Photography
Every photograph begins with noticing. Some become artwork. Others become the beginning of a story.
Available as fine art prints, editorial licensing, and commissioned photography.
Hi, I’m Jax!
Creativity is freedom for me — a way of making sense of the world: trusting myself, noticing, feeling, and transforming what moves through my day.
These photographs are that practice. I hope they meet you gently, and invite you to notice the magic already unfolding in yours.
Inspiration Lives in the In-Between
Watercolor and liquid acrylic on toned tan paper, finished with Pentel brush pen (2025).
I first noticed this view walking into a theatre with youth I was mentoring — the lines of the roof, the way the trees framed the sky. I paused, took a photo, and knew I’d want to paint it later.
It began as a sketch in my palm-sized notebook, then became watercolor, then acrylic. The color contrast reminded me of my socks that day — a quiet reminder that inspiration hides everywhere, waiting to be noticed.
Kennedy Theatre, UH Mānoa — sketch from my Hand Book journal using Staedtler pigment liner (2025).
“Art begins with noticing — even the smallest details underfoot.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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I photograph portraits, families, artists, educators, community events, editorial projects, brands, nonprofits, and the landscapes and botanicals that shape life in Hawaiʻi. Many of my images are also available for editorial and commercial licensing.
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My work sits somewhere between editorial storytelling, documentary observation, and fine art photography. I'm interested in the way places hold memory, how light shapes emotion, and the quiet moments that often become the ones we remember most. Whether I'm photographing a portrait, a flower after the rain, or a neighborhood at dusk, I'm trying to preserve more than what something looked like—I want to preserve what it felt like to be there.
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A little—but not very much.
I offer gentle direction when it's helpful, but I don't want you to feel like you're performing for the camera. Some of my favorite images happen in the conversations between photographs, when people forget they're being photographed and simply enjoy being where they are.
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I don't approach photography as a series of poses.
I approach it as storytelling.
My background in education, writing, and communications shapes the way I photograph. I'm paying attention to relationships, gesture, light, and the quiet moments that often become the most meaningful images later. The result is photography that feels candid, emotionally grounded, and deeply connected to place.
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Because they're part of our stories. The places we return to, the trees that mark a neighborhood, the flowers blooming after the rain—these become part of our memories just as much as the people we love. I'm drawn to the everyday magic that's easy to walk past, because those quiet moments often say the most. I think photography has the power to preserve not only a place, but the feeling of having been there.