Daniel Martinez Class of 2011

Losing my father to cancer when I was 15 was a weird time of my life. I hadn’t really got to spend time with him, sure we lived together in the same house and we would watch sci-fi movies and eat cookies and milk but I didn’t truly get to know my dad until after he passed away. Shortly after he passed, I found a huge box of old cameras, film, and dark room prints. This was when I felt that bitter sweet feeling of missed moments we could have shared together. It also helped me understand that me and my dad were much more alike than I’ve ever known before.

Over the past couple of years I’ve been trying to find ways for me to connect with him. That’s what led me to combine his photography with mine, to find a way that we can both influence one another without him actually being here.

The last words my dad actually said to me were that he was proud of me .. and every day I try and work to make that live on.

The other images are from my trip to Nepal and Mount Everest.