Photography originally started as a vehicle for myself to assimilate into suburban culture. I was attending college at the time, and I was insecure about my upbringing and belonging to the inner city. I dabbled in wildlife photography; shooting a lot of forest preserves, and scenery outside of the city. Nothing felt nature, or honest. One night, while coming home - I decided to photograph the landscape of my area. Then the people and their lives passing through Chicago's Southside. That's when I felt like I saw my home for the first time, and I begin to appreciate the background I came from.