Why I often carry a camera…
I often carry a camera because I never know when I am going to be excited to create a photograph or find an image that I want to memorialize, those instances, for me, are rarely planned.
Inspiration often happens between destinations: walking through the city, waiting for the subway, running out to grab lunch. A familiar street can suddenly become unrecognizable when the sun shifts, someone moves through the frame, or a reflection transforms the subject. These moments are fleeting. Without my camera, they remain only a passing observation.
This is why everyday observation is central to my work. I am drawn to the visual tensions that reveal themselves in ordinary spaces: soft light against hard architecture, movement against a still background, nature interrupting the manmade environment, and reflections that create a second version of the world.
A camera gives me a reason to slow down. It helps me pay attention to details that are easy to miss: the rhythm of windows on a building, shadows stretching across pavement, a shift in weather, or an interesting person becoming part of a composition.
I do not carry a camera because every outing needs to result in a photograph. More often, I carry it as a reminder to remain curious and present. Photography has changed the way I experience every place. I rarely just pass along a street or through a neighborhood; I look for what might reveal its character.
Sometimes that means photographing something recognizable, like the skyline or a known landmark. Often, it means noticing what is hidden in plain sight: a puddle reflecting the city, an unexpected pattern in a fence or reflection, a fleeting gesture, or a moment when light makes the familiar feel new.
The strongest photographs often come from moments that cannot be repeated. A person steps into the frame. Clouds shift, and the light lasts for only a few seconds. These images cannot be planned completely, but they can be recognized when you are prepared.
That is why I like to carry a camera.
It is not only a tool for making photographs. It is my way of moving through the world with greater attention, ready for the moment when something ordinary becomes unexpected.