Here we are, already in the year 2020. The end-of-year pressure to reflect has been compounded by an onslaught of end-of-decade recaps. A whole decade! And here I am, a few days into the new year, still contemplating what I learned in and out of the photo studio.

It’s because I stuck my neck out real far—and I’m proud of that. I’ve also just now taken a breath. Through the nonstop hustle (isn’t freelance always?), I’m genuinely grateful for the lessons I learned as a photographer rooted in my own creative vision and authentic storytelling.

If I could describe 2019 in one word, it’d be brilliant. And I mean that in every sense of the word.

Smart: like a million, flashing light-bulb-moments that guided me in new directions.

Bright: Literally. I dove into a very focused mode of food photography, challenging myself with different lighting techniques and compositions to let monochromatic color palettes shine.

Inspiring: if any of you kept up with my GRITO project, you know that five years of working with this group of youth finally culminated into a tangible visual story (thanks to VSCO Voices), which was absolutely surreal. Those dancers taught me so much (and I’ll wax more on that in a future post).

In Spanish, brilliante implies illumination. I found light in moments where I realized who and what were helping me. And I let that brilliance radiate through my work. I gave myself permission to let go, learning it is always worth asking for help or doing something I don’t know how to do. In the past, I let my insecurities get the best of me. But in 2019, with the help of some amazing friends and colleagues, I began to think more confidently—and I started growing. As cliche as it sounds, there’s a real truth to not being afraid of putting yourself out there. My advice to any budding photographer (from my own hard-earned lessons): Be vulnerable and transparent about your work, especially when working on a story with others. The more transparent you are, the more trust you gain.

Stay tuned for detailed posts on the past year — a mix of client work, journalism and passion projects that kept me and my work fresh. I can’t wait to share more. Happy new year!

2019: A RETROSPECTIVE

food photography | editorial photography | commercial photography | portrait photography

raleigh-durham + goldsboro, north carolina | new york city | texas | virginia | belize | morocco

GRITO a VSCO Voices Project | April-November 2019

JBF Nominated Chef Oscar Diaz | Cortez | June 2019

Beverage Director Megan Corbally | Cortez | July 2019

Collaboration with Sarah Duncan Sloane | January 2019

Flushing Dumpling Tour with Mao’s Bao | The World in a Pocket | April 2019

Maya Matriarchs reading their article in Whetstone Magazine Vol. 4 | June 2019

St. James Seafood for INDY Week’s 2019 Food & Drink Almanac | April 2019

Poole’side Pies | Eater | September 2019

Turcos with Grandma for Somewhere South | September 2019

Char Siu Bao | The World in a Pocket | May 2019

Kombucha Cocktails | Stay Currant | November 2019

Feature Flora | Downtown Quarterly Magazine | December 2019

We live less than five minutes from the Texas State Fair, so it would be sacrilegious to not go, right? RIGHT.

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”

— Gene Wilder, as Willy Wonka in Roald Dahl's "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory"

Jerry + I decided head out on late Tuesday afternoon (goin' up...on a Tuesday...literally, we did) so we could skip the crazy weekend crowd. And so we could experience the fair at golden hour, because let's be honest, that is the best way to experience a fair. Within a few minutes, we said "Hey" to Big Tex, had a Fletcher's Corn Dog in hand, + started strolling around in sensory overload.

We ate lots of "fair food" to include this year's cookie fries (creative, yes, yummy, eh), pulled pork nachos, and an edible cup with cotton candy soda, in which I'm still salty about. It was one of the grossest things I ever try to ate and all I wanted was the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka experience. Rest in peace my dear, creative idol. We stopped by the beer gardens because nothing is better than strolling the state fair with a Texas brew in hand. I've been particularly fond of Austin Eastciders Texas Honey Cider lately.

After seeing the best view of Dallas one could possibly see in the Top O'Texas Tower, we strolled around and ran into the Starlight Parade. We ended the night with the messiest but tastiest cotton candy and a spin on the swings. The traditions that seep into this fair are great from the shows, to the ferris wheel, and stunning architecture in the exhibition halls, and they soon become traditions that you want to relive again + again. It's always nice to just escape reality + live like a kid (who can drink spirited libations) again.