about me I think I've been artistic ever since I was a child. I remember drawing a lot and being happy when I received new crayons and markers -- any art supplies really. I had never thought I would pursue being an artist but I did. Somehow my life's journey led me to get my bachelor's degree in art and to begin a master's program in photography. In college, I fine-tuned my artistic style. I drew, painted, and sculpted, even worked on a short video. It was awesome and I was having a great time. During my last quarter of college, I decided to take an introduction to photography course as an elective. Little did I know that I would actively seek to pursue photography. I earnestly practiced shooting with my first SLR camera, processed my own black and white film, and made my own prints. It amazed me that I could use light to capture different facets of a subject. I had difficulty doing that in my painting. When I painted I relied on my emotions to guide my brushstrokes. This was very time-consuming and photography gave me faster gratification. Light became my palette and my camera became my paintbrush. The frame was now my canvas as I continued to deal with issues of composition and contrast. I enjoyed it a lot but I showed off new images to a few. Criticism, even the good kind, I had a hard time receiving. When I was taking graduate courses, I had tried to challenge myself as much as possible, but I could not help but feel overwhelmed. I had classmates who were shooting for years and years, and who were schooled in a four-year undergraduate photography program. I only had a few months experience at that time. Nonetheless, I quickly learned about toning, shooting with medium format cameras, studio lighting, using color print and reversal film, presentation techniques, and alternative processes. I reluctantly took on digital photography and printing. I thought I would be an "old school" photographer and tried to avoid going digital as soon as I could. But I turned to the "dark side," and even today it's hard to believe I felt that way. Now I only shoot digitally. But all was not all fields of flowers. I lost my enthusiasm for photography, for art somehow. Professionally, I was headed for a different direction. I was making a career change. My photographic equipment collected a lot of dust. The last year was not the best year. It has been a curse and a blessing. But I have found in me a renewed enthusiasm for photography. I am not going to question it and just go with it for now. history Education University of California, Davis B.A. in Art Studio, 1998 Academy of Art University M.F.A. Candidate in Photography, to be completed Exhibits/Experience Student Photography Art Show Basement Gallery, UC Davis Art Building, 1998 Contributing Photographer Here is New York: A Democracy of Photographs, 2001-2002 Photo Editor AOL/Digital City, 2002-2003 future plans Not quite sure at this moment. I'll update this section when I figure that out. Want to know more or have a question. Ask me a question or send me an e-mail.