When I graduated from The Art Institute of Houston in 2002 with an Associate’s in Animation Art and Design, I thought my career would be all about keyframes, 3D models, and digital canvases. I was hooked on the idea of bringing stories to life through motion—whether it was a character bouncing across the screen or a sleek server spinning in a 3D render. But over the years, my creative path took an unexpected turn, leading me into the worlds of photography and videography. It’s been a natural evolution, one that’s expanded my toolkit and deepened my love for visual storytelling.
My first real taste of this shift came early on, during my time at Somnio Solutions from 2005 to 2007. I was an animator back then, building 3D models of HP laptops and Texas Instruments products for customer video presentations. But the job wasn’t just about animation—it involved understanding how light hits a surface, how shadows define shape, and how a camera angle can make or break a shot. I didn’t realize it at the time, but those projects were planting seeds. I started thinking about composition and framing in ways that went beyond the digital realm.
Photography crept in more subtly. While designing high-end PowerPoint presentations for Forcepoint’s Sales Kick-Off Conference in 2024, I found myself onsite in Las Vegas, working with the CFO’s team. I wasn’t just animating slides; I was documenting the process—snapping shots of the setup, the team, the vibe of the event. Those photos weren’t part of the gig, but they became a personal passion. I started experimenting with my camera, playing with depth of field and natural light, much like I’d tweaked textures in Blender 3D years before. It hit me: photography was animation’s quieter cousin, a single frame telling a story all its own.
What ties it all together is the gear in my creative toolbox—After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop—and the mindset I’ve built over 15+ years. Videography lets me blend my motion graphics skills with real-world footage, like when I edited marketing videos for BazaarVoice or shot e-learning modules for Vital Talent. Even Midjourney AI, which I’ve used for concept art, has pushed me to think about visuals in new ways that translate to the lens.
Today, I’m as comfortable behind a camera as I am at a keyboard. Whether I’m shooting a quick social media clip, editing a corporate training video, or capturing a still that freezes a moment perfectly, I see it all as part of the same journey. Animation gave me the foundation—photography and videography gave me the wings. And honestly? I’m just getting started.
