If you are reading this blog, you are probably either a photographer yourself or just a curious soul, and I can relate to both. Either way, let me take you on a journey from the start of my photography career as a hobby to shooting my first wedding commercially- an adventure that developed over the past 4 years of my life.


Let me take you back to the summer before my freshman year of high school, the year I took up photography...

Serene lakeside park with wooden benches, lush green grass, and tall trees reflecting on calm water.

Just before that summer, my family ordered a bag from QVC, which is a televised home-shopping network. What arrived a week later, however, was not a bag but a Canon Rebel T6, a (relatively) modern DSLR camera, almost designed for beginners. Obviously, thinking it was a misplaced package, we attempted to return it to QVC, but after multiple phone calls, they told us they had no record of ever shipping it to us, and the bag was still going to be delivered. Having no one with a known interest in photography, we set the box aside to collect dust.


It wasn't until months later that the box was finally picked up and opened (by me) on a family camping trip. I had no clue how to use a DSLR, what ISO was, or how aperture affected a photo. I was the definition of a "newbie". After numerous trials and errors, I began to pick up on some basic concepts, and I realized I found it to be very enjoyable. See the photo above? That was the first photo I ever took on an actual camera body.


That year, my freshman year, I took a photography course and created actual art for the first time. I feel like I owe this entire website to my photography teacher that year, Katie Deglau, but that is a story for another time.

Close-up of a vibrant yellow daylily bloom with red-tipped stamens surrounded by lush green grass.
Pittsburgh skyline glowing at dusk with reflections on the river and illuminated skyscrapers against a warm golden sky.
Black and white night skyline of Pittsburgh city reflecting on the river with illuminated skyscrapers.

 

I fell in love with the art of photography.

 

I was able to express myself through art for the first time in my life. Here is a quote from my college admission essay, which I chose to write on this exact subject (yes, it got me into college):

"As the year progressed, my camera reshaped how I approached challenges. In the past, I would get frustrated when things didn’t go along with the script I had made. But the camera taught me to instead embrace the unexpected, to treat detours as new, unexplored opportunities rather than obstacles. Some of my best shots came from experimenting with angles I hadn’t planned or chasing moments I didn’t expect. The same approach began to carry over into my life. "

Obviously, that is wordy to sound more "academic," but the main point still stands. It genuinely changed how I approach life's challenges, and it gave me a much deeper connection to nature and the Earth as a whole. Prior to picking up photography, I had done some virtual photography (to use as background images), though at the time, I did not even realize that what I was doing was just a form of photography. As my freshman year continued, I progressively got more comfortable behind the camera and began to actively seek out new ways to expand my photography. I became much more creative, and even ended up winning the Award of Excellence in Photography at my High School.

Close-up of a gray tabby cat with green eyes resting on a dark blanket in dim lighting.
Black and white colored pencils arranged in a circle, with a few vibrant rainbow-colored pencil tips visible at the center.
Black and white close-up portrait of a tabby cat gazing upward against a dark background.
A giant pale figure sits on a throne in a dark, misty ruins environment from a fantasy video game.
Dark fantasy warrior in tattered robes stands in ancient stone hall, wielding a crossbow in dramatic lighting.

Later, I would eventually take to the skies with my purchase of a DJI Mini 3 Pro, only further expanding what was possible. I continued for years, sticking with my Canon Rebel T6, and it has a place in my heart. It was not until the summer of 2025, before a school trip to Rome I was going on, that I upgraded my camera to a much newer (and much more expensive) Canon EOS R6 Mark II. One six to another, but the upgrade was clear. I could finally shoot non-grainy photos in low light, could get much sharper photos, and just generally had much more freedom in my work.



I took over seven thousand photos on that ten-day trip, and loved every second of it. Some of my all-time favorite photos came out of that trip, and I would love to go back. My senior year after the trip, I decided to take an Advanced Art course with the same teacher who taught me back in photography years prior. I developed skills in Adobe programs and was able to edit in ways I could never have done prior (I was not joking when I said I owe this site to her). At the end of my senior year, almost 5 months ago now, I received another award, this time for excellence in Art, which is only given once per year at my high school. It was truly a "full-circle" moment. I graduated as valedictorian of my class, and during my speech, I added an extensive appreciation section devoted to all my high school teachers, naming a few, including my art teacher. That was the proudest moment of my life, and I will never forget it.


Around a month later, word got around that I had a "fancy-new-camera," and someone in my family asked me to be the photographer for their wedding. Obviously, as an aspiring photographer, I immediately took up their offer, and it all snowballed from that point onwards. I had an actual chance to do what I loved for a living.

A silver SUV drives past the iconic Fountain of the Naiads in Piazza della Repubblica, Rome, Italy.
Black and white view of St. Peter's Basilica dome framed through an ornate arched window in Vatican City, Rome.
Couple in orange embracing in a grand colonnaded hallway with classical architecture in black and white.

When I first opened that Canon camera years ago, I never would have thought I would be typing this on my own website today. When I walked into my photography course for the first time, I thought it would be nothing more than a short-lived hobby. When I received that first award, I realized I might be able to do something great with my newfound talent. I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to capture life's biggest moments for others, and I would not give it up for anything. While this may not be my career's final stop, it will surely be a stop that I will always come back to, and it will always have a sincere place in my heart. I cannot wait for the adventures it holds!