For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been extremely passionate about photography. There has always been a part of me that knew I wanted to make a career out of it.

Throughout high school, I had taken all the offered photography courses. I took senior photos for a handful of my peers and interned with a local photography business. I was able to get real hands-on experience in the world of photography.

Before getting my first camera, I always had my iPhone camera out ready to snap thousands of photos. At the beginning of the summer of 2017, I received my first camera, a Nikon D3100 – and from that moment on I have not taken a single photo from my iPhone.

There is just something about holding the camera in both hands that feels more than comfortable. It gives me a sense of home with my right finger on the shutter button and my left hand grasping the lens and twisting until I find the perfect composition through the viewfinder.

The slight soreness of your squinting eyes as you hold steady to capture the photo. The sense of gratification when you pull the camera away from your face and see the crisp photos on the camera screen.

Even after a shoot, I immediately jump to post-production by firing up Lightroom and Photoshop. It’s almost as if every part of my being has been jolted into hyper drive, and I can’t rest until I see those final results. 

Being able to navigate through a camera, as well as software, took a lot of self-teaching and practice, but it came easy to me. Now it’s almost like a second language. Much like learning how to drive a car, after a lot of repeated practice, I’m able to do it without thinking twice or second-guessing myself.

Although I consider my specialty as portraiture, I tend to just photograph what I see. I see objects, nature and people differently than most do. One might see just a leaf on a tree while I notice all the intricate details and patterns. I see how the sun accentuates those features, the shadows it creates, the perspective of the leaf, and how a different lens could completely change the subject.

Every second of the day, when I walk around, I create compositions in my head as I see nature, objects or people pass by. When something catches my attention, I photograph not only what I physically see but also what I feel it could be. Throughout my years of work, I’ve noticed that these two work hand in hand, this added dimension of imagination and thought has always been a part of me.

I feel immensely fortunate to have found something I’m passionate about, and there will never come a day where I won’t constantly remind myself to never stop creating.