Welcome and Introduction

Welcome, friends! I’m honored that you have found your way to my website. This project is an expression of my passions for photography, travel, and anthropology. I believe that cultural education is more important than ever in our increasingly connected world, and not just for travelers; learning about other ways of life, cultural practices, and history can be mind-expanding and life-changing for all. 

My love of photography grew alongside my love of travel. As I visited new places from my hometown of Austin, Texas with family, school groups, and on my own, I found a camera always in my hand. It is a great privilege and an incredible honor to be able to travel and create images that seek to share the beauty of this world and its diverse cultures and ecosystems. My fascination with the history and culture of the people of the world led me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, the study of human cultures in the past and present. Anthropology examines the human experience, including how humans interact with their environment and with each other to create cultural practices and power structures that influence social dynamics, diet, language, economic systems, religious beliefs, political structures, and more. 

What can photography contribute to anthropological conversation? An image can communicate nuance, texture, and a human quality that text cannot provide. Photography can humanize individuals and illustrate themes in an impactful way. When consumed in context, I believe images have a great role to play in contributing to cultural education and communication. 

My first photography book “Through the Lens of Culture: Northern India” features some of the many cultural traditions and historical events in northern India. In October 2017, my husband and I traveled across the region, from the Himalayas to the Thar Desert.  The “Through the Lens of Culture” series will feature content on the history and culture of particular geographic regions while celebrating the beauty of the natural and human worlds. My hope is that by setting photographs in context, readers will be able to engage with the material in a more meaningful way than with prints alone, whether as travel inspiration or as educational and artistic material.

The next two areas of focus in the “Through the Lens of Culture” series will be Yunnan Province and Texas. In 2014, while working towards a degree in Anthropology from Connecticut College, I had the great pleasure of spending a semester studying in Yunnan Province, China with the School for International Training (SIT). Based out of Kunming, the program highlighted the various cultures and ethnic minorities of China. As for Texas, I’m looking forward to creating and sharing material that celebrates the diverse cultures of the region. The central Texas hill country is where I first began to practice photography and learn about the world as a child, so it seems only fitting that I turn my focus to my local environment. 

If you are a fellow photographer, anthropologist, traveler, or lover of learning, I’d love to hear from you! Does this material resonate with you? What countries or regions would you like to learn more about?

Thank you, dear reader, for embarking on this journey with me. I can’t wait to see where it leads!