When I think about photography, I think about flipping through the negatives in their sleeves, the rhythmic trickle of washing water, wondering how the orange-tinted lights in the darkroom defy the rules of physics, while listening to the widely ranging variety of music play from Mr. Wong’s stereo, the anticipation of watching a print emerge from the mouth of the printer, the exhilaration of stumbling upon a brilliant idea and watching it come to fruition, either on the screen or in the tray of developer. I think about the first significant memory I have about photography: when I was 7 and my dentist took a polaroid of me and thinking, “How cool is that?” Never a sterile, contrived click of a button.

Others view photography as an escape, but I see it a way of further immersing myself in the world. For me, photography is truly a personal endeavor. A photographer is an artist who specializes in seeing and capturing their worldview so that others can experience it too – enabling others to experience the world as they do. Taking a good photograph requires you to truly invest and immerse yourself in the work which is why ultimately; the best photographs are often of subjects you love. Personally, pictures of people – portraits – are my favorite to take. Something about the sight of another human evokes more emotion than any other subject. The same principle of conveying the experience of the photographer can be applied when taking portraits; portraits are my way of trying to get the viewer to see the model the way I do, but more importantly, help the model see themselves the way I do. I find myself experimenting with this idea often with my most common and favorite subject my sister, Megan. Photography is about capturing the essence of the subject, not just the subject itself. Photography is the process of story-telling through visuals.

Photography is going from shooting to printing. There are so many steps and each of them are satisfying in their own way, which it makes the entire experience so much fun. The progression goes from deciding on camera controls, to processing film or rating images, developing, making all the test strips and adjustments, and lastly, making the final print.

Photography gives you the opportunity to take your vision and make it a reality. There is so much artistic and creative freedom that it can be daunting at times. I really challenge myself to exercise that part of my brain and push the boundaries by experimenting with different approaches. From pressing the shutter button to making the final print there are so many different opportunities to make personal choices that enhance the image you envisioned – which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing in the sense that a person’s photos represent them, their interpretations, influences, and experiences. That’s why everyone has their own style; one’s personality is inevitability reflected by their work. In some ways, though, there is an added pressure to do your subjects justice by capturing their essence and then doing the images justice by making the appropriate adjustments and artistic choices, but at the same time there is no “wrong” way to photograph.

At the end of the day, photography is about balance. Not just balancing the tones and the technical aspects, but also balancing the art itself. It’s a balance between work and play – the work seemingly never ends, yet it feels more like play than work. It has a calming, yet simultaneously exhilarating effect. To me, this is best illustrated in the contrast between working in the darkroom all alone and being able to really appreciate the delicate and deliberate process versus setting up a shoot in the studio with bright lights and being able to experiment with different poses, angles, and set-ups. It’s a balance between capturing candid, authentic moments and composing thoughtful images, while also remaining present in the moment.