01/28/2025
10 years ago, I received my first camera—a Canon Rebel T5i—as an early graduation gift, and it changed everything. I had always been interested in photography, but this gift was the spark that pushed me to take it seriously. I dove into learning everything I could—shutter speed, ISO, aperture—and quickly started carrying my camera everywhere, shooting everything I could. It wasn’t just a hobby anymore; it became my passion. I graduated, moved to Colorado, and took the next step when I joined the school newspaper at the University of Northern Colorado.
One of my biggest challenges? Overcoming my shyness. Asking people to take their picture felt terrifying at first, but as I pushed through, I realized how much it helped me grow—not just as a photographer, but as a person.
I remember one of my first images making the front page of the UNC Mirror, and seeing it in the newsstand on the way to class. That moment filled me with pride and made me want to keep creating, to keep telling stories through photography.
The journey hasn’t been easy, but it's been worth every step.
