: American Summer Loading…
- Hello Ro Photography
- May 14
- 5 min read
Okay wait.
Tomorrow I leave for the US.
Which feels slightly insane considering I still have clothes on the line, approximately fourteen tabs open in my brain, and a carry-on bag packed like I’m preparing for emotional warfare.
The last few weeks have been full in every possible way.
Beautiful. Stressful. Exciting. Heavy. Hopeful.
Honestly, I think that’s the best word for this season.
Hopeful.
I’ve also done a whole run of weddings lately, and every single one has felt completely different.
One on a farm in Tharwa.
One at Gold Creek Chapel.
One at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
One at the Canberra Rex Hotel.
Different couples. Different energy. Different colour palettes. Different families.
Some weddings loud and full of energy, some more reserved and intimate.
And honestly, that’s what I love about this job.
No two wedding days ever feel the same.
Every couple brings their own rhythm into it.
Every room feels different.
Every dance floor has its own personality.
Canberra in autumn has also just been beautiful lately. Every wedding has had that crisp cold air and golden light that makes everyone suddenly look cinematic without even trying.
I’ve been wearing this black spotted puff sleeve dress to a lot of my weddings lately with my docs and socks and it feels very 90s divorced aunt who smokes cigarettes outside a dinner party in the best possible way.
Which apparently is the energy I’m channeling this season.
AFTER the YES!
After the Yes happened on May 3rd.
And I genuinely don’t think I’ve fully processed how special it was yet.
A curated engagement celebration. Application Only. Selected couples attended as guests of Hello Ro Photography and The Curated Planner. The event was styled with florals from Sunshine Events and Motion Reel Films did a cinematic highlight reel. AND omg we had a surprise dessert by La Ombré Creations
The response was unbelievable. The couples were so happy, the photos are beautiful, and the whole thing somehow turned into something even better than I imagined while planning it.
It had this warmth to it that’s really hard to explain unless you were there.
Champagne glasses clinking. Cheese platters being passed around. Couples arriving nervous and then slowly relaxing into each other as the afternoon unfolded.
The photography became part of the atmosphere instead of feeling like this separate awkward activity everyone had to survive.
Which was exactly what I wanted.
And honestly? Watching people soften into the experience and genuinely enjoy themselves made me emotional.
I’ll be posting the cinematic highlight reel from Motion Reel Films tonight and I cannot wait for everyone to see it.
They captured the feeling of the day perfectly.
Like if the entire event had a pulse and a personality, they somehow translated it into film.
I already know I want to do it again next year.
Bigger tables. More couples. More champagne towers. More romance.
I think there’s something really cool about creating something that immediately feels bigger than you expected it to.
Like it still has more life in it.
In Between Shoots
Outside of weddings, life has honestly still felt pretty heavy.
Between physio, insurance, medical appointments, psychologist appointments, paperwork, phone calls, and trying to keep my business running at the same time… I’m emotionally fried.
I think I’ve just been operating in survival mode for so long that my body doesn’t really know how to fully relax anymore.
Does anyone else ever feel like that?
Like your brain is technically functioning, but your nervous system is sitting in the corner chewing on drywall?
That’s where I’m at.
And I think that’s why leaving tomorrow feels so emotional.
Not because I’m running away from my life. More because I finally get to exhale for a second.
Lola is also finally fixed.
Which honestly feels like the biggest plot twist of 2026.
After weeks of stress and phone calls and repairs and me wondering whether I’d accidentally purchased the world’s most expensive lawn ornament, she’s finally back on the road and driving properly.
Thank God.
I’m going to be teaching kids art during the summer in upstate New York, which honestly feels like such a beautiful way to spend my quieter months.
Art projects. American forests. Kids covered in paint.
It feels healing already.
My first night is in Santa Barbara staying with a friend, which feels like the softest possible landing into this next chapter.
And weirdly enough, one of the most emotional moments this week was saying goodbye to my physio today.
Which sounds ridiculous until you realise I’ve spent six months of my life there.
At this point I genuinely think I have Stockholm syndrome.
But there was something emotional about walking out knowing this version of recovery is ending now.
Or at least changing shape.
There are also so many people I can’t wait to see.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this, I accidentally wrote a song on the back of a grocery receipt sitting in a car park after a shoot.
Which feels very emotionally unstable indie film protagonist of me.
I’m hoping I can bring it to life while I’m overseas.
Who knows.
Maybe this trip changes everything.
Favourites from my iPhone Camera Roll
This Week I’m Vibing
Headscarves. Earplugs.
Music playing literally all the time. Mostly the Rochella playlist.
My red and white striped canvas bag.
These sunglasses I bought from Kmart that have somehow become part of my personality.
My JOVS Laser Face Mask - I’ve actually been using it. Dry, sensitive skin needs consistency more than miracles, and this has felt genuinely supportive.
Collagen powder stirred into whatever I am drinking, because future me will be grateful.
Sol Cleanse Daily Celery Juice. And my barrel jeans fitting different.
Discount code: ROWENA10
The Morning Made Vanilla Matcha Latte. Obviously.
GOODBERRYS! A true Canberra institution. My order is chocolate concrete with flake, almonds, and a maraschino cherry. Emotional support, let’s be honest.
My Skincare Ritual - I have dry, red, sensitive skin and I am determined to make it better! All the things I’m using are linked below if you’re interested:
Morning
Water
Barrier Serum (The Ordinary)
Mineral SPF50 (I’m still figuring out what sunscreen I like so if you have any suggestions drop a comment below!)
Night
Warm water / washcloth / Mukti Cleansing Balm
Airport departure boards.
The feeling that everything might actually be okay.
What’s Next
Tomorrow: LAX.
Then Santa Barbara.
Then eventually New York for the summer.
Which still feels completely surreal to type.
I’ll still be answering enquiries while I’m away, although replies may be a little slower depending on what airport, roadside diner, desert town, or iced matcha spiral I currently find myself in.
2026 weddings are almost full.
I only have two dates left in November and one in December remaining. BOOK ME ♥️
2027 is already busy.
Anyway. American summer loading. Passport in my hand.
Still looking for the LOML in airport terminals, random gas station stops, on trains, planes, and whatever emotionally significant situation I accidentally wander into next.
And that’s it! The life behind the scenes of Hello Ro Photography an Australian lifestyle and wedding photographer. If there’s something you’d love me to write about, maybe a behind-the-scenes topic, a favourite shoot, or even what I’m packing for my next trip — leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram at @hello.ro.photography. I’d love to hear from you.
If you’d like to see more of my work, visit www.hellorophotography.com or find me on Instagram at @hello.ro.photography.
Ro xo
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