Finding my own perspective behind a camera is something I learned from my late grandfather. He valued experiencing life through the lens and always had a camera around his neck, always eager to show us what he had captured. I felt the most joy and anticipation when I saw him cradle the camera and slip that strap from his neck over my head, giving me my opportunity to snap a few photos of my own.

Years later during my senior year of high school, he gave me my first camera – the DSLR I still use to this day. It was also during this time that I committed to classes for beginner and advanced photography, the only place I ever learned about camera settings and photo framing. Three years later, my grandfather passed and I stopped taking photos.

It wasn’t until 2022 that I felt the ache to pick up a camera again, when my grandmother gave me an old Minolta film camera – my grandfather’s camera. My relationship with photography was rekindled as I taught myself how to shoot on film. Ultimately, it was receiving this special gift that put me on the trajectory I am today.