Duration: Four years.

Location: London, United Kingdom.

Education: I have no qualifications or certificates from higher education. Everything I do know of photography has been from being self taught—I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Career path: As cliché as it sounds, I believe in the phrase: “You were born to be creative.” School wasn’t my finest time in life: I struggled socially and even though I did well academically, it just wasn’t something I enjoyed. I’m far more of an individual when it comes to acquiring knowledge. Instagram was my inspiration to start trying photography. I took pictures on my phone originally while traveling. At the beginning of my career, I went through the stage of boosting the contrast to the moon and back in my photos—an editing style I would not recommend.

In 2017, I purchased my initial camera and then got my pro setup in 2018. I learned the trade, traveled around the world and spoke to other creatives on a regular basis. It’s been quite the journey, but I’m happy with where I am today. I work full-time as a designer, so being able to photograph for clients has become a luxury. After including more brand and product photography into my portfolio, I’m sure it will become more of a regular occurrence.

Cultural influences: Other photographers and creatives. I love being inspired by others who travel and create art with photography. My surroundings are my next push to get creative. I love landscapes, and visiting places such as Switzerland and Iceland lets you see the world differently—it’s beautiful beyond imagination.

Favorite projects: My photos documenting my personal travels around the world make me the most proud; capturing Earth’s beauty gives me the biggest buzz in photography. With landscapes and portraiture, it’s all about telling a story. I like to capture atmosphere and depth with my work, bring it to life for others to see and incorporate scale into landscapes, folding sheer size and mass into the surroundings.

Also, there’s no greater feeling than seeing some of the product and brand shoots that were done on a low budget come to life so dramatically. An example would be my shoot with Bombay Sapphire that consisted of a bottle of gin and my parents’ bathtub filled with water. Expensive isn’t always best. Creativity will take you further than that in life.

Work environment: I have a 9-to-5 job in the city, and then I work on photo shoots or editing in the same evening. It can be long and tiring, but it’s worth it.

Aspirations: In five to ten years, I would like to have more of a foothold in the photography world. I want to work more with brands, especially smaller companies to really help them grow into their own industry.

Philosophy: My guiding philosophy is to not let others be a hindrance to passion. People are so heavily influenced by social media and other individuals in everything we do. If you have a goal in life, go and achieve it in a way that you are most comfortable. You’ll be happier and more fulfilled having achieved something your way.

Photography is hard work. You have to put in the hours to learn and understand the functionality and visual sides of creating art through a camera. I’m still learning and will continue to do so throughout my career.