Duration: I first picked up a camera as a young child and fell immediately in love with the art. I got my professional start working as a photographer for a community paper in Dallas when I was just a teenager, and, after graduating from the School of Hard Knocks, continued to build my expertise, expanding into advertising as well.
Staff: I have several wonderful assistants.
Education: Learning never stops. I’ve taken classes at local colleges and attended seminars and trainings. But most important, I pick up a camera every day to try something new.
Cultural Influences: My photography has been shaped and inspired by my family and life experiences, including my time working as a corrections officer at the Salt Lake County jail, my work with cancer survivors, and watching firsthand the perseverance of Hmong immigrants to the United States when I volunteered with them for two years in my early twenties. I am the cofounder of canSURVIVE, an annual fundraiser for UCREW (Utah Cancer Resource and Education for Women). I spend each year photographing cancer survivors to be showcased in a gallery stroll, the proceeds of which benefit the group’s Needs Beyond Medicine program. It is humbling and an honor to photograph these brave, strong people.
Environment: I shoot mainly on location. I edit all my photos in my home office or any coffee house with WiFi.
Philosophy: Pick up a camera every day and find projects that inspire.
With his basset hound Lucy, My Associate Cornelius designs in his Kansas-based studio.