ABOUT

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I got into photography after breaking my foot during basketball season, which was a real bummer. Instead of sitting around doing nothing during practice (since it happened during the school day), I decided to get creative. I talked to my art teacher, Mr. Hyland, who also happened to teach photography at my middle school. I wasn’t in his photo class, but I did take his art class, so he knew me well enough to trust me when I asked to borrow a camera for the weekend. I had no clue what I was doing, but I took the camera to our Saturday game and had a blast shooting it. The photos weren’t great—let’s just say I was learning—but the players loved them anyway, which made me feel like I was onto something.

I got my first camera for Christmas, and it was the best gift I could’ve asked for. Soon after, I was lucky enough to try my hand at soccer photography for my middle school team. To really step up my game, my dad rented me a fancy 70-200mm f/2.8 RF lens—seriously, that thing was a beast. It felt like holding a tiny telescope, and I probably looked way more professional than I actually was. On top of that, my brother had done some photography before, so I “borrowed” (permanently, of course) some of his gear. Let’s just say his gear mysteriously found a new home in my camera bag. It was all a perfect setup to dive into sports photography, and I was having the time of my life experimenting and learning along the way.

With most of the middle school sports seasons wrapping up, I decided to switch gears (literally) and start shooting car meets in downtown Menlo Park. I wasn’t exactly a pro at this either, but it was something totally new and exciting. I’ve always had an interest in cars, so being around all the sleek designs, roaring engines, and neon lights felt like stepping into a Fast & Furious movie—minus the explosions. My photos were, let’s just say, “enthusiastic” rather than polished, but I was having so much fun experimenting with angles and trying to capture the energy of the meets. Plus, it gave me a whole new world to explore with my camera, and that was thrilling in itself.

Even though the middle school sports season had wrapped up, my brother’s high school swim season was still in full swing, so I found myself poolside with my camera. Shooting swimming was a whole new challenge—turns out water is very reflective, and swimmers move way faster than I expected. But it was such a cool experience to capture the intensity of the races, the splashes, and those determined faces mid-stroke. I had no idea what I was doing half the time, but I was getting better with each meet. Plus, I was a swimmer myself, so I wasnt to bored sitting around watching while most would get bored.

I kept shooting my brother’s swim meets and eventually found myself at WBAL Champs, which was a big deal for his team—and for me as a photographer. It was such an exciting atmosphere, with all the teams cheering and the water flying everywhere. During one of the races, I managed to capture one of my favorite shots of all time: a celebration shot.

I kept shooting sports, but eventually, my brother’s high school graduation rolled around, and I decided to bring my camera along for that too. The school had hired professional photographers, but they were strictly business—snapping shots during the ceremony and then packing up. I, on the other hand, presented myself as the go-to photographer for all the post-ceremony moments. Family photos, friends hugging, caps flying—you name it, I was there capturing it. It felt great to step up and deliver something personal.

As a swimmer, I got the chance to attend a meet in Indianapolis as a spectator, and it was an awesome experience, especially since my mom volunteers for USA Swimming. While I was there, I spotted one of my favorite swimming photographers, Jack Spitser, and after the meet, I made sure to introduce myself. We started chatting, and he was super cool about sharing tips and talking about photography. We even connected on Instagram, where we kept in touch after the event. Over time, Jack hooked me up with a media pass for Stanford Swimming through his connections—something I never would’ve been able to get on my own. It was an incredible opportunity, and we’ve talked about working together at even bigger events in the future.

I had an amazing summer, shooting photos of our travels and cars in Monaco, but before I knew it, school was back in session. That meant I was back to shooting high school sports, and football quickly became my main focus. I was shooting game after game, and at one of these, I met Luca Mazzie, a journalist for West Coast Preps. We hit it off, and he ended up introducing me to his boss, Greg, the chief writer at West Coast Preps. After chatting with Greg, I landed an unpaid internship with them, where I got to shoot sports for the site and their social media accounts. It opened up some incredible opportunities, like working in media boxes and covering big events alongside Luca. It was a huge step in my photography journey, and It has been so fun to be part of such a cool team.

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