“I bring my camera everywhere.” 

My roots in photography, like many people, began at a very young age. I have fond memories as a child of taking my parents’ camera and using up whole rolls of film taking pictures. As I got older, I wanted my own camera, but it wasn’t until my first (real) job in college that I had enough money to buy one: a Canon Powershot. Admittedly, I still knew nothing about photos, but that was irrelevant.

The joy of photography was “just taking photos.” 

It wasn’t always rainbows and sunshines, though. Truth be told, I was often shy of taking photos around people because of how much teasing I would get. Despite that, I really wanted to keep improving my photography. I eventually upgraded into a “real camera” (the Nikon D40), but I felt uncomfortable bringing it anywhere without drawing attention to myself.

And then magic happened: something from the deepest part of my soul spoke to me:

“What’s it matter what other people think? Just do what makes you happy. You love photography!”

At that moment, I made a promise to myself to “bring my camera everywhere” and it’s been a fantastic ride ever since. I set aside the excuses. Now, I want to share the happiness that photography brings me.

Since 2012, I’ve been a proactive photographer. While I might not take photos every day, I aim to capture the most fantastic moments in my life to share with my family, friends, and acquaintances at every chance. I’m selective about which photos I share because I want you to stop and really look at the photo. I want the photo to be more than just something that you flip past in a Facebook album. Through photography, I feel that I can really share my joys and my passions.

Ultimately, I hope my photos inspire you.