For much of my young adult life, I struggled with one common frustration: I couldn’t find a single photo of myself that I liked. No matter what I saw in the mirror, images never seemed to quite capture me in a way that felt truly flattering. Over time, I decided to learn how to find my best angles, pose intelligently, and accept my facial structure. Consequently, I started viewing the people around me through the same lens. It’s not enough to just say “Everyone is beautiful! You look fine!” when you see an image of yourself that is sub-par. It’s liberating to not like every picture of yourself.

When I was younger, my friends and I would venture into my backyard to do a mini-photoshoot using only our phones. I was then suddenly the designated picture-taking friend! Helping my friends feel beautiful in photos made me realize I could be of service to others. I loved seeing them find an image of themselves they felt the most confident in because I knew first-hand what a loss it is to be without. Even one great image can make a difference in someone’s life and self-confidence, and thus my photography journey began!