Loss changed how I moved through the world and how I remembered what I saw. Over time, I began to understand that shift not only as loss, but as a different way of seeing. I found myself holding more tightly to what remained, not out of denial, but as a way to stay close to those I love. The camera became a way back to them, and to myself.

What might read as an artifact is, for me, a visual truth: a colored streak that echoes one of the distortions I now live with. It cuts across her face like a ribbon, dividing the frame and the moment in two.

Recognition: Semifinalist, Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2025, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.