What are three life moments that made you who you are today?

Growing up around nature and spending a lot of time outdoors as a kid shaped me. For most of my teenage years I competed in ski jumping, a wonderfully odd sport that opened my world in many ways. And I’m lucky to have worked with a lot of great teachers, but studying photography with Linda Rossi stands out as transformative.

Who or what is inspiring you these days? What’s shaping your thinking?

A couple recent photobooks I’ve been enjoying are Portrait of J by Takashi Homma and To Be Developed, To Be Continued by Odette England. I find music very inspiring and lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Greg Mendez.

Do you feel you are more instinctual or intentional when you create?

A good deal of both but I’d say I skew more instinctual when shooting and intentional when editing.

What does the city of Berlin mean to you, and how does that relationship shape the way you photograph it?

I’ve only been to Berlin for the two weeks I was there to shoot this project, so I sort of only know the city through photographing it. Coming out of pandemic lockdown I wanted to travel and shoot somewhere I had never been before. I chose Berlin at the recommendation of a friend.

Traumstadt draws inspiration from Wings of Desire (1987). What is it about that film that resonates with you?

I learned about the film from a photographer I met while in Berlin. In one scene an old man character looks through an August Sander book at the library before searching for a train station he remembers from his youth. Purely by chance my hostel had been a couple blocks from that station, and I included a picture of it in the book.

What do you want people to think or feel as they flip through the pages of your book?

I’d hope some of the curiosity I felt while walking around looking at a new place made its way onto the pages, but if people feel anything that’s a win.

Can you think of one piece of good advice someone gave you, and who said it?

Not advice given to me per se, but Walt Whitman had a note at his desk that read ‘Make the work’. I like this as a gentle reminder to not overthink and get out there and do it.

What is one thing you want to accomplish this next year?

I’m excited to shoot more for a project I’ve been developing closer to home that’s slowly taking shape.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?

I’ve always wanted to spend time in Japan, and I’d love to make some work there.

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