I love photography. I have a deep love for self-expression and creativity. The idea of taking simple ideas and thoughts and creating something bigger, something more important, is one of the things I have the most fun doing. I love incorporating themes of togetherness and open flow of ideas in my work. Creating something that affects other people is what makes photos so special; it’s something I will always care about.   

This shoot felt so refreshing. We walked around downtown Long Beach and just found spaces that had a lot of greenery and overgrowing plants, all of which I tried to capture. Right now, a lot of the color schemes in my work are focused on warm tones and fun concepts. I guess that may be because I've been feeling optimistic and spontaneous. I don't know. I find that sometimes my work tends to reflect what I'm feeling. For this particular shoot, I think the photos give off an easygoing feeling: there's a certain comfort and wonder about them.

For some of the shots, I gave my model, Victoria, some creative room to express herself the way she genuinely wanted to in the moment. I usually do this in shoots because I really like making my models feel natural. It also produces something very organic. I just love watching people showcase who they are and what they feel. When doing shoots like this, it's important to me to really try and absorb the moment as much as possible. I want to really take in what's happening and determine whether I should let the images be organic or consist of moments I’ve constructed from my creative vision. Either way, it's always so exciting, and I learn from each project I create.

Adolescent is stoked to be able to bring this and other articles from the pages of Lithium to our readers. This piece was originally written and published on Lithium's official site.