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Since I was about 8, softball had always been my main priority. For a long time I had convinced myself that softball was what was going to take me all over the world, so I could travel and still do what I love. I was good and I knew it, and so did everyone else. In the summer of 2011 during a playoff game, I injured my knee making me unable to play without the risk of hurting myself more. When I was told I couldn't play anymore I felt like I would never go anywhere with my life. I was shattered, and I decided to not be angry about what happened and to make something good out of a bad situation. I had sometimes borrowed my dad's old film camera when I went to the beach or somewhere I knew looked nice. I never expected to fall so passionately in love with something the way I loved softball.
I started freshman year at Cranston East excited because I was told that in high school you get to do more of what you’re interested in. But someone lied to me. I was told at every meeting I had with an advisor that was the least busy at the time that I had to stick to what I was recommended for and that was it. I stuck to dropping my rolls of film off at CVS, but it was still so unsatisfying. I spent my entire childhood seeing clips in movies of a piece of paper in a tub of water and a picture appears. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, I wanted to see it in real life, I wanted to be making beautiful inspiring images using this technique.
It wasn’t until my senior year at School One that I was finally introduced to the world of darkroom photography. I had no idea what I was doing, and at first the whole process really intimidated me. It was difficult having more experienced people around me watching me make mistakes and not do certain things properly, but I feel as though learned fast and well, and when I finally saw an image appear on a piece of paper I knew I was doing something right.
I loved everything about what I was producing in class. From snapping the shutter to putting the final print into the water. I love looking for lines and patters, finding the right angle, making sure you have just the right amount of light. I love seeing a roll of negatives come out, putting them into an enlarger, focusing the picture, figuring out the time and the filter and what spot needs more exposure. I love the feeling of creating something beautiful and breath taking, and capturing a moment in history. I try to make things look interesting, and I try to incorporate other mediums into my work as I see fit. There’s no other feeling in the world like creating something and getting a wave of different emotions from a group of people.
Artist Statement • Photography doesn’t bore me. It never will. If I’m not focusing on my own work, I’m constantly looking, and searching through others work. I wouldn’t be where/ who I am without the people who pushed me to work my hardest, and the images that kept up my inspiration. I’ve never been a social butterfly and photography is my way of being able to step out of my comfort zone. Being out of my comfort zone will hopefully be taking me to California next spring for college.
Even though I feel as though I was held back from being able to take the classes I wanted that pertained to my interest in art; I'm thankful that through all of that I still have the ambition, strive, and passion to try to keep art a major part of my life, and make it my career. I'm growing up in a very influential generation, where documentation is one of the most important things an artist can do for themselves and other people. I accept that as my personal responsibility to open up the truth in things. To be able to not only show, but to tell a story, and have the opportunity to put my work out into the world.
