I am interested in using photography as a way to create personal encounters.  In the summer of 2001, I lived alone in a cabin built by my grandparents on the Allegheny river. I photographed my surroundings every day in order to connect to the lives and self-understanding of the people I met.  My camera continues to provide an initial bridge into new communities, allowing me to access these spaces with the goal of helping to tell the stories I find there.