2025 Year in Review
2025 was an ambitious experiment about how my business survives my curiosity-fuelled lifestyle changes, and how my life and beliefs are reflected in my work.
It’s only natural for a one-person business to follow the path of the founder. In autumn 2024 I took it to explore the business opportunities on the Canary Island of Tenerife. When I stated in my socials that I was a photographer and stylist b e t w e e n Estonia and Tenerife, I did not mean it literally. In hindsight I spent more time in the London, Barcelona or Milan airports than ever before.
The whole year was a big hustle but we survived, no permanent damage, and oh so many fond memories and great takeaways!
The change of scenery allowed me to test so many assumptions, like:
I can work anywhere in the world;
My work is good;
I’m happiest when I’m exploring;
Work keeps me grounded in reality;
The environment can trigger changes in style;
Making big changes is addictive, hence really hard for me to make the small but necessary tweaks;
Making friends is easy if you care (and difficult at times when you don’t = introvert).
Wins:
Lived according to my values: curiosity and integrity;
Found clients in a new country without speaking the language;
Stayed afloat despite the economy;
Worked fewer hours and still somehow survived;
More big international food-styling projects than ever—close to a third of my revenue;
Growing confidence in food-styling;
Kids continued their education without setbacks;
Multiple income streams;
Airbnb Super Host for the whole year—Yay!
Struggles:
A mismatch of narrow focus and diversified income streams in a one-person business;
Finding new clients and accommodating the existing ones;
Exercise and ideal weight;
Español—no comprendo;
Homeschooling my kids;
Finding purpose and motivation;
Envisioning a sustainable and desirable future -> Setting smart goals;
Marketing.
Fails:
Food blog Tenerifefood.com indefinitely frozen;
Did not find a new warmer home country.
First ever:
My mobile photography workshop was a birthday present;
Sold a gift voucher in advance for a photoshoot in another country hoping I would make it work, and I did;
A client shipped their products to me in Tenerife rather than hiring another photographer in Estonia.
New:
Sony A7IV with Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS and Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8;
newer car;
backpack (that already got fined by Ryanair).
Major clients (food-styling):
Nestlé, Sagrotan, Zalando, Westlotto, Aldi, Lidl.
Grateful for:
my family;
kind people around me;
people who like my work and give me money (aka clients);
endless possibilities;
beauty.
Priceless takeaways:
I used to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results
There’s life outside the nordic protestant work ethic;
Abundance of natural light is so liberating;
It’s possible to do professional work with very limited gear;
The biggest bottleneck in my business is—me;
I love food styling for commercials because of the incredible energy on the set, and when it’s done you can pack up and go home — no post processing needed;
Grass is greener… Estonia is pretty good for quite many things: mainly, education for kids.
Looking forward to:
Sunshine and good weather;
Lots of trips;
The next big project, because I suck at small tweaks;
Understanding myself;
Feeling alive and enjoying the process;
Connecting with people;
Projects that I feel aligned with;
Being useful, and getting fairly compensated.
Work with me!
I love traveling for work;
I’m an explorer—show me something I can get fascinated about and you’ll get the best results;
A seamless process. From planning to delivery, I handle everything so you can focus on running your business;
Expert guidance. I tell you exactly what you need to stand out from competitors, and how to get it—so you don’t have to guess;
For photography my ideal clients are small because trust is personal and decision making is fast and easy;
For food styling I’m experienced in working with big international production teams and love the high-energy atmosphere on the set.
From global food delivery brands and hotel chains to small, family-owned cafés, I’ve worked with businesses of all kinds. It’s not about size—it’s about finding the right fit and creating stunning visuals that showcase your food at its best.
