I was raised in Takoma Park, Maryland. In 9th grade for freshman year in high school at Montgomery Blair, I applied to attend Thomas Edison Tech School, a secondary school to learn a creative or technical trade. I didn’t think I’d get in due to my grades, but somehow, I did, I was accepted into the photography and printing class. I bought my first canon digital camera for class and from that point on, I knew that I found what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.

I’ve been a photographer for 15+ years, I upgraded my camera practically every year and took it with me everywhere I went. I would even get in trouble during my military service for having my camera out during combat training haha.

I went to the Art Institute of Los Angles for 3 ½ years for their Bachelor’s program in the Science of Photography. Unfortunately, my school close down and I was unable to graduate despite only needing 18 more credits. Oh well, photography is not about your degree in the wall, is all about your degree in the field in my opinion.

It was in college where I fell in love with the history of French Boudoir photography. This underground photography in the early 1900's put models and photographers at risk of being jailed or severe punishments for breaking the law. Despite it being illegal and underground, wealthy people were known to secretly commission models and photographers with the intent of displaying their collection in secret to their friends...the lawmakers and judges. The irony.

I also love the dramatic lighting used in my favorite period, the Renaissance. This lighting style was called "chiaroscuro" a technique used by Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio and Rembrandt, just to name a few.

It is this reasoning why you would see my portraits using this combination as part of my art, maybe it's a representation of my history as a thrill seeking teenager who loves the night.