If you have a family and you live in Milton, chances are you’ve heard of Julie Rock Photography. In the last couple of years, Julie has become one to watch! Her recent success as a newborn,
As an adult, and a single mom before meeting her husband Ty, making a living was difficult, and her first priority was her son Brayden. She contemplated going back to school to become a teacher, but at the time it was not economically feasible. Being around children brought her joy, and she knew she wanted to spend as much time with Brayden as possible, so starting a business as a home daycare provider made sense. Julie continued her daycare business well after giving birth to her second child, Maddie. In March 2007, when Brayden was 9 and Maddie 4, Julie was introduced to Ty by a mutual friend. It was a whirlwind romance, and the couple married only 18 months later; at their wedding, Ty’s brother, Christian delivered a speech that described their romance as “quick, but not rushed.” In our interview, Julie doubles over laughing when Ty informed us that it was probably because he was super fit and muscular at the time!
The couple lived in Oshawa for the first few years of their marriage. However, when the plant Ty was working at became decommissioned, Ty’s new job search resulted in them making a home for themselves in Milton. Ty and Julie didn’t waste any time growing their family – we all think it’s because Ty was super fit and muscular at the time! The couple now
Although Julie grew up with a camera in her hand, it wasn’t until a newborn photo session with Cohen when she became truly inspired to take up photography as a career. She says, “I remember coming home and telling Ty, that I could totally see myself doing this for a living.” After this realization, Julie became more and more focused on building her dream as a photographer. But the journey hasn’t always been an easy one. Trying to juggle a family of five, with three children under nine, a home daycare business, and being a present wife has always been the top priority for Julie, and her photography business is something that she has built around her family. Julie admits that there were times when she considered throwing in the
As a family, the Rocks/
The Rock/
Julie’s had her first paid photoshoot in 2012. She recalls shooting out of her bedroom studio at home, and out of her clients’ homes – in their kitchens, living rooms, wherever she could make it work. She quickly outgrew her space at home and started to shoot out of a shared studio here in Milton. Three years ago was when shift finally happened. Julie started to get out of her comfort
Julie Rock Photography is now located at The Studio on Martin and Main in downtown Milton. It’s a beautiful, quaint, and intimate space. Clients can expect a very unique experience when having their sessions with Julie. The process from beginning to end is very personal, and will tug at heartstrings; clients can even expect to shed some joyful tears. She says, “I never wanted to be shoot and burn photographer. I want my clients to remember their consult and reveal session, and I want to build a relationship with them.”
Julie’s humble character will not allow her to take credit for her success. She genuinely believes that it all wouldn’t have been possible without the undying support of her family and the community. One person she will always be grateful for is Maria Locker, CEO
Although Julie’s passion has shifted to focusing on her photography business, she still does run a home daycare on a very part-time basis. Throughout the last three years, she has somehow managed to grow her photography business into one of the most successful businesses in town. Her services include maternity sessions, family photography, headshots, newborn sessions, Fresh 48 sessions, children’s photography, as well as product and event photography. Family Matters Magazine is also proud to have had her as our exclusive photographer for over three years. Our cover families always have a blast being shot by her. This time, as her family was being featured, the challenge was who was going to shoot her family? Julie reassured us that she had taken professional shots of her own family that included her in them. During their last family vacation, she had used her sister-in-law as a human