American West
The following photos are some of my earliest; my journey with a camera began on a dazzling trip to the autumn-gold aspens of Northern Arizona. The photos appeased my mom, telling stories I had trouble describing beyond “really cool” or “super pretty”. As the tally of trips and photos from the American West began to accumulate, I found myself more and more enamored by the grandeur of golden hour, the sublime of shadows, and the serendipity of perfectly candid portraits.
South America
The novel, jarring nature of living in a different country—alongside the near-holiness of a well-phrased Instagram caption—fueled my exploration of putting thoughts onto paper. The words were mostly journal entries at this point, and although I still didn’t understand why shooting in RAW format was so important, the power of a well-told story began to make itself known in my life.
These months made me feel brave enough to think of myself as a photographer, rather than someone who takes pictures (an important distinction for my psyche). Additionally, this was the first time someone had asked me to write or speak on their behalf, and I wrote a number of blog posts for various organizations and did a few social media takeovers. Photography was giving me a podium, and I was finding my voice.
Arctic Alaska
By this point in my photography career, I knew that I wanted to focus on the stories of those around me. I wanted to use my lens to give others a greater understanding of the world we live in and create a dialogue around issues like climate change, health disparities, and cultural dilution.
Between my 1st and 2nd years of medical school, I worked with a rural family doctor to provide medical care for communities which are only accessible by boat or plane. I wrote more than I ever have, took photos that I found beautiful for the stories they told AND for the landscapes they sensationalized, and began integrating my understanding of medicine into my writing. The stories I heard, lessons I learned, elders I met, and fish we caught are documented below.
Black Lives Matter—Detroit
Playing hooky from medical school has never been more rewarding. I originally made these photos as a form of personal expression and lamentation. They have since been utilized by White Coats for Black Lives, UofM Chapter and led to my great honor of being the featured artist for the University of Michigan’s DEI Summit, “Building an Anti-Racist World through the Arts”.
Civil Rights Tour—Southern US
Coming to terms with the biases and privileges I hold, I wound up on a 5-week self-guided road trip through Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee. As I camped, photographed, museum-ed and talked with strangers, I learned (or perhaps more accurately, re-learned) the history of our country’s struggle for liberty and justice for all. Even with the conclusion of the physical trip, my journey toward more informed allyship and educated empathy will continue for many, many years.
