Those images are what we have left when all is said and done—even the inconsequential, blurry, "ugly" ones we can't appreciate until later. They grow in value over time until someday, they might just be priceless.

Growing up in the age just before smartphones, I constantly carried a little point-and-shoot camera with me. I wanted to document and remember everything. It followed me to school, to friends' houses, and on family vacations all the way into high school. I was always interested in photography, but didn't truly pursue it until the end of college, when I started doing graduation portraits for my friends.

After a decade working in hospitality (including a literal degree in hospitality management and 5 years of operations management at a wedding venue), I realized that I was not cut out for a lifelong career in the industry - but my heart was still in events. Wedding photography was this incredible blend of all of my professional skills with my favorite things. One of my dearest friends passed away unexpectedly in 2022 at 24 years old, and while her death was an enormous loss, it propelled me to take the leap into full-time self-employment in 2023. I haven't looked back since and don't have one regret.

I hate to hit you with the sad stuff right off the bat, but in all transparency, this is the catalyst that informs most of the decisions I've made, the way I live my life, and how I do my job.

In 2005, my dad had a medical event that left him with a severe brain injury. I never really got to know my dad, and all the many precious photographs of his life have been the best way for me to build a perception of him and his life before his injury.