Hailing from just outside Philadelphia, I have always been a lover of wide open spaces. It might have been from listening to the Cocktail soundtrack growing up or the harsh east coast winters, but I always had a fascination and propensity for equatorial living (just ask my siblings about the fruit I used to line my “wooder” with). Learning to dive and surf off the Jersey shore combined with my Pacific Studies curriculum at Rutgers University, I decided it was past time for a change of pace and scenery. What better place than Hawaii? I bought a one-way ticket and never looked back (except to visit family and grind the occasional WaWa hoagie).
After finishing up my degree at the University of Hawaii in Archaeology with a focus on maritime studies, I worked as an archaeologist on the island. I also participated in research cruises, which brought me to such places as the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, Sicily, Malta, and Tunisia. It was all the years of black and bruised toenails, broken bones, and general physical abuse and exhaustion or working as a field archaeologist that led me to start primarily focusing on a career in photography. Throughout my life, travels, and adventures, photography has always been a consistent part of me. My family was the early focus of my work and I credit my sister’s “procreation efforts” for that creative spark. Shooting my nieces and nephews helped me to begin to see the simplicity and beauty of those rare raw moments of emotion and life that I strive to capture in my work today. I’ve since created my own family here on island. My son Boone and my pup Hank are now most seasoned ‘models’.
From families and elopements to small business lifestyle campaigns, I love shooting diverse subject matter. Collaborating on and personalizing shoots for my clients is a highlight of my job.