As a humanitarian photographer and video producer for Operation Blessing International, I’ve been able to travel the globe telling stories of hope in adverse circumstances. My goal is to preserve the dignity of the people I meet, while simultaneously documenting their needs. I believe that photographs say much about the person who took them and that they are a glimpse into their world through the photographer’s eye. There are many tools at our disposal that help us tell great stories – starting with our choice of what is in the frame, what is left out, what is in focus, the lens we use, the type of lighting and the amount time we spend getting to know what is important to our subject. The decisions I make about these choices reflect what I want to say about the people I meet and the stories they tell.

For me, photographs are a glimpse into the many different areas of our life here on earth. I hear a story and it starts a collage of images in my mind as I try to understand the people, time, and place that surrounded it. It is this collage that I hope to create when I capture moments of everyday life. It is truly an honor for me to tell these stories as we work together to end cycles of suffering around the world.