I grew up in Berkeley, California, and got my first camera, a small point-and-shoot, when I was 11. What really got me into photography was going to "Genesis," an exhibit by the Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado. His images of vast landscapes and wildlife inspired me to bring my camera with me whenever I traveled, and they also made me think about how much of the natural world is at risk of disappearing.

My high school photography teacher taught me that photos can be a way to communicate and learn without speaking. That idea has stuck with me, and I hope my photos can help people care a little more about places, people, and animals they may never get to see in person. Lately, most of my shooting has been in Costa Rica, where I'm living for a year on a fellowship focused on sustainable agriculture.

I mostly shoot for fun, but my work has been published by NPR, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan News, Futurity, and the Daily Californian.