I remember being a 4-year-old, walking around our home while staring down into a mirror that reflected the ceiling above me. It was a fascinating way to see the world, a different perspective, that often led to a few bruises. Noticing that I may cause real harm, my grandmother gave me an old camera to peer through instead. This led to a fascination with our family photo albums, there was magic there.
A couple of years later, I climbed a chair to rummage through my grandfather’s dresser. There I found a Playboy magazine from the mid-sixties. There was something compelling about the images. Nudity being presented in such as straightforward way seemed out of place for the world I lived in but at the same time seemed completely natural, human. My work often centers around non-sexualized nudity as a way to see the human form from a different perspective than shown in the media.
For me, photography has always been about perspective. Seeking to understand your subject, framing the moment, casting light. Photography becomes a metaphor for how we share this planet and offers insights into how we can better understand each other.
We each have a unique story and point of view. I believe that when we aim to understand each other’s stories while sharing our own, we are at our best.