I honestly believe that I did not choose photography but that photography chose me. Photography is my passion. I am interested in many forms of photography but live action photography and more specifically concert photography is where I am heading career wise. To me photography is not a job. It is something I love doing and would do just for fun even if it was not going to be my profession.

I love all aspects of photography composing my shot, taking my shot and post editing my image. I like to keep my images real. I try not to over-edit. That is not exactly my style. I like the image to be what I originally shot. But like any photographer I will not put out an image that I believe is not up to my standards. I do not see cropping and slight color correction as manipulation of an image.

I have used both film and digital. I know use a Nikon D5000 DSLR and a variety of Nikkor lenses. For post editing I use Photoscape because it is an easy and convenient way to crop and adjust contrast and tones. I also use Photoshop CS4 for any major editing I might do. I recently started shooting in manual mode which has been both a challenge and an adventure.

My dad was the person who first handed me a camera. My dad has been a great influence in my life as a person and a photographer. I do not know if I would be into photography the way I am, if it were not for him. I know that because of him and the music he has brought into my life it has shaped my photographic interests. I am not a musician but I love music. So I have discovered a way to bring the two of them together.

I started taking pictures of my friends’ bands just for fun. Then they began asking me to take pictures of them. I started taking my camera everywhere. I never leave the house with it. For the first time I began to make money for my images. People also wanted to hire me for photo shoots and weddings. That is when I began to realize that I was a good photographer and I should maybe do something with this talent within me. My father was the one who suggested The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I had never thought about going to school and making photography my career. But when my dad proposed the idea of AAU it just hit me. I immediately found a way to attend school, a month before the semester started. I know attend AAU and so far I love it. I look forward to trying many other types of photography in the future.

I love photography so much because I am able to capture and freeze a moment in time within in one image. I view my photographic career as an adventure and a story of my life as well as a story of the people within my images.