About
For much of my career, I worked as an environmental and nonprofit lawyer, and had the opportunity to help protect communities and places that matter. Over time, though, I became increasingly interested in a different question: Laws can shape what people do. But stories can shape how people see – something that might outlast laws. That realization led me to documentary filmmaking. I’m drawn to stories that reveal something larger about how we belong. I believe lasting change begins with connection. I hope to invite viewers to see more deeply, to experience wonder, and to leave with questions, or possibly even a new direction.
Documentary Approach
Documentaries are built on trust, curiosity, and patience. Rather than arriving with answers, I prefer to spend time listening — allowing people and places to reveal themselves on their own terms.
Background and Influences
Environmental and Conservation
Through my legal work, I had the privilege of helping communities and landowners protect culturally important places and remarkable landscapes for future generations. Over time, I came to see this work as less about protecting places or the living world, and more about holding on to something essential within ourselves. Our relationship with the places we inhabit helps shape who we are. When those connections are lost, we lose a part of ourselves.
Outdoors
Since I was a kid, I’ve enjoyed being outdoors. Ocean sailing, in particular, has stayed with me. I’ve made transatlantic and Pacific crossings, including sailing single-handed passages from Tahiti to Fiji and from Fiji to New Zealand. Ocean sailing has taught me to slow down, pay attention, and appreciate that some of the most meaningful moments come from simply being present.
Hawaiʻi and Pacific
Living in Hawaiʻi for most of my adult life has shaped my perspective in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I first arrived. I’ve learned from people whose connection to family, place, and culture has deepened my own understanding of what it means to belong. Having now visited other Pacific islands on my sailing trips, I continue to be struck by the deep connections that bind cultures across the Pacific—from language and art to the canoe plants that assured sustenance at the next landfall. These connections continue to shape the stories I’m drawn to—stories that explore the relationships between people, place, and the living world.
Gear
| Category | Equipment List |
|---|---|
| Cameras | Sony FX3 + Porkeys BM5 IV Monitor + Ninja Atmos 5+ Monitor + FX3 Sea Frogs Underwater Housing, DJI Osmo Pocket 3, DJI Osmo Action 6, various GoPros |
| Lenses | Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II, Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G, Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art |
| Audio | Sennheiser MKH8060 shotgun + MZK8000 filter module + Rycote windjammer, Sennheiser MKH 416-P48U3 shotgun + Rycote windjammer, Sanken COS-11D lav + accessories, Tentacle Sync E timecoder + Track E recorder, Sennheiser SK100 G4 & EK100 G4 Wireless, DJI Mic 3 (3 TX + 1 RX) |
| Lighting | 1 x Nanlite Forza 500B II + Neewer 4' dome + diffuser + softbox grid + C-Stand, 2 x Fiilex 360 (90W - 360W Tungsten equiv) + stands, 1 x Zhiyun Molus X200, various tube & pocket lights, RoadRags & other diffusers + stands |
| Stabilization | Sacthler Flowtech 75 carbon tripod + Activ 6 head, Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 carbon tripod + Oben BB-2 head, EasyRig MiniMax + quick release, DJI RS2 Gimbal |
| Editing | DaVinci Resolve Studio |
