Artist Statement

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Had I not trespassed and discovered this railroad, I would not have been staring at this overwhelming and immense dark sky. 150 years ago, the light pollution that blurs our view of the universe would not have existed. I clutched my camera hoping that it would capture some of these stars before they were lost in time. At that moment, I realized how time is undeviating, immovable, and unstoppable; especially at this very moment. Suddenly I could not breathe, hear, or open my eyes as a train had zoomed past me. I was so lost in thought that I did not see the train coming. I felt a rush of fear, adrenaline, and exhilaration as I was trying my best to take in a breath of air. When the train passed I concluded my thoughts. Time is unempathetic, it leaves everything and everyone behind. I began to realize the value of the object that I was holding, the object that broadened my perspectives of the world, the object that helped me dream of limitless potential.

A few years ago, I took the dumbest but best risk of my life. A risk that would inevitably shape my identity and purpose. I spent all the money I had on a camera without any experience in photography, only one dumb goal. To think that my attempt to catch the attention of a random girl, whom i’ve never met, on social media led me onto my career path is absolutely hysterical.

It all started with superficial Instagram pictures, with the sole purpose of “flexing” my outfits in hopes of catching her attention. Even though having photoshoots were fun, It took awhile for me to realize how dull and meaningless it was. I realized Photography to me was not about impressing a girl or anyone. It was the heart racing feeling of exploring new places, the old ecstasy of seeing an image on my computer that was actually captured in focus, the pride that I felt as I released my photos with captions quoting generic song lyrics. But most importantly, the feeling of content as I continuously recognize how shoddy my previous works were and how shoddy my current works will be to me in the future.

One day I decided that I would make a video to immortalize the memories of my friends and my youth from the critical 4 years of highschool that had shaped me. I gathered every video clip and ounce of nostalgia I could find and compiled it with the epitome of sappy songs. From then on, Photography evolved and branched into Videography, sparking my passion for capturing and sharing my modest perspective on the nuances of life.

Nothing has ever excited me more than the process of capturing, editing, and sharing visuals. I never regretted taking that dumb risk.

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