A personal photoshoot to say the least… This gorgeous coat was hand made by a friend of mine as she breaks her way into the fashion industry. Each detail illustrates her miraculous talent and overall love for what she does. I took this as an opportunity to demonstrate that through my own work. I wanted to convey a feeling of desire and need through these images, alluding to our own desires of working our way through a cut throat yet fulfilling industry.
Role: Creative Director, Photographer, Editor, Stylist
SPARE is a company founded by my father and I in hopes of expanding efforts in saving our oceans. After moving to the West Coast, we saw the impact of ocean pollution more than we ever had. Our community connected through our love of exploring the beauty of nature around us, and that was an audience we wanted to cater to. SPARE containers were built without the use of plastic for travelers who wanted to do more in restoring our planet. These spill-proof, durable containers were inspired from the earth, for our earth. Too much plastic was being wasted on small travel containers that would leak and eventually would get thrown out… and dumped into our oceans. SPARE would allow travelers the ease of transporting soaps and goods on the road, without the mess and guilt of polluting our world.
Role: Co-Creative Director, Photographer, Editor
COMING SOON
Interior Design done by Reese Peters
Architecture done by Reese Peters & partners
These local kids based out of Encinitas, CA introduced me to a whole new love of music. Their new album, Sweater, takes you back to the carefree childhood they and myself enjoyed. We spent hours trying to concept an album cover, putting more thought into it than we needed. Ultimately, we ended up on set at a local playground and just messed around, leaving myself with images that illustrates the meaning of their band beautifully. Four boys who never want to grow up and live life to create.
Role: Creative Director, Photographer, Editor
I could say I sat and drew over 200 chairs to finally reach this design. Countless sleepless nights thinking of the next big thing. But that wouldn’t be true. To be honest, this was my second idea I came up with, the first being a close adaptation. I saw potential, and I ran with it. I drew a couple of versions to get any feeling of untapped creative juices out, but I knew I wanted this to be the chair I made for my Designing Chairs class final. With a household filled with classic mid-century modern pieces, I felt this needed to be made out of wood. I have always seen wood as the most simple yet complex material. Complete rawness in its beauty and random uniqueness in each cut. With my design being seemingly simple yet extremely complex, this was the perfect pairing for my prototype. Not only did I want this made out of wood, I wanted this made out of just one piece. This goal arrived with the planning of manufacturing costs, leaning towards sustainable efforts. One piece of wood is less material waste. Less material waste cuts costs. As I was very much getting ahead of myself, I realized I would be building this in a very different way than Herman Miller would with their heavy machinery. How could I bend cheap plywood without it cracking or breaking?
You can’t.
But you can bend nicer plywood without it cracking or breaking.
This is where the countless sleepless nights kicked in. Months of research on wood bending, kerfing, and math on the amount of cuts to get a certain angle, all while testing those cuts on pieces of leftover wood from my uncle’s basement. Month after month. Failure after failure. The light at the end of the tunnel was dimming, and potential new roads of action were illuminating. But after a reddit scroll on how to avoid cracks in the wood, I had found the secret ingredient.
Steam.
A quick stop at the local appliance store for a handheld clothing steamer made all the difference. Stiff, dry wood turned into jelly. I got to a 40-degree angle, then to a 90-degree angle, all the way to a 200-degree radius that resulted in the final legs. That dim light at the end of the tunnel was a ball of fire now. Tedious cuts about a quarter of an inch apart over and over and over. Well over a hundred of them. Due to the constraints of a small workplace and little machinery, this prototype was cut into four different pieces. Two legs with side tables, the seat, and the back. Cuts were covered with wood putty and sanded down. All that was left was to put it all together. After 4 months of trials, failures, and redirection, the final piece came together. Beautiful curves in the legs for magazine storage, side tables as arms for relaxation and enjoyment, and a sculpted backrest that ties the whole chair together. The focus on scale was not only a priority but the main attraction for this piece. Each measurement was carefully chosen to balance out the next. A lounger that was not only functional but a work of art. I curated the name from the phrase “Tabula Rasa” literally meaning “scraped tablet” in Latin. It’s true definition lies in the symbolism. It signifies a new beginning, a blank slate. It not only illustrates my real journey through this process, but also my journey to who I am as a creative today. To scrape a past to write a better future.
After moving across the country, I had lost myself a bit, along with my love for surfing. Adjusting to a new culture was difficult, but with that adjustment came a vision in which I saw surfing. It was so much more than paddling out and catching a couple. The lifestyle, the passion, the love for nature. This way of life opened my eyes to how beautiful this sport truly is, and how everyone in the community is a family. Discovering this side of California revived my adoration for not only surfing, but for photography. I would sit at Lowers day after day, taking photos of these legends hoping someone would notice my work. Eventually it paid off. I landed publications of my work for Channel Islands, Ripcurl, and shot for a lot of their team riders on a weekly bases. I became a part of a community I had looked inward on for so long, and finally felt at home.
Role: Photographer, Editor
Role: Editor, Colorist
The Hidden Darkness of Musicians.
Something not a lot of musicians bring to light: their mental state through the course of their career. Growing up with a lot of musician friends and seeing them go so early pushed me to create art that could demonstrate that internal struggle a lot of musicians face. Incorporating the shining guitar while using a hot flash light to symbolize the media, I wanted to actually take away from the posh and add darkness. The reality of the industry is so far beyond understanding from the public eye, and light needs to be shed on the actual reality.
Behind The Scenes:
At this moment in time, I was dying to shoot some studio work. I used a Canon Mark IV with a ring light that I held in my other hand while simultaneously taking photos with my other so I could direct the light in any way I wanted. At this time I know my strengths were in Lightroom, so I created what I could, and fixed it in post ;)
Role: Creative Director, Photographer, Editor
My roles on these campaigns include Editor, Colorist, and Videographer.
Role: Photographer, Editor
During COVID, there was one common trend I was starting to notice: The pressure of boys growing up to be hard working men, especially in Southern California. I’ve seen passions and dreams disappear due to pressure from parents wanting their son to “grow up and get a real job”. I’ve seen friends slowly emotionally disappear knowing their passions and dreams are not seen as real goals. In this project, my goal was to show the juxtaposition of these two sides and the feelings of being lost and unmotivated to transition into the ideal “man” older generations expect.
Role: Creative Director, Photographer, Editor
