This episode of Thinkwell features Sharon Canovas, a woman who lives in two seemingly opposite worlds. For over 20 years, Sharon has worked in film and television as a professional stuntwoman and actor, training for high-impact action, executing dangerous falls, and even being set on fire. Off set, her work shifts into something softer but equally courageous: pet and family photography that captures intimacy, devotion, and the fleeting beauty of time, especially in end-of-life sessions where every moment matters.

At its heart, this episode is about transformation without abandoning identity: Sharon doesn’t leave one world for the other. She brings the same focus, discipline, and bravery into both.

How Sharon got into stunts

Sharon traces her stunt career back to a bold decision: packing up a car and moving from Oshawa to Vancouver with a friend, driven by a deep inner certainty that she would work in film, even if she didn’t yet know how.

The beginning was gritty and uncertain. She worked service jobs, lived in tight conditions, and hustled her way toward the industry. A pivotal moment came when she saw Capoeira being practiced, took extra shifts to afford training, and eventually got invited into deeper martial arts circles. A connection formed through that community led someone to suggest she pursue stunts, an idea she didn’t initially understand, but followed anyway.

Her first major break came after years of grinding: a call from stunt coordinator Lou Bolo for a stunt on Supernatural. From there, she rebuilt again after moving back to Ontario, choosing closeness to family and taking on the challenge of re-networking in Toronto. Sharon credits key mentorship, including stunt coordinator Shelley Cook, for helping shape her long career.

The reality of film life: intensity, discipline, and loneliness

Sharon describes the film industry as competitive and demanding long hours, relentless schedules, and a lifestyle that can become isolating. Stunt work requires not only physical resilience, but emotional steadiness and a thick skin.

Even when she expresses deep gratitude for the life she’s built, she’s honest about the sacrifices: time away from loved ones, injuries, and the reality that film work can consume your life if you let it.

From stunts to photography: creativity, healing, and building something new

Sharon’s photography journey began as a personal outlet during a period of depression. She bought a camera with her boyfriend years before the pandemic but initially found it overwhelming and shelved it.

When the pandemic hit and time slowed down, she picked the camera back up and began teaching herself settings, manual shooting, and eventually editing tools like Lightroom and Photoshop. A key turning point came through mentorship and education in the pet photography world, including guidance that helped her turn a creative hobby into a real business.

What stands out is that Sharon didn’t just fall in love with photography as art, she became obsessed with mastering the business side too: systems, client experience, preparation, consistency, and professionalism.

“It’s production.” How stunts prepared her to serve photography clients

One of the most interesting through-lines is how Sharon links her stunt work to photography through the idea of serving a vision.

• In stunts, her job is to bring the director’s vision to life through the action.
  
  
• In photography, her job is to bring the client’s vision to life through portraits.
  
  

She approaches sessions like a set: consult calls, planning who matters in the pet’s life (including grandparents), shot lists, lens choices, and intentional storytelling. She literally sketches and maps the session so nothing meaningful is missed from full-body portraits to small details like eyes and tails.

End-of-life pet photography: tenderness, urgency, and holding steady

A powerful centerpiece of the episode is Sharon’s work documenting pets nearing the end of their lives. She shares that a large portion of her clients are coming to her in moments of urgency after vet visits that change everything, or when a family knows they only have weeks, days, or even hours left.

Sharon clears her schedule for these sessions because she understands what families are carrying: shock, grief, confusion, and the need to preserve love before goodbye arrives.

She speaks about the emotional discipline this requires. She has to be strong for her clients holding back tears in the moment then often breaking down later at home. The episode draws a beautiful parallel: stunt courage and grief courage are different, but both demand presence under pressure.

Why pets matter: devotion, unconditional love, and “little angels”

Sharon’s bond with animals is deeply personal and practical—she structures her days around her dogs, doesn’t leave them alone for long, and speaks about them as teachers. She describes pets as sensitive, fragile, and profoundly loyal: they love you in your worst moments without judgment.

One standout story involves an animal communicator who told her that her dog Cisco would “need to be there” for her soon, months before her father passed away. After that loss, Sharon describes Cisco becoming unusually attuned and responsive, almost as if he understood the weight she was carrying and adjusted his behavior to support her.

Intention, manifestation, and doing the work

The conversation closes on a theme that ties directly back to Thinkwell’s deeper philosophy: how inner language shapes reality.

Sharon shares that she speaks her goals as if they’re already true but she pairs that mindset with relentless effort. She’s clear: manifestation is not sitting on a couch waiting. It’s believing, speaking, and then working daily toward the outcome.

Her decision to say yes to this podcast becomes part of that lesson. She had been declaring she would do a podcast, despite disliking public speaking and then the opportunity arrived.

Learn more about Sharon and her work:

🎬 Film & Stunt Career (IMDb):
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2162264/?ref_=fn_t_1

📸 Family & Pet Photography Website:
https://canovasphotography.com

📷 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/scanovasphotography

📘 Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/17yWzxrUKE/?mibextid=wwXIfr