Let's talk about storytelling...
Working with me is so much more than capturing photos - it's about capturing who you are, where you come from, and where you're going. Whether we are capturing your personal story through portraits, the story of you and your love, or the arc of a day-long event, my goal is to bottle up the moments that evoke the feelings and memories surrounding your story.
This has always been a goal of mine as a photographer. If you've read the welcome page on my website, you know that my logo is a representation of my personal story. It is made up of three different flowers - each signifying a different state in which I have lived. It is in these three states that I have grown, loved, been heartbroken, found joy, and healed the most. By representing my own personal story through my branding, I am committing to representing your story through my work.
Telling stories has not only been a long-time goal of mine with my work, but it is also something that I have practiced and enjoyed almost my entire life. If you know me, you know I am a dancer in NYC as well as being a photographer. I've been dancing since I was 5 years old, and I've spent many years telling stories on stage through my body and movement. Something I learned a long time ago - I think probably in my younger years while consistently performing story ballets - is that the actual storytelling happens within the smaller, more detailed moments. In dance, you have the large, spectacular movements that evoke emotion and create an overarching understanding of what is happening within the narrative. However, when we zoom in and focus on facial expressions, small gestures, and exchanges between two characters, that is where the essence of the story lies. These are the moments I have always loved as a dancer. I have a passion for diving into someone else's world and finding the intricacies and complexities that make them who they are, so that I can bring their truth to others - even if it is that of a fictional world.
I think of a story as a diamond bracelet (I'm no expert on jewelry, but I've seen an episode or two of "How it's Made"). Before the diamonds are placed onto the piece of jewelry, we see the overall structure. We can see each link made typically of either gold or silver. We can tell what this item is and what it is going to be, but we know that there is more to it. As the diamonds are placed, the true beauty and clarity of the piece is revealed. We have a greater understanding for the work of art. Much like a story, we get a better understanding of the truth when we can see and recognize each detail.
I say all of this because this fascination that was ignited within me at a young age has not left me. As I've explored a different medium of storytelling through photography, the same drive to find the small moments and details of the person or people in front of my lens remains in the forefront of my desires for my work. I value the zoomed out moments where we can get an overarching view of the arc (the gold links of a diamond bracelet). I then like to focus in on the details and small gestures that reveal the diamonds.
Some diamonds and gold links from my galleries...
