Throughout my life there have been two people who have been influential in my pursuit of arts education, first was my Uncle Bob who pushed me down the path of learning photography. My Uncle Bob learned photography from a Marine Corps buddy on base during the Korean War and when I was around eight years old, he began to teach me the skills he had learned over the thirty plus years he had been a practicing photographer. Uncle Bob after retiring from the military became an award winning professional nature photographer afterwards in Tennessee. So when he would come to Maryland to visit we would spend majority of our time together learning the basics of photography and how to properly utilize a camera. To this day that photography is a big part of our relationship while I have not seen him in many years we still talk on the phone and online about photography. I send him projects that I am working on so he can see how I have grown as an artist and so I can still receive his advice on how to continue growing. The second person who has had an unmeasurable impact on myself as an artist is Matthew Moore, the former head of the photography department at Anne Arundel Community College. Professor Moore and I did not always see eye to eye and butted heads more often than not, as someone who thought he knew better, I often did not listen to the advice Professor Moore was relaying to me. His tough love approach to his students was hard to adjust to at first but once you started to understand the why and how of what he was teaching us everything about photography and art clicked. Professor Moore wanted to teach us to think for ourselves not look for someone to give us all the answers. Many times I was frustrated because I did not understand the shooting assignments we were given and would go to his office for advice, most notably with our “Disappearance” project and eventually with his subtle probing I understood what we were supposed to be shooting. While his teaching style was frustrating at times, I have come around to vastly appreciate how I was taught by him, it has taught me how to creatively and independently think and not rely on others for answers. It has taught me that the best photos are not simply well composed it is the story hidden within the composition that is what creates an effective piece of art.

Having to testify against your parent is one of the hardest things a child can go through. My dad was in and out of jail my whole childhood. It started when I was really young, and when I was eleven, I had to tell the court what he did. Court, police, and jail were normal for me until he finally lost his rights as my dad when I was eleven. There was always chaos and fear when he was home. I was always scared he'd get out of jail and things would go bad again. There were more bad days than good ones until he went to jail for a long time and couldn't come home. He wasn't allowed anywhere near me or my mom. I was scared he'd take me away. That kind of fear messes with you. The bad things from that time still bother me. I wonder what it would be like to have a normal dad. I wonder if I'll end up like him. I’ve been seeing therapists since I was little because of the stress and sadness. They’ve helped me with the anger, worry, and sadness I’ve had for a long time. I know I can be different from my dad. I know there are bad things that happen if you do wrong things. I try to be good and follow the rules, like in Boy Scouts. I joined Scouts to have fun, but I learned a lot of good stuff and got a dad-like person in my Scout leader, Mr. Kenny. He’s nice and teaches me with respect, things my dad never did. I’ll always remember having a dad who went to jail, but my mom and Mr. Kenny help me stay on the right track. They help me with school and are there for me. I’m glad they’ll be there for me in the future too. Growing up with a parent in and out of jail has shaped me in ways I can’t fully explain. It’s hard to talk about, but I’ve learned to manage the feelings it brings up. I’ve had to grow up faster than most kids. I’ve had to learn to be strong and independent. Sometimes, I feel like I’m carrying a heavy weight. It's like there's a part of me that's always worried about what might happen. But I'm also proud of how far I've come. I've learned to find joy in the little things and to appreciate the people who love me. I want to use my experiences to help others who are going through similar things. I know how important it is to have someone to talk to, someone who understands. I hope to be that person for others someday. I'm determined to break the cycle. I want to be a different kind of father than mine was. I want to be a positive role model for my kids. I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to keep working towards that goal. While the past has been tough, it has also made me stronger. I'm grateful for the people who have supported me, and I'm excited about the future.

The one concept of the arts that I have struggled to comprehend myself has always been abstract art. My artistic style I would describe as documentarian and simplistic, having been taught at a young age by my uncle who was a nature photographer I learned to watch and wait for a photo to come together; not to force it or stage it. So when it came time for my final project for my Associate's of Arts degree in my Digital Photography 2 class I decided I wanted to challenge myself as much as I could and do an entire project centered around abstract art. Armed with a macro lens I set out to see what I would be able to accomplish and admittedly I struggled at first but what turned it around was when I saw this weathered trash bag outside my house that created arguably the best photo in the project. The project after that became making abstract art from everyday objects. What the entire project taught me was that even the most mundane items when viewed with the proper way can create the most beautiful images. Sometimes even the quotidian can be beautiful.