Why I do what I do

For as long as I can remember, I have loved documenting things that were meaningful to me. I grew up with words—chronicling my daily life in secret journals, short stories, poetry, and so on. Words were the foundation of my self-expression. My written musings were a safe space I had created for myself. It allowed me to express myself more fully whenever I felt like my actions or speech were insufficient, misunderstood, or forced. I loved revisiting what I had written to track my own growth and to understand my own emotions and thought processes.

When I was a teenager, I accidentally discovered photography by borrowing a friend's camera. It was love at that first click of the shutter. I soon realized what a potent combination words and visuals could be, and became obsessed with documentary photography. To me, there is both power and vulnerability in deciding that a certain narrative would be made out of what appears to be a fleeting moment. Choosing the most authentic narrative is a responsibility I don't take lightly. A lot of my work today retains the basic principles of this form of photography.

I love how the world is made up of a complex tapestry of stories that intertwine and bind us together. It gives me such a thrill to unravel some of these stories and bring them into focus. I consider it an honor to be able to collaborate with you and decide together how to celebrate and communicate who you are and what you stand for.