Personal Background: I grew up in Rochester MI. I am adopted from Pusan, South Korea, my parents grew up in Detroit MI. I was raised culturally Polish, I always knew I was adopted but I gravitated more toward my Polish roots. My parents are traditional, conservative Catholics, I tend to lean a little more left than they do ;) I attended public schooling K-12. I once tried to attend private schooling at Notre Dame Prep (high school), where my brother attended many moons ago- but it didn't stick, I begged to go back with my friends. Glad I did cause in high school is where I found my mentor and art teacher, Ms. Diane Heath. I was fortunate enough to have creative people in my friend circle. My parents, on the other hand, are very book smart- zero creativity, in fact, my mom will tell you I never got any artistic abilities from her. So back to high school; I was in AP art classes and immediately started working on my portfolio. I am trained in a dark room before digital ever came around. These fundamentals of art and photography helped create the artist I am. I don't care what kind of fancy equipment someone has; if you don't know the rule of thirds, aperture, shutter speed- you will struggle. I attended classes during high school at Center for Creative Studies. My senior year 2004, all students had to submit to Center for Creative Studies Scholastic Awards- I won three gold key pieces and a gold key portfolio. My photographs were displayed in an art gallery in New York for a month.
Style: I really like this photographers style because she is very creative with her pictures. The one I really enjoy is the one downtown with the guy listening to music because it expresses his feelings and I can relate to it because I really get into my music when I listen to it. I also like Katie's Przygocki style because she has a good eye and takes pictures at just the right time. She also has great lighting with just the perfect setting. She doesn't do much editing which I love because she doesn't have to change her work. Philosophy: Major ideas behind my work- depends on what I am shooting. I always do research on what I am shooting before going to meet the people, animals, whatever! Were they political, personal, social? Again depends on what I am shooting. The only political pieces I have done were for the Womans March I tend to keep politics out of my work directly to govt etc. But if its something like an individual family effected by something (ex a family suffering from the Flint Water Crisis) I will feature the family and their hardships over the actual crisis that media highlights. So its on a more personal level. My trip to Columbia was an Origin Trip to learn about coffee etc. I since then have learned that every farm is a family and that we have a lot of white privilege in coffee- but I would not necessarily make my pieces political. "say" with my photographs- whatever that emotion was evoked at the time of the shoot. If its a family portrait, what is that family like without the camera
Influence: This artist has influenced me in how I take my pictures. I did a photoshoot with this photographer has she really loves details in her pictures which I LOVE. She also thought me to love my work without editing it to much. She also made me love natural lighting and casting shadows. She also takes the picture just at the right timing. I just really love this artist's style.