Photography captures life; it expresses active creation, and can be a manipulated illusion or a presentation of life as it is. I like to capture photos that express both elements of this binary, reflecting the often-overlooked beauty in life: ordinary objects or people that collaborate to create the passion and purpose in my life.

These are moments of art because, oftentimes, they expose the seconds of a subject in contrast to what it might typically exude to the world. The lighting in a portrait of coffee might also capture the thoughts of the sugar-and-creamer induced drinker. Or the photo might hint to a conception of the person half hidden behind the metal light box whose finger on the shutter release button has control over what remains a secret behind the camera or what might (accidentally) be revealed. The lighting gives the onlooker something to see, or something not to see. It divulges some truth about some element of the coffee scene, and that truth is different for everyone who sees it

I have been creating photography for six years, lately dealing mostly with film photography through my art minor. As an English major, paired with a second minor, Secondary Education, my photography often embodies a storyline. The photographs in this collection inspire and create me. Each photograph interlocks within the collection through the underlying motif that art is everywhere and can be taken from the interconnected elements of a person’s life.