A storyteller and wanderluster.
I'm a traveling photographer, a photojournalist if you will, for worldly lovers. I specialize, (mostly), in documenting celebratory expressions of love and those raw moments in which the human soul sets out to explore the cracks and crevices of the world.
I devote my creative process to sharing the tales of humankind, while deciphering the human experience and the natural world through a loving, earth-centric, and emotive focus. I use mixed mediums in nearly all of my projects to capture the essence of the timelessness found within all people, places, and things that exist.
While some may believe the heart of this job lies solely within taking beautiful photos, that would be a ghastly misrepresentation of what remains at the core of what I do.
Fulfilling this role is being flexible because mother nature’s mood can change in an instant. It’s being resilient when things don’t go according to the plan you spent countless hours creating, (they rarely ever do). It’s finding yourself repeatedly humbled in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. It’s learning how to observe simultaneously through all five senses, and then through a sixth sense you gather from being truly empathetic. It’s surrendering to the vulnerability that comes with such heartfelt tasks of capturing the essence of the people in front of you.
But most importantly - it's understanding that judgement will hinder your ability to create honestly, but an open mind and open heart will bring you new strides of creative freedom.
welcome,
I'm ciana
This is my Nonna.
It all began with her.
She was a small woman from Italy, and she came with with a traveling spirit and a gentle fierceness. I inherited her innate need to experience the world - living among different cultures, speaking other languages, and always jet setting to the next adventure.
I also inherited my Nonna’s photographic keepsakes and vintage postcards that detail the profundities of her century-long life, a life that she preserved well. She was a documentarian without even realizing the legacy she was leaving behind for her future generations. She meticulously documented the moments of change and evolution in her life, and those close to her - the moments that have a tendency to linger in our hearts.
Over the years, I learned that my Nonna and I had a lot in common. I learned that she valued the power and importance of a photograph in the same capacity I do. I learned where my globe-trotting disposition came from, and my inability to escape the fascination of blending different eras together.
I miss her beyond measure, but she will always live on through my work. She solidified the importance in what I do, and for that, I wish I could thank her. But somehow, I think she already knows.
Let's Connect
Outside of work, my world revolves around the colorful life I've built with my love and our three pups.
We are a family that lives to be one with the earth - both the land and the sea. In warmer months, you can find us working in the gardens, road tripping near and far, finding any excuse to get our pups to the water, and savoring the sun in anyway we possibly can. When the winter rolls around, we jump at the opportunity to off-road with the jeep, hit the slopes, and visit any island south of the equator.
We have a shared love of eating wholesome meals together, indulging in a delectable cocktail or two, collecting many kinds of art, venturing to concerts and festivals, and becoming enthralled in an elaborate thriller or a raunchy comedy.
One day, we hope to settle down on a piece of land and turn it into our own piece of paradise - land that we can grow on, forage from, raise animals on, and enjoy.
We've been described as a good team, personally and professionally, and I'm inclined to agree. Ry is often with me at work, aiding in the grit behind the scenes, associate shooting on different cameras, changing out film, lending a helping hand wherever there's a need, and making sure we always arrive from point A to point B successfully.
Ry's support has been both unwavering and motivational, giving me the gift of creative freedom and the ability to make any project come to life.
Let's Connect
While my approach may be a little unconventional to some, it's a process I've adapted to yield the results that are inherent to my particular style.
It is through intuitive posing and guided direction that I accentuate my subjects best, leaving them with imagery that candidly feels like them, but also leaving them with personal heirlooms that can be cinematic and artful.These are photographs that you'd pass down to future generations, but could also grace the cover of any editorial.
I understand more than anybody how unnatural it can feel to be professionally photographed. I so much more prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it, which is why I care so deeply about how this process is perceived from my client's perspective.
I strive to create an atmosphere that feels like an invitation to really lean into the experience with excitement to explore personal depth on all levels.
My approach creates opportunity for genuine observation, and opens the door for you to interpret any direction or prompt I give you in a way that is unique to you. You will be delighted to see how beautifully this translates in your final photos. Rigid and overly structured posing are things of the past, and techniques you won't find here.
The people who've opened up their lives to me, inviting me to share in their most vulnerable and chaotic moments, have filled my cup tenfold.
Let's Connect
my job revolves around the boundless entity of connection.
directory
As always, thanks for being here. I hope you feel compelled to reach out, even if it's just to say "hi", or share something that you happened to resonate with.
In case you want to surf my little corner of the web some more:
