​When taking group photos, I prefer to give people minimal direction, mainly because I’m the type of photographer who’s most drawn to genuine facial expressions that come about only when the people act as if I’m not there. Kids and teens particularly have the purest interactions with one another during social times, and it makes me feel like I’ve contributed a great deal to preserving their friendships when I get pictures of the zany stuff they’ll do. I like to document teenage girls braiding their long-haired guy friend’s hair, or thirteen-year-old girls doing a piggyback on top of a piggyback. To further make the kids (and adults) feel transported back to the time of the event, I occasionally include special effects in my photos. This includes action shots during sports and games with fast shutter speeds as well as the opposite: long-exposure photography at a dance party. In doing this, I set a colored flash off and move the camera around other lights (such as glowsticks) with the shutter still open, giving an awesome effect that makes the dance floor come alive. To me, getting laid-back candid photos like these are just as important to document as the first kiss between a bride and groom.