I started in photography in the fifth grade when I began to fool around with my father’s camera. By the seventh grade I was hooked and became the dark room manager of my junior high school in Miami, Florida. I loved watching the images come to life on the paper as we developed them in the different chemicals. I can still smell that distinct scent in the dark room lab. I considered myself somewhat of a photography spy and loved to take photos of people without them knowing I was there. My brother playing with his star wars figurines, the neighbor getting her mail, and my sister putting on her makeup. They captured a simple moment in time and I loved to take them and study them once they were developed. My favorite photos have always been of people. I am intrigued by smiles and body language and “reading” someone simply by studying them and their photograph.
In the jungles and remote villages of Honduras, I photographed children who were delighted and surprised to see their own faces on my screen. The photos of their faces are simple and beautiful. They aren’t “trying” to smile, just looking with wonder and awe at me and my camera. They are some of my favorite photos I have ever taken.
I decided long ago that my motto in photography (and life) would be:
“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.”
― Marvin J. Ashton