IRENIA RESTAURANT

August 2018

As creators, we experience a turning point or significant moment in life in which we fully own who we strive to be. We change our self-introductions from “I' am trying to be a ______” to “I am a ______” and completely embody the creator that we are.

Getting to this point, however, is not easy. There can be a lot of internal battles, critiquing ourselves saying “my work isn’t good enough,” or experiencing imposter syndrome saying “I don’t deserve to be in this space.”

The summer of 2018 was when i decided to “try to be a photographer.” My first photo gig was with Irenia, a Filipino American restaurant founded by now friends Ryan and Sarah (unfortunately closed doors in 2019). I remember being in the space, nervously fidgeting with my camera, taking thousands of shots and harshly critiquing myself that only 50 were usable, thinking how did I end up being the person for this gig?

I reluctantly delivered the photos, but was surprised to hear how much Ryan and Sarah loved them. Over time, they invited me into more photoshoot opportunities to be their photographer, introduced me to staff as the photographer, and acknowledged me as their go-to photographer.

It was personally hard to believe such recognition, as I felt I was still ‘trying to be a photographer.” But these moments did help me learn to validate myself as a photographer and believe in myself. Looking back at these photos from the past 3 years, I really can’t help but smile. I am a photographer.

Ryan and Sarah of Irenia, thank you for believing in me.