Sales and marketing compliance professional by day; digital designer by nights and weekends. I enjoy my full-time career and appreciate that it allows me to pursue my creative side independently. I used my COVID downtime as an opportunity to learn everything that I possibly could about photography, design styles, and more. Knowledge is a lifelong quest so I intend to keep learning whatever I can but I love now being able to apply the knowledge and experience that I have gained to express myself creatively in ways that I never before thought that I could.

I grew up loving photography but not knowing anything what really made a shot so amazing. National Geographic books were a personal favorite and I was often drawn to cityscapes, wildlife in action, and candid shots of people that seem to tell a story in one frozen moment. These continue to be key influences as panoramic (skyline) and wildlife photos as well as street photography are my favorite styles to shoot. While I enjoy more planned shots like portraits, capturing life in the moment is definitely my favorite approach.

The technology available to photographers these days is amazing. I still remember taking photographs in high school for the year book and having to develop them in a dark room praying that at least some were in focus with everyone's eyes open and such. I always aspire to get my shots as close to perfect from the start ("in camera") like the legendary photographers did. I appreciate editing tools such as Photoshop and do use them to improve pictures but never want to use them just to compensate for taking a bad shot.

When working with models, my top priority is for them to feel comfortable and safe. Alot of my learning has focused on the appropriate etiquette with models and tips for better communication. My first shoot with a new model will always be in a safe, public place (plenty of scenic locations around Boston) and I will communicate throughout the shoot in a respectful, positive way. While they have may have become increasingly popular on social media, I refuse to take shots that could be perceived as derogatory, toxic, or demeaning.

In the end, I want my photos to be a positive yet accurate representation of reality. I like capturing a model's natural beauty so that they feel good both about the photo and themselves. While I may do minor touch-ups for temporary blemishes and adjust skin tones to account for the lighting, I will generally avoid making any post-edit body modifications. For landscapes and scenery, I use post-production to adjust light balances, bring out some colors more, and make minor corrections but I also avoid "replacing skies" or anything that would make make the shot unrealistic (unless it is a clearly noted creative composition). This ethical approach supports positive body images and honest representations of what I saw when I chose to capture a moment.