What was your first Nikon camera?: My first digital camera ever was the Nikon D5200. At the time, I had only shot and edited images with my phone… so finally getting my hands on a digital camera like the D5200 was the best feeling. I was amazed by the quality and all the different functionalities. It truly changed the game for me moving forward!
How long have you been shooting Nikon gear?: I've been shooting with Nikon gear for the entirety of my photography journey, so that's over 10 years now! I've always been able to rely on Nikon to bring all of my ideas and visions to life. It's felt really great to have a brand I can grow with as my photography skills and ideas evolve.
What is your go-to camera/lens combo?: The Nikon Z 7II with my NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens. I've also recently added the Nikon Z f to my kit. This combination really brings my ideas to life. The range of focal lengths the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S offers allows me to capture a wide variety of imagery....
As a freelance photographer, I need to be versatile, shooting everything from portraits and landscapes to concerts. Paired with my Nikon Z 7II, it’s unstoppable. Because the camera and lens are mirrorless, compact and lightweight, I bring them everywhere. The overall quality of this setup makes me recommend it to any photographer, from beginner to advanced.
What are your favorite features of the Z f?: One of my favorite features is the dedicated B&W mode. It's incredibly easy to use too—with a switch of a button, and the profile applies to both still images and video footage. I'm also a big fan of the design and colors of the Z f. It was inspired by the Nikon FM2, which was one of the film cameras my grandfather passed down to me. There's a nostalgic feel to it that makes me want to use it even more than I already do. I really appreciate how user-friendly the camera is with the exposure mode, shutter speed, and ISO all clearly displayed on the top of the camera body.
Describe how you feel when inspiration hits and you pick up your camera: When inspiration strikes and I've got my camera with me, it's like magic.
What was your journey like becoming a content creator?: I started posting my images to social media right when I got into photography over 10 years ago. Receiving feedback on the art I was posting daily was so helpful; it made me want to create even more consistently than I already was. Through sharing my photographs online, I've built such an amazing audience that it feels like we can share different techniques and ideas with each other to help our businesses grow. It's been a journey of hard work and many late nights editing, shooting, and crafting my style to where it's gotten to, but it's the only thing I want to be doing!
Tell us a little bit about the communities you have built on social media : It is deeply rooted in creativity, expression, and education. It's important for me to share both behind-the-scenes content and my final photos across platforms like Instagram, so other photographers can learn something and implement it into their own process. I think it’s important to show that you don't always need a giant team and a big budget studio to create amazing results. Sometimes, the best photos I take are from the comfort of my own home and are really easy for anyone else to recreate!
What has been the most rewarding moment in your content creating journey so far?: Being able to produce 2 photobooks of mine: Luminescence and Ultraviolet. Being so involved in a world full of online images we only view through a screen, I made it a goal of mine when I got into photography that I wanted to see my work printed in the form of a book. Being able to share physical copies of my absolute favorite work with friends, family and viewers has seriously been a dream come true!
What inspires you?: It's cliché, but I truly get inspired by other photographs. Seeing a photo that I love always has me thinking about how they lit it, where they shot it, and what gear they used to achieve that effect. I love doing deep dives into other photographers' lighting setups to see how I can improve my own. And how can I take the image I'm so inspired by and make it my own?
What’s one item on your photography/ video bucket list that you haven’t crossed-off yet?: I'd love to explore places like Iceland or Japan. I also find myself shooting portraits most of the time, so it would be interesting to see me step out of my comfort zone and shoot a style/place I'm unfamiliar with.
