A table decorated with various vases filled with colorful wildflowers, set inside a bright tent with a patterned tablecloth. Wedding photography and videography on Vancouver Island, BC

The

Journey

Smiling woman holding a camera on a city rooftop with tall buildings in the background.

Silhouette of a woman taking a photo with a camera or phone at the entrance of a rocky cave or tunnel on the beach, with ocean waves and cloudy sky in the background.

01. The Beginning

I've had a camera in my hands for as long as I can remember.

Not because I wanted to be a photographer, but because I needed a way to hold onto moments. The laughter. The quiet. The ability to be brought back to a specific memory and moment in an instant.

02. The People

I studied psychology and HR because I've always been fascinated by people. What makes them unique. What they believe in. How they see the world.

Turns out, my camera let me explore all of that in a different way.

Two people sitting in a field of pink flowers during sunset in Victoria, BC.

A woman with long dark hair swimming in clear water near rocks.

A couple kissing in a kitchen, holding a glass of champagne. Couples photography based in Victoria, BC

A woman wearing a straw hat and a sleeveless dress stands outdoors under a tree with purple hanging flowers, reaching for the blossoms.

Three women standing together and smiling in a rice field with palm trees in the background. Branding photography for The Travel Bootcamp in Bali, Indonesia

Branding photography for The Rich Coach with Kait Rich standing on the edge of a beach with pink-colored sand, blue water, and a clear sky. People are swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing along the shoreline in the background. Captured in Greece

03. The Wanderer

For years, I lived abroad—New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia—with my camera slung around my neck wherever I went.

I photographed life as it happened around me. Adventures. Portraits. Weddings. Small businesses. Even women giving birth.

I loved it all because I loved the real, raw moments we experience in life.

04. The Leap

2021. Vancouver Island. Laid off from my HR job with bills to pay.

I had a choice to make.

So I took a leap of faith, trusted my instinct, and followed my heart.

It changed everything.

A woman sitting on rocky terrain atop a mountain, holding a camera, with a scenic view of green rolling hills, the ocean, and partly cloudy sky in the background, smiling with eyes closed.

BTS of Jillian Wilkes videotaping a recording session of a classical string quartet in a studio, with three women playing violins and one man playing a viola, all wearing headphones.

Jillian Wilkes sitting on the floor behind a camera, smiling, surrounded by electronic equipment and cables, in an indoor setting with brick walls.

05. The Discovery

Photography is still part of who I am.

But when I discovered videography? I was hooked.

The way video captures not just a moment but the feeling of it… I knew I'd found something special.

06. The Love Stories

My business has evolved over the years, and I've now fallen deeply in love with capturing people in love.

Growing up in a Japanese-Canadian household, I was raised with the belief in Unmei no Akai Ito the red thread of fate that connects soulmates.

Being welcomed into one of the most pivotal days of a relationship and trusted to document it authentically? It's incredibly special.

So I decided to dedicate my business to telling love stories. Red Thread Films became a way to bring together my heritage, the things I believe in, and the love that each couple shares.

This is what I’m meant to do.