My Unexpected Love Affair with Photography
In 2016, while traveling from Chicago to Miami regularly to date a girl named Rayna (now my wife), we spent a lot of time exploring together. We took in the beautiful Miami sunsets, wandered along beaches, marveled at the city’s vibrant hotels, and soaked in that iconic South Florida light.
Without even realizing it, I began framing scenes in my mind, drawn to the way sunlight cast shadows across the beach, the sharp lines of buildings, and the golden hour’s glow over the skyline. Something inside me clicked; I felt a shift, an unconscious urge to start capturing what I saw.
Rayna & I, circa 2016
A year later, after we got married, we took a trip to San Francisco to visit my sister-in-law. That city was like nothing I’d ever seen before—the vibrancy, the diversity, the intensity of the colors—it hit me deeply. I knew in that moment I needed a camera. My wife, ever practical, suggested I get something cheap to start with. But I knew this would be my thing. Photography felt like a part of me that had been waiting to come out, so I searched online and found a Canon Rebel T6i on Craigslist, which I bought without hesitation. My journey had officially begun.
With that first camera in my hands, I was unstoppable. I photographed everything. I’d pull over while driving to capture birds, animals, construction workers, city skylines—anything that caught my eye.
Each shot was an experiment, a piece of my learning curve. My first paid gig came soon after: $100 to shoot an event. But when I delivered the photos, the client hated every single one of them. I was horrified. That could have been the end, buttttt it wasn’t. Instead of quitting, the setback lit a fire in me. I knew I had it in me to get better, so I kept pushing.
The small jobs continued to trickle in, each one a new lesson in lighting, composition, and storytelling. One day on a trip to Miami I went to Lincoln Road in Miami Beach I found myself in an Apple store where I saw a drone. It was the DJI Mavic Pro in alpine white. It was beautufl. I asked an employee for a demo. He took me out back and launched the drone into the air. My jaw dropped. Pure magic. Watching that drone hover midair, steady and precise was such a shock, I couldnt even imagine that being a possibility. It felt like the future, and I was obsessed.
Obviously shortly after, I bought my first drone, the same model and fell instantly in love. I started sending it up everywhere, capturing aerial shots wherever I could. On any trip to Miami I would drive around searching for new vistas, new vantage points to capture more magic. Soon after I started shooting aerial video with it.
Around that time Rayna was pregnant so we took a baby-moon to Greece. We stayed in Oia Santorini and wow what a place. Oia, Santorini, perched on the edge of the caldera, its whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches look straight out of a postcard. The sunsets there are unforgettable, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. Whether you’re exploring the tiny shops and winding streets or just soaking in the views, Oia feels like stepping into a dream. Below are some photos from the Greece trip!
After that trip I pursued photo and video relentlessly, and the Universe started sending projects and jobs my way. I began incorporating video into my portfolio, expanding my abilites, always pushing to learn and create something different. We were living in Chicago at the time, and while doing electronic repair full time, I was a photographer and videographer on the side.
After 2 years of living in Chicago, experiencing the cold and the crime, my wife and I called it quits and packed our bags for Hollywood Florida. After settling down our quality of life greatly improved and I quickly migrated my business to cater to South Florida. Currently i am based in Hollywood, servicing the Soflo community, while occasionally traveling for work.
Over the past seven years, I went from taking those first snapshots on Miami’s beaches to working with celebrities and athletes around the world. It’s been a whirlwind journey, filled with challenges, learning, and incredible experiences. Through it all, the love for capturing a moment, for framing the world around me, has stayed the same.
This journey began with a single decision to pick up a camera, and it’s still just beginning. Photography has given me the gift of seeing the world with new eyes, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.