I was born and raised in New York City, about as far removed from nature and wildlife as one can possibly be. Growing up, I never got the opportunity to travel. Instead, I would spend my days traveling the world in Google Maps. I covered my walls from floor to ceiling with posters of animals and far-away places. Before my first international trip, I received a small Panasonic 4/3 camera. As I hiked through the Andes, my camera became my tool for connecting with the people and world around me. I’ve been an avid traveler since. Photography transformed me from a shy kid who had hardly left New York to a world traveler with connections on every continent. 

As an undergrad at Wesleyan University, I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya and Rwanda to study conservation. I went there hoping to get some cool pictures of animals I had dreamed of seeing. When I came face to face with elephants and mountain gorillas and the communities on the frontlines of their conservation, I realized how much more I had to give than some Instagram-worthy pictures. Since then, it’s been my mission to use my camera in the fight to save the world’s wildlife, cultures, and landscapes.