i took this photo while solo traveling & staying at hostels all over italy, all while trying to decide if i wanted to stay in la or move back home to nc.
i enjoy letting my camera sit in one spot, and waiting for someone to drop into frame. this just happened to be the perfect moment. she stood here for a good few minutes, just staring at the landscape
i wonder when she will forget this memory
jade & jordea
(jade not yet pictured) : my close friends from highschool. during the period that this image was captured, we were spending a lot of time together. jordea was on dialysis and awaiting a kidney transplant, so we usually stayed home. sometimes we’d venture out, and on this night we thought it’d be fun to go to a park and test some photo ideas.
jordea got her kidney a year later : ]
i took this photo of a friend i met while working on set of a reality show. (hannah)
i was living in los angeles, and i was struggling to feel happy. it was weird, because i always planned on moving to la. weird, because i really enjoyed the people i met out there. i enjoyed their drive, their pure love for film, and it was amazing to witness their talent.
despite living five minutes from the hollywood walk of fame, despite being involved in the film community, working on film sets, taking classes on screenwriting, i felt the farthest from success.
i know i’m not alone in that feeling. i know there’s so many amazing actors, screenwriters (the list goes on) , who are waiting tables and surviving off a dream.
i took this photo when i was eighteen, living in wilmington, nc (two hours from home) and working on my second ever film set (echoes - netflix).
i quickly grew addicted to the hustle that is working 14hr+ days on set, being immersed in story, structure, and the crew that becomes family. crew lunches at 2am = endless hysterical laughs.
outside of work, i was isolated in a new town. i was uncomfortable with me as a person: constantly comparing myself to my friends, who were in their freshman year of college.
so on the weekends i tried my best to keep busy. this shoot was one of those weekends.
logan and i went to carolina beach boardwalk
somewhere in ireland
when i was twenty, i surprised my dad with a trip to ireland. he had never been out of the country before. throughout my life, he had always said he wanted to visit “one day.”
my dad isn’t biologically related to me. he raised me since i was two. i truly have no clue who i would be without him. i am so eternally grateful for his existence and his decision to raise me and to continue to raise me (because it really never stops).
i had never seen such a remarkable glimmer in his eyes before. our two weeks in ireland were beautiful.
i love you dad : ]
somewhere in iceland
i took this photo after i wrapped on my very first photo assist job, i was nineteen years old. i had insane imposter syndrome. but fuck i did a good job (right?)
i had accepted the job only two weeks prior on a phone call that lasted one minute. (thank you aris)
it was my first set i worked on where, as a young woman, i felt truly comfortable with everyone.
christian, thank you for giving me the opportunity to travel the world while doing what i love. you’re a legendary photographer. ice cream and sprinkles forever
emma
if you’re looking at this site for long enough you’ll probably find emma quite a few times. emma and i have been friends since elementary school, and we’ve done photoshoots for fun since sixth grade.
emma is one of the few people in my life where i am so comfortable that there’s truly no filter. we’ve loved each other, hated each other (ok not actual hate), cried, stolen posters out of bathroom bars together… (just kidding what)
thank you emma for being my friend and my family : ']
tunnel vision in los angeles
jade & jordea
(jade: left | jordea: right)
jade and i became friends at summer camp (shout out to the community center in fuquay varina). she was outgoing i was shy. i was grateful that (for whatever reason) she wanted to talk to me. i pretty much clung to her that whole summer + many summers and school years to come.
i can’t remember the last time i was on a swing. can you?
somewhere in italy
after wrapping on my first show, i spent some time in italy. the highlight of this trip was visiting my nonna cecilia. she moved from mexico to italy when she was in her twenties.
i remember the times she’d visit me when i was younger. such a big, vibrant personality. she’d send me postcards often.
on my last day in italy, she passed away very suddenly.
i wish i could’ve visited sooner.
