Artist statement

I work in the medium of photography as an artist. When I create work, I am always really excited about using different techniques when shooting and finding interesting places that I would never really search for if I wasn’t an artist. Many of the themes I repeat in my work are the natural world and emotions. I like to explore the beauty of nature and the beauty of life around me, too. Some examples include street life and people. I am really inspired by a few photographers I follow on social media because I am interested in the way they edit and the different photoshoots they take. Some of them also express how driven they are by photography, and it makes me inspired to take my camera when I’m going out and spontaneously shoot cool things. I have the support from my family, too. My sister likes to get her photos taken so she always asks me to take photos of her. She is also willing to be the subject for my photos when I want her to be. In addition, I think my personal life also drives my work because I live in the city of San Diego, and I am able to go out and take unique photos of people on the street and architecture. Furthermore, I travel several times a year, and bringing my camera on vacation drives me to take good photos and look forward to editing them. The main focus in my photography is mostly life within nature or people. I am interested in photography because it lets me express my love for the outdoors and it allows me to keep physical memories of some moments I’ve had in my life.

 

The process of my work is very similar each time I am doing an assignment or shooting for fun. I usually go out to multiple places and shoot an abundance of photos. Sometimes I ask my dad to drive me somewhere or I walk out of my apartment and explore the city. After shooting multiple times and attempting over and over again, I open up my photos and start culling. The selection process can be difficult because some photos don’t always end up the way I want them to be. If I am not too fond of them, I go out again and take more photos and research for more ideas through the internet and social media. When I finally am satisfied with my work, I edit them through Photoshop. I often like to edit lightly using levels and simple tools like saturation and hue. However, I do take risks other times with tools I am not as familiar with. I hope to use printing more in my work and to try being more unique with edits, but it is a slow process. Overall, I feel that in my current state as a photographer, I mainly encompass the themes of nature and the exterior life but will continue to take more risks and accomplish more with encouragement and inspiration.