When I was nine years old, my grandma let me borrow her camera, and that’s when I first fell in love with photography. I remember how exciting it felt to look through the lens and capture little moments I didn’t want to forget.

In 5th grade, I joined the media club, which gave me my first real chance to explore cameras and creativity with others. From there, I continued to grow my passion by joining the Creative Media programs in both middle school and high school.

During my freshman year of high school, my grandma and grandpa bought me my first professional camera, a gift that truly changed everything. That’s when I started my page, SJRCREATES, in 2020 to share my work and practice my craft. I began by photographing senior portraits for friends and classmates, which quickly became one of my favorite ways to capture memories.

What started as a passion project slowly blossomed into something bigger, and in 2025, I made SJRCREATES official. Photography has been part of my story for as long as I can remember, and I’ll always be grateful to my grandparents for encouraging me to follow this dream.