Wherever I am, I am intrigued by the world around me.
Born in Tokyo and raised in Okinawa, I stayed in the United States after college. I was a career educator as a classroom teacher, school librarian, and university professor. In this latter role, my research centered on picturebooks with a focus on interpreting the visual facets of the books. My career led to teaching, speaking, and research opportunities in a dozen or so countries a year and I always had a camera with me. I’ve been a lifetime traveler and photographer of whatever catches my eye.
These days, I work to create visuals and my days are shaped by the pursuit of photography.
Throughout life, we have numerous opportunities to see the world differently, but sometimes, new perspectives emerge for reasons previously thought unimaginable. This pandemic has been just such a catalyst. It changed how I occupy the world on a day-to-day basis. For me, photography became a more dedicated passion. I built on my background of analyzing visual narratives to apply those understandings to photography; I also pursued the techniques more specifically and considered the artistry of photography. It is this experience of having lived through these times that afforded me the time, space, and mindset to reflect on photography in new ways.
Photo Credit: Kambua Chema, 2021