Christmas Prep

Today we went on a small adventure to two of my least favorite places: Marshalls and Target. As expected, Pizza was deeply sad to see us leave, though thankfully we were back pretty quickly. We didn’t find what we were looking for, and within minutes I was reminded exactly why I avoid those stores: the lighting, the lines, the general sensory overload.

My dad and I have had a name for what that bright, overhead lighting does to us ever since I was a kid. We call it “mall sickness.” Despite feeling very mall sick, I still managed to photograph a mannequin with no pants and take a couple self-portraits at the request of my bestie Paige.

The rest of the day felt slow and full in a good way. A new class on contemplative spirituality, church with my parents + Godfather, wrapping gifts, and eating my current favorite mock-pizza situation (cottage cheese, marinara, avocado, and Ezekiel bread). I also drafted another chapter of my book, and now I’m winding down a bit before a short two-day workweek begins.

This is my favorite time of year for a lot of reasons I won’t get into today. I’m just feeling light lately, grateful, and really excited for Christmas and for the new year ahead. If I don’t post again before then, I’m wishing you happy holidays and a gentle, hopeful start to the year. -J

Pizza's Play Time

Today we woke up to a beautiful light snow cover. One of our favorite things to do is chase Pizza around in the snow and get her all hyped up. Followed by giving her a shower.

Photographing People

What I love most about photography is photographing people. About four years ago, I finally worked up the courage to take my first street portrait. I had always been drawn to the idea of photographing strangers, but the fear of rejection kept me at a distance. Looking back now, that fear feels almost silly. On the other side of that fear has been a lifetime of meaningful, unexpected interactions with people I never would have met if I had stayed small and guarded. Heck, taking street portraits even led directly to one of my personal film projects: HERE - and that’s the thing with street portraits; you never know where they will lead you.

In many ways, street portraiture marked a creative rebirth for me. Each time I showed up, the fear that once felt so loud grew quieter. I began to see how much possibility lived inside a simple act of approaching someone with curiosity and respect. This practice taught me more than any textbook ever could, and it quietly reshaped how I relate to people through a camera. Over time, it also gave me a deeper sense of ease and confidence when photographing or filming people I already know, as well as on film sets. Having been rejected so many times on the street, rejection itself no longer feels so threatening.

This small collection is a mix of both: portraits of strangers and portraits of people from my own life. Different contexts, same practice. Showing up, paying attention, and allowing someone to be seen.

And maybe the most important lesson of all is this: people, no matter how different or intimidating they might seem at first, are for the most part deeply warm, generous, and thoughtful when given the chance.

If you’ve ever felt the pull to photograph strangers, I’d encourage you to listen to it. Whether or not you consider yourself a photographer, the simple act of approaching someone with curiosity has a way of giving back far more than it asks.

Dominican Republic

For the first time in my life, my family decided to ditch our hometown thanksgiving plans for an escape to the islands. I hadn’t done a trip like this in a very long time, so I had a lot of fun relaxing, eating a lot, and taking photos (mainly of my wife). Expect a lot of photos of Lin in this journal, because the two of us do a lot together.

Haulin' Wood

Rolled up to my parents house the other day to see my dad and my nephew with matching wheelbarrows. So of course, I had to document it.

First Snow Day

Our first lil’ snowday here in Towson, MD.

Sights Along The Way

Most of these were taken over the last four years of my life. I’m not typically one to carry regrets, but I can’t help but wonder how different my relationship to my own story might be if I had carried a camera with me everywhere during the first thirty-two years of my life. From here forward, I’m going to try to take my camera with me wherever I go (within reason). I imagine a future where I’m sitting with future generations of my family, sharing these images and the stories that live inside them. Not as proof of where I’ve been, but as a way of remembering how it felt to be there. 

Documenting Brain Surgery

It’s not everyday that I get offered the opportunity to document brain surgery. Fun fact: I should have worn shoe covers while photographing because when I looked down halfway through the day, my shoes were covered in brain matter.

Daily Dog Walk

I tend to take my camera with me anytime I’m feeling stagnant in my photography, so I imagine one of the most common albums you will find here is of Lin walking our dog, Pizza. #SorryNotSorry

Lancaster Day Trip

Spent the first half of the day in Lancaster visiting our good friends, the Rothermels.

Photo Journal Kickoff

I’ve been trying to think of new ways to share my photography outside of instagram, and the best thought I had was to revert to “old school” blogging. My ego hurts because chances are very, very few people will actually look at this journal. But, it’s a more meaningful creative exercise for me. For now. Expect quick shares and lots of photos. Thanks for following along for the journey!