The Captain of our military escort was very into selfies, so I had promised him a photo with my camera, which of course led to most of the unit, but it gave me a chance to play with my newest lens: The Petzval 55 Mark II

Life will try to convince you Women don't belong in certain spaces, but in my case, it's not my camera allowing passage into the intimate moments of life, but the cross-cultural bond of women.

My time in Tanzania didn’t seem unique at the time as I bounced along dirt roads photographing Tanzanian families, but looking back I realize it’s significance. I was 17 weeks pregnant at the time and “planning” on not skipping a beat as I entered my own motherhood journey.

“Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.”

— Khaled Hosseini

I drifted in and out forgetting where I was at times, when the sound of somebody being sick threw me wide awake again at 4am. I then clearly remembered where I was and decided to step out of the tent for a starlit view of Everest. I crawled out of the tent to see a stream of headlamps moving across the Khumbu icefall and the stars lighting up the mountain.

LET HER DREAM

I've pushed this idea away over and over, telling myself I do not belong in this space. Then I realized, this isn't about me - it's about HER!

So I decided I’m going to start sharing recorded “interviews” or what I hope can feel more like casual conversations with girls facing adversity in different areas of the world.

Nine years and many village sunsets later, I have come to realize how even the best intentions can’t make marketing photos for quality organizations legal. Photographing with the desire to share humanitarian stories, is not always acceptable without a few ethical guidelines.