On a trip to Bali in high school, I roamed the beaches with my mother’s old film camera and connected with a local fisherman. I was immediately drawn to his look and authenticity. He didn’t speak English; I didn’t speak Balinese. Despite that, we connected, and he let me take his photograph.

There was something completely serene about that moment of connection and trust—the moment when a passion for storytelling and the characters that shape a destination collided.

For the past twenty-five years, I’ve loved the exchange of photographing a friend or meeting someone new, seeing them as they are, in the place that defines them.

Family, friends, and strangers who became both. This is a story about the people who inspire me, and the moments that still do.