First Quater of 2024
My work so far this year has been off to an amazing start. There is still so much to learn and achieve this year. Overall I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been able to experience.
Oahu, HI
A few highlights so far this year has allowed me to set higher standards for myself. I took a trip in February to Hawaii for my 23rd birthday and was blessed to capture my environment and work with some other creatives in the area. It was an experience traveling so far, but I made sure to capture as much as I could. I decided to spend more time developing the images so that I could create something that reflected how I felt during my vacation. My goal was simple: come back home with photos that were unique but relaxed and effortless. I didn’t have anything specific I wanted to take photos of. I shot what I wanted and when I wanted walking down the streets of Downtown Honolulu. I met with some other creators during my time in Hawaii. Mady, a photographer, model, stylist and creative director in Oahu had a specific theme she wanted with this project. We had already discussed on the mood board and style of photoshoot she wanted to go for. She had everything set up and planned from the outfits, models and props. While visiting the island, I had the opportunity to portray her vision and make it come to life. I am grateful to have been a part of the process, working with others that have the similar interest in art. Overall, I had an amazing time just being a part of an unknown environment capturing what’s around me.
Below are some photos I captured on the island of Oahu.
First Wedding Event
The following month I was blessed with an opportunity to shoot my first wedding event. I’m extremely thankful to capture such a beautiful event. Usually, I never shoot any events, but I thought I take a new approach and take a chance to diversify my portfolio. I wanted to go for something that was fresh and unoriginal for a wedding event while maintaining a professional look. It was challenging at times because I was the only photographer, but I didn’t let it discourage or distract me from the task at hand. I’m looking forward to shooting more events in the future.
More work from this year so far…
I’ve been crazy busy planning and organizing some personal things in my life at the moment so finding time for my passion has been challenging. Lately, I’ve had to ask myself how bad I really want to get better at my craft and no matter how busy life gets I will always find time to sharpen my photographic skills because there’s no getting time back once it’s gone.
I hope and pray everyone who’s reading is well so far this year!
Here’s some more work from the first quarter of the 2024!
Chris Miller
Chris Miller is one of the few that has been there since the beginning of my photographic journey. He truly supports my work and I am genuinely thankful for his time over the years.
![IMG_9084[1].JPG](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/658f1579d6d6b67e143ede8a/1704074450021-A2N595OHZ9ODCYMLKC71/IMG_9084%5B1%5D.JPG)
I can’t make this up.
I met Chris around the time I began taking photos at my high school. You could ask anyone at my school who was the most talented dancer and Chris would be the student most would say. In high school I wasn’t into dance, but I remember attending one of the school’s dance concerts and Chris stood out from the performers. That was the moment I thought it would be a good idea to do a photoshoot and it happened. The first picture on the left was taken January 20th 2017. Since then, Chris and I have worked together many times which allowed me to capture his unique movements and diversify my portfolio. I am extremely glad we crossed paths when we did. I can confidently say I wouldn’t be the photographer I am today if it hadn’t been for the first collaboration. It led to pictures like the one on the right which was taken 4 years later in 2021.
As a photographer it’s important to have supporters like Chris. If I have an idea all I need to do is reach out, express what I ideas I have in mind and we discuss dates when we’re free. This relationship was key to my growth as a photographer. I’ve came along way and it wouldn’t have been possible without people like Chris. The consistency of collaborations has allowed me to become more creative with capturing all of my subjects.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Chris’ first performance The Nutcracker by The Ravel Dance Company on December 9th, 2023. It was a pleasure supporting my high school friend who has been there for me and my passion many times. He did amazing performing as the Snow King. About a month before his show Chris and I had a conversation about how much of a professional he believes he is. Chris had been dancing all of his life so I was curious to hear his answer. Chris replied, telling me that there is always much to learn about dance, its movements and music theory. As far as preforming and choreography Chris is confident that he is a quick learner, but pays close attention to detail and technicality.
Chris and I have the similar goals in life and it’s to chase after our passion to one day turn it into a career. It was exciting to see a friend get one step closer to accomplishing his goals. I am looking forward to attending more shows and collaborating on future projects.
Below you can view the portraits of Chris over taken in 2021-2022 by yours truly.
Galactic
Each time we’ve collaborated the results come out better than the last. I appreciate the members at Galactic for putting their trust in me to capture the brand in my own creative style.
Clothing Brand Collaboration
I first collaborated with Galactic in July 2023 and since then I have worked together on three projects this year. It has been a pleasure working with Galactic and I hope to work with them again near in the future. This opportunity has allowed me to grow my skills as a photographer. These photoshoots weren’t focused on the model but the clothing. It was different than what I was used to. The first project with Galactic was a challenge because I never shot for a clothing brand before. I aimed to center the focus on the how the model wore the clothing. My first shoot was the perfect opportunity to provide my skills to the brand while stepping out of my comfort zone. My plan in each of the projects was to be as natural as possible. I also wanted to be spontaneous and have fun with the images. Simple but creative.
Galactic sells shirts, shorts, sweaters, and more. The brand’s latest drop is their ski team themed sweatsuit. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Galactic in the future. A huge thank you to Galactic for providing me with the opportunity to collaborate!
Jazmin
Jazmin has impacted my photography greatly over the years. I practiced the technicalities of taking photos with her assistance.
Family
I don’t think there was ever a moment where Jazmin wanted to be a professional model. I believe at first she just enjoyed having her pictures taken, but I realized that she was great help when I needed it. Jazmin never hesitated when it came to becoming a creative assistant, model or aid me with making a project come to life. There are very few that has come close to the amount of support that she has provided me and I am truly grateful. It may not seem like a huge deal, but other photographers know what is like having genuine supporters who give their time and effort. They only want to see you succeed even when you can’t see it for yourself.
Jazmin began aiding my photography in January 2020. There wasn’t many oppurtunities to work and collaborate with others because of Covid. Therefore, I continued to grow as a photographer by doing photoshoots of her and trying different styles of photography. From that point forward, I’ve collaborated with Jazmin many times allowing me to progress with my passion. In the future, when I was blessed with opportunities to work with brands I knew who I could count on to model. Jazmin has made stressful photographer situations manageable by making herself available and I appreciate the consistency and commitment for assisting me throughout the years. I would not be where I am without people like Jazmin
Aside from photography, when I needed guidance and wisdom Jazmin was one person I could rely on to give me concise advice. Fake friends will tell you what you want to hear only to see you fall. True friends are those who are willing tell you things that you may not want to listen to, but are necessary for improvement. Over the years I’ve realized that Jazmin is neither a fake or real friend, she is and will always be family.
Lui Joseph
Meeting this artist was when my photography began to turn into another direction. I learned a lot about myself and my goals when I crossed paths with Louie.
My First Artist Collaboration
Louie and I met in college in 2019 and I never expected us to connect artistically the way we did. He was very photogenic and I knew that he would be a good addition in my portfolio and someone that I could collaborate with. Louie stood out from the crowd and I knew he would provide a distinct style to my work. It didn't take me long to introduce myself and ask if I could do a free photoshoot. At this point I’d only been doing photography for 3 years so it was a big step for me. It was also my first photoshoot in college.
I remember the only class we had together was this freshman seminar course that freshman had to take. One day we went around the room as a class and introduced ourselves. We had to include what our major was and what job we wanted after college. When it was Louie’s turn I remember he told the class “I don’t know what my major is, but I want to be an artist.”
Since then, as a pop artist he has released many projects such as: “Hey It’s Me”, “Run Boy”, and “Lemonade”. Louie has nearly 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Louie’s most recent project is “Jane” which released early November 2023.
My first photoshoot with Louie was shot at the back my dorm building in 2019.
I noticed that Louie and I had a lot in common after a while. I had goals to become a photographer and Louie an artist. We both had motivation to obtain achievements that people around us claimed that we couldn’t have. Instead of allowing ourselves to resign from the path we needed to take in order to go after what we wanted, we kept pursuing and using each other to get ourselves to our next goal. Louie is one of those people that I wouldn’t be where I am in my photography work if we didn’t meet and consistently inspire one other. We utilized the moments that we spent inspiring one another to get better at what we were doing for ourselves. I needed practice with my photography and Louie needed pictures to advertise his music. I didn’t know it at the time but this collaboration and friendship would allow me to become a better photographer.
Louie continues to grow as an artist and chase after his goals. I hope to work with him again very soon.
Harmony of the Seas Cruise
My first experience on a cruise. It was a blessing to get the opportunity to travel on third largest passenger cruise ship in the world.
My First Cruise Experience
November 2021 I was blessed with the opportunity to board one of the largest passenger cruise ships in the world. We traveled to The Bahamas, Jamacia and Haiti. Like most people traveling somewhere for first time, I didn’t know what to expect. There were hundreds of families piling up with their luggage to board The Harmony of the Seas Cruise. I was extremely excited because this was my first time boarding a cruise ship and I couldn’t wait to capture memories that would last forever. Leading up to the trip I was eager to diversify my portfolio. This trip would challenge me to not be a cliché photographer who brings their camera, pointing it at anything to take basic tourist photos. Yes I was a tourist, but I wanted my photos to be more creative. I planned to shoot with purpose so that my photos could tell a story. However, I had to remember to enjoy the cruise and not let my passion take over entire trip.
The plan was to take some shots of everywhere we ported. While we traveled from port to port, I captured the inside of the cruise and its amenities. There was plenty to do from sliding down the crazy waterslides, watching the World Cup on the giant screen they displayed outside, eating endless pizza from Sorrento’s and much more. Whenever I got the opportunity, my goal was to freeze time. It was pretty straightforward because there was so many things happening around me, especially on the cruise. The feeling of stepping outside of a moving environment to capture a moment in time is euphoric. To capture a moment and make it last forever is one of the reasons photography important to me. It’s also why I love to travel with my camera, the art is already there and I get the benefit of making it my own.
If I had to choose one word to describe these photos it would be raw. Whether it was objects or people I intended to capture these images with a basic principle and let the creativity of the photo speak for itself. No editing shapes or sizes to make things appear smaller or larger than they were. The images were exactly what I saw in the moment and how I will always remember them. I aimed to create a feeling towards my viewers to want to travel. At the same time, I wanted them to come up with their own perspective of how they wanted to perceive the images. We all have different experiences in life and that allows all of us to view the world differently from one another.
I am extremely thankful for my family that provided the opportunity to travel on my first cruise, it was one of the most memorable highlights of my life.
Edna Kamara
My first photoshoot with a published model. It was a great experience asking questions and learning from someone with greater knowledge.
Guidance
Edna Kamara is a published model in the DMV area. She has a long list of appearances including IMAN Cosmetics, Vogue and Elle Magazine (to name a few).
Edna is another inspiration that pushed me to keep going as a photographer and to set myself to a higher standards. Years ago I was anxious reaching out to published models to ask to collaborate. At the time I thought to myself, “why would model want to do a photoshoot with a photographer that doesn’t have many followers”. After reaching out to many models I was given a recommendation from family to reach out to Edna. Surprisingly, I got a response and later on we secured a date and location. As the shoot progressed Edna and I discussed about reaching out to models for work. She reassured me that asking is worth the risk. Although I knew the worst was a model ignoring my message or a replying with a no, it was comforting to hear this come from her. The entire interaction leading up to the shoot was shocking to know that someone like herself enjoyed my photography and was willing to work together. Edna shared with me her upcoming as a model and it has inspired me to continue my journey as a photographer.
We met at The Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. to do the photoshoot.
I am grateful for the words of wisdom that Edna gave me this day. Even though deep down I’ve told myself the same words, it meant something different coming from someone with more experience and greater knowledge. It was a reminder that as much as I think I know, I have much to learn.
A woman taking pictures with her family noticed Edna during our photoshoot. She was eager and excited to pose for a few shots with Edna. They both smile as the woman’s family takes pictures.
Solomon’s Island, Gander RV
My experiences traveling in an RV with my camera. I learned how to immerse myself in an environment when taking photos.
The RV named “The Black Cowboy”
I got the opportunity to travel to Solomon’s Island in the summer of 2021. It was an amazing experience that I am still grateful for. This experience allowed me to take my photography to a different level. We were surrounded by nature and isolated with some other families so there was lots of subjects to capture. Anytime where a photographer finds themselves in an environment where there are limited to no distractions is an opportunity to get better. There were no excuses to not take photos and this was a chance to dig deeper to discover who I was a photographer.
One thing I remember was appreciating how quiet it was. There wasn’t much to do and I loved that. It was a time to sit back and enjoy the stillness of nature. There are many times I feel that life consumes my attention and it can be difficult at times to enjoy the smaller things. I got to soak up the scenery by bike riding, walking on trials and I even picked some wild berries and raspberries. It’s one thing to visit a location, take pictures and leave. However, as a photographer I believe that there are situations where I need to fully immerse myself in an environment to become as creative as possible. I tied a deeper connection with the photos I captured and it made the process more memorable. Now when I look at these photos I can think back and feel the warm weather and hear the sounds of the trees swaying back and forth. I get to feel what I felt during this trip for a moment.
I don’t know when but I definitely want to go on another road trip somewhere and do something like this again. I think I could’ve got more photos and honestly taken better pictures, but I learned a lot. I’m upset I didn’t get any more images of the surrounding areas or even the berries I picked. It was my first time doing something like this and I got to learn from my mistakes. I want to use all of the knowledge I’ve gained since traveling here and apply it to another opportunity similar to this one.
Montego Bay, Jamacia
My first experience outside of the country.
Thanks Ma, I love you.
In December 2020 Ma blessed my brother, sister and I with a vacation to Montego Bay, Jamacia. It was my first adventure outside of the country and I was eager to capture as many photos as I could. We stayed at an all inclusive resort 30 minuets away from the airport. The resort was located on a beach, like most resorts and it wasn't packed with people due to Covid. The resort’s staff was amazing and I really felt like it was a home away from home. There was plenty to do on the resort, but eventually we got the chance to travel to different parts of Jamaica. This gave me the opportunity to capture some photos outside of the resort. We traveled to local food spots and we also stopped by a beach where we could walk up alongside of a waterfall! I got to meet some of the locals and they were friendly and welcoming. I will always remember this trip to Jamaica because it was a blessing to travel out the country with my family and capture moments I will always remember.
I intended to diversify my portfolio by trying different styles such as street, food and candid photography. When I shared these images, not only did I want my viewers to feel like they were there, but I wanted to create an urge to travel. When I took the photo of my box of food, I wanted you to come up with what you thought it smelled like. The people I captured pictures of were an addition to the entire frame. They complimented every part of the photo from top to bottom. The colors or patterns of their clothing and their actions made the photo come to life effortlessly. All I did was capture what was already there. Looking through the viewfinder in the moment is my favorite part of the process. Before any downloading or editing, this step is the most exciting because it’s the foundation of a great image.
If you look below this box of a chicken thigh and leg with palatines and rice you can view some of the photos I took while traveling to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
