When I was 8, my Grandpa Dent gave me my first camera as a birthday gift, a Kodak Instamatic. He taught me to look through the lens at the frame, compose a shot and tell a story. With 24 frames in a roll, you had to be thoughtful and slow down, each shot capturing a sliver of history. At the time we were visiting family on their farm in Central California, and I captured a picture of a rusted Red Ryder wagon sitting in a small puddle with a cornfield in the background. I loved all the texture, reflections of the cloudy sky, and the impermanence of the puddle, never to be seen in that exact way again. It resonated with me and inspired me to start my creative journey as a young photographer.  

 

To this day I am always looking at life as though I am looking through the lens of a camera, I strive to slow down and see the beauty in the transient stages of life. Through my art, I hope to inspire others to slow down and embrace their own imperfections and impermanence in this constant world of change.