Photography has become my life.  I love this, its so important to love what you do! And im so happy/ greatfull to have found something so intriguing! I love having the desire to constantly just want to learn more and more, the feeling never stops. There is something so special about capturing the truth in a moment, and preserving it forever. 

      Before working with Lexi and shooting weddings, I would have never imagined to be doing what I am doing. Its a great feeling to know that you are playing such a special role in their day as they get married and then capturing the essence of their compassion for one another ( on the most important day of their lives). I love everything about it so much. I love the chaos, the details, feeling the acceptance of the family, the warmth, and the love. 

      As for my personal growth, just recently in the past year I think I have finally discovered my nitch. I have always been drawn to old, brittle and classic feeling object and scenery. I have been on the hunt in the past year for old, and abandoned buildings in search to find my perfect compositions. It took a very long time and many different obstacles to get to this point in my body of work, but i am finally satisfied. My new series of "Weatherd and Worn" is a great representation of what i love to shoot. Its so funny to look back and see how impulsively scared i was of creating abstract work, and NOW that is my primary media to work in. 

      I feel that I have become well developed ( and still growing) as a photographer. Its great I can be so diverse and well rounded in my body of work, so that i am able to capture anything that i need to at the drop of a pin. Well now that I think of it maybe to need to expand on my sports :) lol- nahhhhh 

      Over the course of college I have come to have a full appreciation and love for photography. I feel as though my skills in photography, are my strongest, in my creativity role as an artist. I find it to be the most enjoyable aspect of fine arts and I have always seen my self as a photographer, rather than a painter or sculptor.

      Throughout my life I had an interest in Photography. When I was younger, I loved to collage magazine clippings of fashion photography and other images. It wasn't until high school when I got my first digital camera; actually, now that I think of it I had a Crayola Camera and a Polaroid Camera when I was younger :)  I have always wanted to learn more and advance in photography. When I was younger I was always taking photos and always surrounded by cameras between my grandfather and parents; however my interest spiked in high school when I discovered the beauty of a darkroom. 

      I started analog photography during my sophomore year of high school. If it wasn't as pricey,  I can tell you right now it would be my preferred media. I loved the darkroom- i still do! The darkroom is such a magical place :) I love the entire experience and the hands on practice. I still do use it once and a while, either at school (depending on what i have to do) or grandfather's house (for more of a quite setting and more consistency and control). 

      When I reported back to my grandfather about my new found interest he became my new mentor. He took me to hunts and we got his old darkroom up and running again. He thought me the basics, shared his history with me, then showed me his collection of camera’s and lent me one and I’ve been using it ever since. He is such an important person to me that I would love to make proud and carry on as the photographer in the family. He has always been there to ask questions and get feedback on my work. I have learned so much from him and he has always been my true inspiration.

     When I was younger my creativity was expressed through crafts and sewing. In high school I got more into the fine arts and was painting and drawing and took classes over the summer, yet then I got into photography and most of the other arts were not of interest for me.  In my foundation year, I was getting a little taste of everything and then wasn’t sure if I wanted to limit my major just to photography because I liked everything so much that I couldn’t decide. It was until over break that I concentrated really hard on what I wanted to do. I decided that the fine arts are more of just an impulsive desire to create something in that manner, yet I have always been consistent with my passion and love for photography.

      In high school I really enjoyed photography depicting motion ( by using a slow shutter speed) and then started to make all sort of work that was disgusting and grotesque. In foundation year there wasn’t much room for interpretation, but one of my most powerful projects was in high school when we were assigned to pick a photography we enjoyed and mock their work. I chose Richard Avedon and did a whole series of my own work from his photographic ideas/ images. This project motivated me and made me appreciate photography for all the work it really includes to get to a great print. I gained skills in the darkroom and confidence with every year I have been interested in and practice photography.