ABOUT | MY STORY

The Beginnings of Photography

In February of 2020, I purchased my first DSLR camera; A month later, the world shut down. The all-too-familiar COVID-19 pandemic made us re-think the way live our lives. Despite the difficulties, it was an opportunity to take a step back into the basics of everything we value. For me, this meant my family living in the same house again, after years of being distanced due to college and jobs. It also meant an opportunity to experiment with my new camera, watch tutorials, and explore the great DMV area, socially distanced and masked.

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Just in the first few weeks of this shut-down world, I realized how much of a blessing my camera would be. I took in Washington D.C. and Virginia through the lens of my camera, finding my first pieces of work being shared by travel pages. It was surreal! And motivation to keep working; I knew I was no Peter McKinnon yet (one of my favorite photographers), but it was so rewarding to be recognized for my images. 

As 2021 rolled around, I especially expressed interest in automotive photography. I was itching for a summer of car shows as an opportunity to make connections and photograph some incredible vehicles. That February, I noticed a local car dealership had a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (pictured below) - of course I had to check it out. I reached out to Carter Iverson, a sales consultant at the time, and he invited me in. I snapped some photos and toured the dealership with Carter. Later that week I met with Kyle McKinzie, owner of Kruse Ford. After seeing my pictures and learning more about me and my career aspirations, I was offered a marketing position at Kruse Motors.

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Present Day

I am in the process of completing my Bachelor of Science in Marketing at Southwest Minnesota State University. In my senior year, I have especially pursued sports photography with the great opportunity to capture NCAA Division II Athletics. My work at Kruse Motors has continued, with the expansion of our new store in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I have been exposed to so many different experiences in different industries, and owe so much to my time at SMSU.

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Looking forward, I am excited to see where the future will take me. I have poured in so much into these different experiences throughout my college years, and know it has set a great foundation for my career ahead in Marketing.

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