“I have loved photography since I was 4 years old and took my first photo of my grandpa sitting in his big old armchair. I used to make my brothers and my friends pose for me all the time. When I was 15 years old I started charging for my services, and I’ve never looked back. But it wasn’t until I started teaching that I began seeing the true art of photography. I’d give up my own camera in an instant if I had to choose between shooting and teaching. Experiencing photography through the eyes of my students is one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.”     

For me, the real treasure in photography is not the set-up, posed portrait. It’s in the spontaneous, authentic moments of life. If I could only photograph one subject, it would be my children in all of their goofy, funny, exhilarated, cranky, carefree moments. It’s like bottling up a memory and capturing it to enjoy over and over again.

Teaching is pretty special to me. I have so many reasons I love it, but mostly I enjoy seeing people discover their abilities and express their life experiences, their emotions and their stories through art. I connect with my students in a way that creates a unique bond as we share the journey of creativity and expression. They have become some of my closest friends, my most valued colleagues and my most bountiful source of inspiration. I wouldn’t give up teaching for the world. It’s like I have found my true place in life.