I first picked up a camera at the age of 12 after being inspired by the National Geographic magazines that arrived at my house. I saw that photography could transport me anywhere in the world. I saved my weekly allowance to develop pictures of the natural surroundings in my hometown of Shelton, Connecticut. As a Mexican-American, I began to bring my camera with me on my travels to Mexico to visit family. In college, my interest in culture led me to get a degree in Anthropology. I began photographing my subjects during my anthropological fieldwork and the love of photography took over my life. I began publishing photographs in newspapers around 2001.