1. Your work is deeply inspired by your faith in God. Can you tell us more about how your spiritual beliefs inform your approach to photography? Without God, I wouldn’t have life. I have always been searching for meaning and purpose, but I have taken some wrong turns, indulged myself in philosophies and spiritualties that only twisted my soul and mind, and I ended up feeling that my life couldn’t possibly have any value or importance. For some time, my conclusion was that I am only a clump of cells in the grand ocean of existence, there were many before me and there will be many after. People are born, they live and die – nothing matters, I don’t matter. That way of thinking, teenage rebellion and some wrong choices along the way, got me pretty depressed...until God saved me. When I heard the Bible for the first time – it was like a gulp of air after a long time of drowning. It was hope, it was life, it was more real than anything I have ever experienced before. I started praying and reading the Bible regularly, God convicted me of my sin and I gave my life to Him. There is no life apart from God – He is life. There is no truth apart from Him – He is truth, He is the One who created each and every person in His own image, to know and fulfil their purpose – which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. He is Light – without Him we are all tumbling in the darkness, the blind leading the blind. Jesus gave His own life so whoever believes in Him would not just decay and die but would find new life and hope in God, not only now, but in eternity. Through my art, through my photography, I want to reflect at least a little glimpse of glory, of hope and beauty that I see in this marvellous world that God created. He is the grand designer, responsible for inventing every colour, every detail, all things seen and unseen. 2. Your portraits have a unique ability to capture the inner beauty and vulnerability of each subject. What is it about people that draws you to capturing their stories through photography? For me, working with people is very special – each emotion, movement, moment – it tells a story about the inner person. I believe, people – the image bearers of God Himself – are such a complex and immaculate masterpiece in creation. It’s my joy and honour to pause the moment and commemorate someone’s journey. Everyone is so unique, so beautiful, strong and fragile in their own way. I desire to reflect the beauty and wonder of God in each person I photograph, to capture reality, to catch a moment of joy, a sparkle of hope, and to glorify God and bless people with my work. 3. You mentioned that you view each person as a "treasure waiting to be seen and discovered." Can you share a particular moment or experience where you felt like you uncovered a hidden treasure in someone's story? A few years back, I did a Christmas photoshoot for one family, where I took pictures of a little boy and his twin baby brothers. Oh, how patiently and carefully that little boy was tending to his new-born siblings, how he carefully cuddled them and kissed them and tried to comfort them when they cried. And those little twins, so pure and innocent, so similar but different at the same time , so absolutely precious. Each little movement and baby noise – so sweet and beautiful, as they lay together, reaching for each other’s hands. Sometimes you don’t even need to hear a story. Those little children are only at the very beginning of their life journey, yet surely they are some of the most wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of photographing. 4. Your use of light and composition is incredibly striking. Can you walk us through your creative process when approaching a new shoot, and how you decide on the visual elements that will bring the portrait to life? Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say. When someone reaches out to me about taking photos, I usually start with a little chat to understand my clients expectations and vision for the photoshoot and how they would like the pictures to turn out. I ask them about their preferred locations, invite them to send me any examples of photographs they may admire and want to recreate or share any other details and ideas. I believe post-editing plays a big role in ‘bringing portraits to life’. The ability to edit well and highlight little intricacies, deciding whether to work with natural colours or to make the portrait monochrome, in order to fulfil the vision, is what makes the final product ‘art’. 5. You've mentioned that you're constantly amazed by the depth and complexity of human emotions. How do you strive to capture these nuances in your photographs? I try to get to know people a little better, to connect on a more personal level, making sure everyone feels comfortable. I seek to bring out and capture true emotions in my portraits, and it’s much harder to do when people don’t feel comfortable. I also always pray before meeting people. People are complex and unique because they were designed that way by God. People have an imprint of God, they are created in His own image, and reflect His eternal beauty. Of course, we can’t reflect God’s beauty fully or perfectly, we are all fallen and suffering the consequences of sin and bad decisions, surviving in the brokenness and fragility of this world and of our own souls. But still endlessly longing for hope and light, with hearts made to be fulfilled by the love of God. I want to communicate the vulnerability and art of the moment in life, to capture the beauty hidden deep inside the person, to remind people how real and beautiful they are. 6. As an artist, you're always looking for ways to grow and evolve. What's the most challenging or pushing project you've taken on recently, and how did it help you grow as a photographer? I think capturing and editing my own self-portraits has been the most challenging project I have taken on recently. But it has also been a very rewarding project in many ways. Growing up, I used to love taking pictures with my friends, but it was always about looking attractive and pretty, finding the most flattering angle and smiling. My ‘Foxtail’ self-portrait series had a very different purpose. I wanted to reflect on my own struggle with facing the changing seasons of life, on how the time never waits for anyone, and all we can do is accept this reality. We are born with eternity in our hearts. Even positive changes can be challenging, progress can be tedious – the growing pains of life, the raw beauty of existence. I wanted to be real and vulnerable, but it can be hard not to fake yourself even to yourself. Looking at myself through the lens of a camera felt awkward and uncomfortable. I didn’t start the process of post-editing the pictures for a long time after the photoshoot. My vision for the Foxtail series was inspired by Rembrandtesque art style and Sfumato shading and colour palette. The Foxtail series was a personal reflective project, a lot of thought and effort went into both capturing and editing the images. Overall, I am very happy with how it turned out and, so far, it has been my most successful, widely published and exhibited photography project. 7. You've had the opportunity to work with many different subjects over the years. Are there any particular themes or emotions that you find yourself drawn to again and again in your work? I value capturing any raw emotion, but I think my favourite one to commemorate is joy. I love catching a glimpse of real happiness in people’s eyes, the wholehearted laughter, the look of love...joy is hard to hide, it’s so powerful and it spreads like fire. A moment of joy makes a beautiful memory. 8. Your photographs often have a sense of intimacy and vulnerability to them. How do you build trust with your subjects, and what do you believe is key to capturing these authentic moments? I think the key to capturing authentic moments is viewing each person, and your time with them, as something special, something to be treasured and remembered. For me, even before meeting the people I am about to work with, I pray for them and believe that those are the people God has ordained for me to meet at this moment in our lives. I look forward to hearing their thoughts and getting a glimpse into their life journey. I build trust by just chatting, being open and emotionally available. Usually, as the photoshoot progresses, people start feeling more comfortable and confident. 9. As someone who is deeply inspired by God, how do you see your photography contributing to the larger conversation about faith, spirituality, and human connection? My hope and the desire of my heart, is for everything in my life to be done for the glory of God. I want to reflect His creative touch, His artistry, through my own art. God is the amazing architect who carefully constructed the world and moulded every person in it, creating life. I believe it is God who blessed me with artistic vision and appreciation of small things. Where there are people, there will always be creativity and conversation about spirituality and human connection. Deep inside of our souls, there is a persistent longing for authenticity, for salvation, for God. Photography is one of many ways to creatively reflect on our existence, by freezing the moment and trying to notice the unseen. 10. Looking back on your body of work, what do you hope viewers take away from your photographs? Is there a particular message or emotion that you hope resonates with them? I want my viewers to be reminded that life is beautiful and a miracle in itself. That every person has great depth to them, that every person is uniquely beautiful in their own way, valuable and loved, because God Himself knitted them together, they are God’s amazing work of art. That portraiture isn’t about being photogenic or stereotypically good-looking, but about being open, vulnerable and brave enough to be real.