hi, i’m jaki
Full time photographer, backcountry skier, and colorful fashion enthusiast
I vowed to pursue my dreams of going full-time with my photography business four years ago so that I could dedicate my winters to backcountry skiing year round and traveling the world.
Content creation has helped me to merge my three passions. It allows me to bottle up all the meaningful experiences I share with my friends on the mountain while inspiring others to chase their dreams of spending more time on skis.
the skier
One of my earliest memories is boasting to my preschool classmates about how my parents were taking me skiing at Stevens Pass after school. Skiing became an on again off again part of my life after that.
In 2020, I fell in love with this sport in an entire new and deeper way. During pandemic - a time when we needed the outdoors most - that sense of community and the excitement that came with the camaraderie was what I began to live for. From then on, I dedicated myself to skiing, as well as going full-time with my 13 year photography business so I had a healthier work-life balance.
In the past year, I've skied in North America, South America and Asia. I also take part in the "Turns All Year" challenge, skiing at least once a month, every month, year-round. I'm forever looking forward to the next ski destination, the memories I'll capture, and the incredible connections I'll make along the way.
the photographer
I wrote in my eighth grade yearbook that I wanted to be a photographer when I grew up. I can’t even remember why, or what my plan even was. But from then on, I always had a camera with me.
I tackled the wedding industry in my early 20s, and now own and operate a successful true color wedding photography brand based in Seattle called “Jacquelyn Portolese Photography.” I also produce wedding highlight videos.
In addition, I work with restaurants, offices, outdoor brands, clinics, and more to create vibrant, visual creative in the form of photos and short videos for social media and the web through my second business, “Roro Creative Co.”
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of having my work featured in Vogue Japan, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Alaska Airlines In-Flight Magazine, in an HP commercial, and more.
I also design websites for small businesses. This Squarespace website and the two WordPress websites linked above are designed and managed by yours truly.