A picture is worth a thousand words. I choose my words very carefully. Hope you agree.

Try to do it powerfully. To tell a story in one shot, to capture the essence of a scene or person with a single photo...these are challenges that drive me and push me forward with the motivation that I can do it better or in a more unique way the next time.

Regarding photography, I didn't grow up to be a photographer and came across this passion later in life, indirectly or in reverse order from most people. First was trial by fire with Photoshop, retouching photos for a model's website and working behind the scenes as her right hand. Shortly after came a wonderful opportunity to assist on shoots.

I got to bug some legendary photographers, picking their brains about technical aspects like lighting, equipment, angles and most importantly, how they learned and what they thought made a great photo. Once they actually let me pick up a camera, I fell in love and was told there was potential. They might simply have said at least I knew how to frame a photo. What I heard was "potential". That's where it really started but I left it at that for a few more years.

I'm not sure if it was a statement a friend made that their "only regret is not taking more photos", the enjoyment I've always gotten from looking at pictures and artsy books, or considering myself a writer and not a visual artist. I was never able to paint, draw or sculpt well, so photography appealed to me as a way to express myself visually. All the elements hit me from the side and came together in a way I couldn't have imagined. I'm extremely grateful.

More recently, I felt the need for a hobby in order to replace my obsessions with passion and so finally bought my own setup. At first hopping fences to take pictures of industrial sites, then on to various tunnels for night sessions, working on interesting angles and moody lighting while dodging traffic to set up shots. Regardless of subject, it has certainly gained momentum. These days I'm building confidence as well as a portfolio and although I'm a far better storyteller than technical photographer, what I might lack in technique, I make up for in other areas.

In a broad sense, I wasn't seeing the things I like to see and it became clear that I would have to learn how to achieve them myself through trial and error. I'm still young, know what I like and wasn't trained by the book so I don't feel limited by convention, how someone else told me to do it or anything else. In terms of audience, all I can really do is put it out there and hope you enjoy the presentation.