I’m lucky enough to call you a friend, so I’ve seen your work ethic first hand. Its clear you have a deep love for the craft. What drives you to create photographs?

I grew up with a hardworking single mother who was so good at juggling many different roles. One of those roles was photographer. My mother never left the house without her film camera. She always wanted to capture everything my brothers and I did. When my mother couldn’t be around she would give us disposable cameras to keep capturing moments. I got my first real camera at age 10 and knew instantly that this was the career path for me.

I love interacting with people and making them feel comfortable in their own skin. I shoot based on energy. I love capturing emotion and knowing that my images will forever put a smile on someone’s face.

Beautifully put. And wonderful to know the passion has been with you for so long. To me, photography has always been a master key to unlock doors, opening ideas and places I’m curious about. How has your camera opened up new areas and experiences in your own life?

Photography has been a link to continue to work with many of my other passions music, travel, sports and fitness. Utilizing my craft to work side by side with some of the biggest brands, artists and athletes in the world is forever rewarding and will never get old. Photography also elevated my love for travel and getting to know other cultures.

Having the opportunity to take my brand global is a goal I have always wanted for myself. I feel endlessly blessed to have these experiences.

For example, In 2019 I photographed a fantastic campaign for the Chromat x Reebok athletic sneaker; one of my favorite shoots to date. With an incredible team of ten Miami based athletes and artists we brought Chromat founder Becca McCharen-Tran’s Maimi Beach inspired collection to life. The teams electric energy in combination with the Becca’s future-forward vision made this an incredible collaboration.

Well said. I feel much the same, and that my photographs anchor me to those experiences, even when they begin to fade in my memory. You are also someone who is very athletic and put a lot of emphasis on staying physically active. Can you share with our readers how staying active affects your creativity and your motivation? I think a lot of people could benefit from your perspective there.

I have been through many stages in my life. The time where I have felt most at home with myself and have been the most motivated to create have been times where I prioritize being strong. Staying active or strong for me means a constant state of feeling challenged without aiming for a burnout.

My ideal day is getting up around 6/7AM drinking a glass of water, laying out my mat and getting a juicy, fasted and sweaty workout done. These workouts are primarily high intensity bootcamp styled workouts with Aarmy and various yoga practices. I prefer 60 minute weighted or mobility workouts but if I have a busy day 15-30 minutes to get my body sweating is great. Once this workout is complete I have an entire day to conquer. My mind is free of all the noise from yesterday and this is how my creativity starts to develop.

Another way I keep both my mind and body strong is through intermittent fasting, no processed sugar and drinking lots of water. At the start of 2019 I learned that balanced nutrition as well as a good workout work hand in hand. My mind and body reached a level of strength I had not yet had in my life.

This knowledge helps me relate more to my clients, eliminates burn out and stress and helps me bring education and new light to my community of friends who at times have struggled with feeling strong or motivated. I am surrounded by a community who gives me so much good energy and inspires me to be the greatest version of myself always.

That’s a great perspective on the importance of the mind body connection. Do you think that understanding helps you make more compelling work when you do make photographs with athletes?

As photographers we are storytellers. When I am following an athlete's day, I put myself in their shoes. How would I feel prior to a big event? How would I prepare emotionally? How would I physically prepare? When I’m performing what parts of me do I want people to see? What parts am I more quiet about? I learn this from my own experience as an athlete, the research I do to prepare and from observing movement.

Four years ago when I left my full time job at RedBull to become freelance, I did a lot of research on the subjects I was wanting to shoot. If I was shooting the winner of the crossfit games for Reebok, I wanted to make sure I knew exactly the correct form a crossfit athlete should have in a photo. In doing my background research of the subject/ brand it helps me to relate to them and talk about their current and past accomplishments. When you can relate to the subject you are capturing and make them look to their best potential, people/ brands will be more inclined to hire you especially if you are experienced in that specific field.

I love what you said about observing movement, because to me photography is the art of observation. You can even practice this art without a camera, being curious about the visual world around you. How has your own craft changed your experience of travel?

Travel to me is one of the greatest wonders of life. To be able to immerse yourself into someone else’s culture, language and world is such a rare and beautiful gift. Now when I travel I look forward to a storyline and the obstacles I have to undergo in order to capture the entirety of a new place. I love that through my lens I am able to share these details and emotions with others.

You also had a pretty incredible set of photographs of the late great Pop Smoke. How did that opportunity come about and what was that experience like?

On February 6, 2020 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph and experience Pop Smoke LIVE at his last Brooklyn show, his album release party. Photographing this show was a result of a portfolio of artists portraits and live music, a 6+ year relationship with my clients; Red Bull, Villain LLC, Vice & i-D Mag. I have captured and worked aside teams on month long music festivals, travel shows and other activations. That night everyone knew we were experiencing history. The energy in the room was electric. Every conversation was unique. On this night my creativity felt alive. The memories and new friendships that were made are a testament of a night that would be forever remembered.

When Pop finally arrived to preform his album live, he jumped into the crowd and was one with all of his friends in the room. He was fresh, talented, energetic, full of life and had such a great future waiting for him, he was 20 years old.