Ellen Lai of Ellobelle Photography | Bold Journey Interview

How Did You Find Your Purpose?

I found my purpose when I realized that the moments I loved most weren’t the achievements I built. They were the relationships, memories, and connections I helped create.

Looking back, the clues were always there.

I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. My parents immigrated from China and spent most of their lives building and running restaurants. Hard work wasn’t something they talked about. It was something they modeled every day.

My dad often didn’t get home until after 11 p.m. because he was working long restaurant hours. But despite working so much, he always carried a camera.

Long before smartphones existed, he brought a Nikon film camera on vacations, family outings, and special occasions. He would drop off rolls of film at Costco to be developed and carefully save the photos.

When I look through those albums now, one thing always stands out.

He’s missing from many of the pictures because he was the one behind the camera.

As a kid, I loved photography too. My parents would buy me disposable cameras, and I’d bring them everywhere. In college, I was the person documenting every event and uploading albums for everyone to relive the memories.

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At the time, I wasn’t thinking about photography as a career.

I simply loved documenting life.

Professionally, my path took a different direction. I built a career in engineering and project management. I worked as a personal trainer. I competed in bodybuilding. I built a successful catering business that I ran for five years before the pandemic.

I’ve always loved building things.

Businesses.

Systems.

Teams.

But along the way, I learned that being good at something and being fulfilled by it are not always the same thing.

Fitness taught me discipline, consistency, and confidence. I still love working out today because it helps me feel strong, healthy, and capable for all the right reasons.

At one point, I thought becoming a personal trainer might be my purpose. But the more clients I worked with, the more I realized many were focused on changing how they looked rather than appreciating who they already were.

That never felt aligned with my values.

I care much more about helping people feel comfortable in their own skin, love who they already are, own their worth, and appreciate the relationships and experiences that already make their lives meaningful.

Later, I built a successful catering business. I loved the entrepreneurship, leadership, and operations side of it.

But something was missing.

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I never got to see the smiles when someone tasted a favorite dish.

I never got to meet my customers, hear their stories, or experience the event with them.

We would deliver the food, set everything up beautifully, and leave before the guests even arrived.

At the time, I couldn’t explain why the business felt a little unfulfilling despite being successful.

Looking back, I know exactly what was missing.

The human connection.

I loved creating something for people, but I wasn’t building relationships with them.

I didn’t realize it then, but the relationships were the part I cared about most.

Then I became a mother.

Motherhood changed how I viewed photography.

Every night, my three year old son and I look through old photos together. We’ll revisit vacations, train rides, playground adventures, and ordinary afternoons that have already faded from his memory.

He doesn’t remember most of those moments anymore, but because they were photographed, they’re always available for us to revisit and relive together.

We can laugh about them, tell stories about them, and remember how we felt in that season of life.

That’s why I love taking pictures. They allow us to hold onto moments long after they’ve passed.

That’s when something clicked.

Photography wasn’t really about cameras.

It wasn’t about settings or equipment.

It was about preserving the people, relationships, and moments that make us who we are.

Last year, I finally decided to stop being intimidated by manual mode. I bought a camera, signed up for a few workshops, and started practicing every chance I got.

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Every week while my Tesla charged, I’d spend those 45 minutes walking around with my camera, practicing over and over again until it finally started to make sense.

I photographed flowers.

Trees.

Colorful trucks with company logos.

Anything that would help me understand light, color, and how different camera settings affected an image.

I’d take a photo, look at it, adjust my settings, and try again.

Over and over.

Eventually, the colors started looking right. The images started looking the way I wanted them to look.

Then I started practicing on people.

Family first.

Then close friends.

And before I knew it, I had fallen completely in love with the process.

What I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy the constant pursuit of getting better.

Even today, after every session, I review my images and look for ways to improve. Better light. Better angles. Better connection. Better storytelling.

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It doesn’t feel like work.

It feels like curiosity.

It feels like growth.

It feels like the kind of challenge that energizes me rather than drains me.

There were a few moments when I realized photography had become more than a hobby.

One was when a client sent me a photo of a wall collage she had created in her living room using images from our session.

Those weren’t just digital files anymore.

They had become part of her family’s heirloom.

Years from now, those photographs will tell a story about who they were and this season of life they shared together.

Another moment was when a maternity client booked me again for her newborn session.

That’s when it really clicked.

I wasn’t just taking pictures.

I was helping families preserve something they never wanted to lose.

For the first time, I found something that combined everything I love.

My engineering background helps me create a seamless experience.

My entrepreneurial background helps me build a business.

My experience as a mother helps me connect with families.

Most importantly, photography allows me to build relationships and community.

What surprised me wasn’t that I started another business.

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What surprised me was how aligned this one felt.

Because photography isn’t really about taking pictures.

It’s about helping families slow down long enough to enjoy each other.

Most parents come into a session worried about the same things.

Will my kids cooperate?

What if my toddler melts down?

What if my husband doesn’t want to be there?

What if we don’t know how to pose?

What if everything doesn’t go according to plan?

What I’ve learned is that beautiful family photos don’t come from perfect behavior, perfect weather, perfect outfits, or perfect timing.

They come from connection.

My role isn’t just to take pictures.

It’s to bring the plan, the location, the light, the pacing, and the direction so families can stop managing every detail and simply be present.

Your kids don’t need to sit still.

Your home doesn’t need to be spotless.

Your baby doesn’t need to sleep through the entire session.

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You don’t need to know how to pose.

You bring your real life.

I bring the calm, the guidance, and the experience to turn it into something beautiful.

That’s what feels so aligned about this work.

I’m not helping families create something that wasn’t already there.

I’m helping them see what was there all along.

When I look at the photographs my dad took of our family, I don’t think about camera settings or technical perfection.

I think about how loved we were.

Looking back, I don’t think I found my purpose overnight.

I found it by paying attention to what consistently brought me energy, meaning, and connection.

The clues were always there.

Today, photography is the vehicle.

But my purpose is helping families see, remember, and celebrate the love that’s already there.

Through family photography, maternity photography, and newborn photography, I have the privilege of documenting some of the most meaningful seasons in people’s lives.

Whether it’s a family with energetic toddlers, an expecting mother preparing to welcome a baby, or parents soaking in those first few weeks at home with their newborn, my goal is always the same: create beautiful photographs without requiring everything to be perfect.

You can learn more about my work and photography experience on the Ellobelle Photography website.

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Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client is someone who values connection more than perfection.

They’re usually a busy parent who wants beautiful family photos but is worried about all the things that could go wrong. Maybe their toddler never sits still. Maybe their partner isn’t excited about taking photos. Maybe they’re waiting until life feels less hectic, the house is cleaner, or they lose a few pounds.

The truth is, those are often the families I connect with most.

My clients don’t need to know how to pose. Their kids don’t need to behave perfectly. Their newborn doesn’t need to sleep through the entire session. They don’t have to manage every detail and make the session work.

That’s my job.

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I help with the planning, location, timing, light, pacing, and gentle direction so families can relax and actually enjoy being together.

The families who get the most out of working with me understand that the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is capturing this season of life as it is right now, with all the personality, movement, laughter, and love that comes with it.

The photos matter, of course. But what I hope families remember most is that the experience felt easier than they expected and that they got to spend an hour simply enjoying each other.

At the end of the day, I believe the best photos come from real families, not perfect ones.

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About Ellen Lai

I am the owner of Ellobelle Photography, a San Francisco Bay Area family, maternity, and newborn photography business. I specialize in creating natural, beautifully guided photography experiences for families who want meaningful photos without the pressure of making everything perfect.

What I love most about this work is helping families slow down and enjoy being together. My clients bring their real life, the wiggly toddlers, the snacks, the pets, the nerves, and the imperfect timing. I bring the plan, the location, the light, and the guidance so they can relax and be present. The result is natural, connected photographs that feel like their family.

As a mom, entrepreneur, and project manager, I love combining creativity with organization to make the entire experience feel easier than people expect. I’m currently focused on growing Ellobelle Photography throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and helping more families preserve the moments they’ll one day be grateful they captured.

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Written by

Ellen Lai | Owner of Ellobelle Photography, San Francisco Bay Area Family, Maternity & Newborn Photographer