Always in the arts whether it was time with classical and jazz music, training as a tenor for opera, or writing and directing short films I’ve found myself unable to sit still. As a young adult entering college I found myself more manic than ever causing me to spiral into deep depressions and manic highs. This along with burnout led me from music to the visual arts. This pursuit ultimately led to the finding of my passion for photography. As I continue through college I am growing at a pace I’ve never experienced with my art.
As a photographer, for my personal work I always have my eye out for style, weird compositions, color combinations, backgrounds, etc. Taking a lot of inspiration from cinematography on old horror, pulpy, and Italian Giallo films my work is influenced-in the way visually. Emotionally I find my art comes from a place of fantasy and existential human emotions. This allows me to stretch what I feel myself and explore other ways I can feel plain feelings. Being uncomfortable has always been a very creative feeling for myself. Uneasiness in my opinion brings out the best in art whether that’s a person sitting next to train tracks, a drag queen mid performance getting up close with you, or a drummer who accidentally left his cigarettes out by his feet feeling uneasy is an emotion I myself cherish in my art.
For my professional work, as a Communications major, when creating I typically approach my work with a journalistic intrigue. When photographing subjects, it's important that the message of who that person is gets across. It's as simple as photographing a band, and giving each member an instrument to display their role in the group. But what makes work stick out is the skills in and out of the studio that are demonstrated. Lighting, posing, image processing, etc. are all on display when looking at one of my photographs. This comes out in my solo studio work while working with members of the drag community. Their vibrant personalities and tendencies allow for a rich opportunity to create using all the mentioned skills, but with a group that as of current time is facing mass ridicule and censorship. My work is creative, but straight-forward giving it the guts and vision of both the creative and the creator.
