My first collection, ‘where water meets land’ is incredibly meaningful to me, as it is a reflection of a pivotal time in my personal life. What’s even better is that it’s also a full-circle moment today, as my professional life has changed vastly post-pandemic, which has ultimately led me to release this collection.

The coastline has been one place that has consistently brought me joy since I was young. As a kid landlocked in Ohio growing up, one of the tent pole moments of the year was the week spent by the ocean in early June. 

From sun up to sundown, I spent most of that precious week of freedom splashing about where the water meets land on America’s east coast. Skimboarding, body surfing, swimming, it didn’t matter, I lived for that week on the beach.

Since moving to California in 2012, I’ve spent a ton of time at the beach, and while there’s been plenty of great times, I found myself taking to the coastline during hard times, finding comfort at the edge of the water. I’d walk the shore for hours and admire the way the water covered the sand. 

Oddly enough this series of photos was captured during a time in my life where I was theoretically being washed ashore as the tides of change swept through my life. One afternoon in 2017, I decided to take my camera on a walk with me and this set of images was captured, my first session photographing the point where water meets land. 

For five years I came back to these images, knowing that they’d see the light of day eventually but never quite finding the right way to showcase them, until now. While it’s uncertain at this point how many images will complete this series, I’m starting with the original set, and will likely continue to release these in batches for years to come.

For the first collection, I’ll be donating a percentage of the sales to the Surfrider Foundation. One of my favorite things in life is the ocean - the sense of calm I feel close to the water, the joy of riding waves, and Surfrider’s mission is to protect this precious space.

It means the world to me to share these images with you all, but it means so much more to be able to give back via Surfrider.