The art medium that I use is film photography. I primarily shoot 35mm film but every now and then, I will try my hand at 120mm film.

I view my work as a collection of moments, places and people that shape my life. Without staging any of my shots, I am able to capture these special people and places in their most genuine form, which, to me, is why it is so beautiful.

My favorite thing to shoot is, without a doubt, people. Specifically, the people I love the most. I usually bring my beat-up camera everywhere I go to capture those little moments in time that are the most precious to me. I think this is how, sometimes, I am able to end up with photographs that express so many real emotions.

What blows my mind is how far I’ve come as a photographer and the confidence I have gained. I’ve been shooting film for about five years now, but the past year has just been remarkable. I have had my work displayed in several shows, I’m a student ambassador for a great film lab (shoutout PhotoLounge), and my work alone is just progressing in a way I am truly happy about.

I think at the beginning, when I was 17 years old, I was shooting what I thought people wanted to see. Now, I’ve thrown all of that out the window. I am shooting these pictures for me, and it’s more of a feeling I am searching for rather than a look.

I think there are so many life lessons to be learned through film, but also through art in general. For me, film photography taught me the beauty of the present moment. There is just so much beauty in the “ordinary,” and I believe shooting film has helped me understand this on a whole new level.

I’ve learned that this life is so much more beautiful than we give it credit for. Because of photography, I now have hundreds of tangible keepsakes that constantly remind me of that beauty.