I grew up with 5 siblings in Germany. As we grew, my father photographed us and encouraged me to take photographs on my own. His photographs of my family have inspired and helped to form my idea of doing family portraits. To photograph people in their natural environment, to observe them as if without the presence of a camera-unpretentious, genuine is to truly find a portrait. I look for situations in which people are comfortable and do not mind my observation. I look for portraits to show the inside of lives as they might be seen by a collaborator, loved one, or friend. These are not just portraits of the subject, but of what they most love.