Photography isn’t just a hobby for me; it’s an all-out obsession that may require a stint in rehab. Then again, I might prefer to be locked in a clinic with a bunch of photographers with a level of passion that matches my own.
I grew up in the Midwest of the US. As a Nebraska girl, I often dreamed of the big city, traveling, and being adventurous. As most kids from that area of the world typically do. Unlike my peers who got married right out of high school, had babies, and settled down, I went the complete opposite direction. I left home at the age of 20 and never looked back. Without any help from my family, I managed to make a home for myself in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, before going transatlantic.
I’ve always been enthusiastic about art. However, it wasn’t until digital photography became all the rage that I decided to dive further into that. I worked in Tel Aviv for 6 years, where I really began to see things that I’ve never seen before. They call Tel Aviv “The White City”, and for good reason. I believe it could rival Las Vegas as being the most alive city in the world. I believe it was a combination of both the locals and tourists all vying for a glimpse of the Holy Land that encouraged me to begin bringing my camera with me wherever I went. I spent nights wandering the city with my tripod and weekends with photography groups I found through friends.
Rome and Sicily were to follow, and after spending the last 7 years as an expat, I began studying at the New York Institute of Photography to acquire more knowledge and feed my passion. This past year alone I’ve been featured in National Geographic Online’s “Daily Dozen”, in addition to taking first place in several international photography contests, this mostly due to my “take a daily photo” rule, which I’m very strict with myself about.
Capturing candid photos of people in action is definitely something that inspires me more than any other type of photography. Anyone can go to a landmark, set a camera up, and take a photo. At the end of the day, it’s just the same photo everyone else takes. People, on the other hand, are different every split second. Blink and you could miss the opportunity of a lifetime to capture a moment that will never happen again. Because of this direction of thought and interest, I’m pretty sure I’m headed for a career in photojournalism and I’m really looking forward to it. I would love to be able to travel around the world with my camera capturing the good and bad moments. I dream of the day that my photos can touch other people’s lives. Being a Midwestern girl, I know many people in small towns are too scared or don’t have the means to explore the world. Even in my own family, I’m the only one with a passport and certainly the only one who has set foot in another country. It’s important to me for my family to see the things I see. The only way to do this is through photography. I know that my family members are not the only ones out there in this situation. I hope that one day kids who grew up in small cities like I did will look at my photos and be inspired to travel and learn more about the world.
In my heart, there’s nothing more important than experiencing life. After all, you only get one life to live. However, until people are old enough, or are able to see what I see, at least they will see what I see through my own lens. [Official Website]
