I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida with sand between my toes and salt in my hair in a family where good pictures mattered. My dad was the kind of guy to pose us in front of a touristy photo spot, then ask another tourist to retake the same photo 50 times because the image they took wasn’t up to par. He’d explain to them where to put us in frame, and what to do with composition, it was a whole thing. I got my first camera, a point-and-shoot Canon Powershot for Christmas from “Santa.” I used that little camera all the time; on family vacations, school field trips, sibling sports events, etc. I just naturally loved the idea of capturing a moment in time.
I enlisted in the US Coast Guard straight out of high school with hopes of becoming a Public Affairs Specialist, I'd be able to photograph for the military! The Coast Guard is different from other branches, in that, it sends you to the fleet before A-school. While awaiting my turn, I was permanently disabled and subsequently honorably discharged. The world then fell into COVID-19 and I needed to seize my opportunity. In 2021, I enrolled in Rocky Mountain School of Photography's Professional Intensive Program; a course designed to teach every possible in-and-out of the photo industry. Their program helped give me an incredible foundation on which to build my career. I still consider myself to be at the beginning of this amazing journey, and I look forward to the magic it creates.