Since I can remember, I have always been an artist. My childhood was filled with lots of doodling, painting, making clothes for my barbies, sculpting, dancing, and even creating a duct tape headband company, but there was another form of art that I was particularly drawn to…photography. My mom always had a camera with her and would capture everything she could while my sister and I were growing up. She would capture us on family vacations, playing sports, and just around the house. I begged for my first point and shoot camera in second grade. I was glued to that camera, taking it wherever I went and treating it like a baby, but it was nothing compared to the one my mom had. A Nikon DSLR, equipped with a huge lens, and manual features that she could control to get the perfect shot. My mom was tasked with taking pictures for my sister’s water polo team, so whenever I’d tag along at her games I would have an excuse to take pictures with her Nikon. Using her favorite toy came with frantic reminders to use “two hands!” and “be careful!” When I held the camera (which was about the size of my head) I realized the control it had and the ability to stop time. I was obsessed.
My first year in high school, I took a photography class and rented a DSLR every week until I had the money to buy one of my own. I would take my camera and experiment with portraits, shadows, nature, and everything in between. It brought me joy to see these little moments in life and be able to look back on them. I also saw the joy these photos brought to my friends and family when I would print out the photos or send them. I feel a calm when I am shooting and the process of my work was relaxing to me.
In high school, I would always encourage my friends to go on spontaneous shoots downtown and explore new places. While exploring, I saw an elderly man selling ceramic elephants in Chinatown, and I asked if I could take his photo. We began talking and he explained how he and his wife would make these little porcelain elephants, and how she was absolutely in love with them. He said that when she passed away, shaping these ceramic creatures was how he could still connect with her and spread her love to the pedestrians of LA. I saw the joy on his face when I asked him about his story and discovered my photography had the potential to share stories like his. I discovered it was no longer about the picture, but the stories behind them. After this, I was inspired by the Instagram page “Humans of New York” where, along with a portrait, there is a short story of the person and his or her life. Every person you come across has their own life that we have no idea about. “Humans of New York” fascinated me because it gave me a glimpse into someone else’s world. I continued my photography journey by taking classes in college, learning more about how to capture these moments and share stories.
When I was 15, my friend Jo introduced me to film photography. She would get disposable cameras for our adventures and we would always be eager to see the results. This form of photography brought me more joy, as it was a way to step back. Because we were shooting with film, it allowed us to live in the moment, while also capturing it. I discovered that the purpose was less of “getting the perfect shot” and more of a way to save a moment in time. We would sometimes forget to develop some film and find it months later only to admire the photos even more. In college, I continued that tradition of bringing a camera with me, whether it was my film camera or my DSLR.
When reflecting, I discovered that my love for photography not only stems from bringing myself joy, but that it brings others joy…and that means more to me. I have now gained the title of the family photographer, passed down from my mom, making me appreciate the finite time we have in this life, and documenting it as much as I can.
my thoughts & some mumbo jumbo 