Family, lineage and heritage are the foundation of what inspires my work. Growing up, my family kept photo albums and cassette tapes from video recordings as a way to remind us of who and where we came from. Over time I’ve continued to be drawn to the nostalgia of the memories in photographs and the ways that they tell stories about their subjects. In this series, I wanted to capture brief moments of joy and, in some cases, connection, highlighting the complex yet universal experience of smiling and performing for lenses that preserve these moments for a lifetime. I have watched my niece and nephews grow and evolve over the years and find the ways in which they interact with the camera to be fascinating, whether it’s embracing one another, refusing to smile, looking elsewhere or making silly faces. I find that zooming into these moments can bring others into their world and the experiences that shape them as they grow.