My training as a journalist has reinforced the power of the story, of sharing in the truth of another’s life. My own life has always been defined by the stories of people in it, by the truths I have experienced through seeing and listening to another.
For me, nothing allows me to learn more about someone than to take their picture. Soon after I picked up a camera, I discovered its potential for capturing and illuminating someone’s story in an instant and I started to fall in love. The power of the photograph- immediacy and introspection together- crumble misconceptions as often as governments. With camera in hand, I am able to document what I see and in that way I come to know people’s stories.
To this end, I aspire to tell the stories of those too often silenced, be it through governmental repression, societal norms or other, less tangible forces. Using still photography, and where appropriate video and multimedia, I wish to illuminate these peoples struggles-be their stories ones of great suffering or small, whether their joy be fleeting or tenacious. Every story deserves a platform, and every person deserves a voice.