OPEN

“I was born in the Philippines and moved to California at 13. In 2021, after a financially difficult year, my family relocated to Idaho. It felt like a new chapter, and I saw it as a chance to grow. I discovered a love for the outdoors in high school, even though I didn’t grow up in an outdoorsy family or have a community to share it with. In 2020, I bought my first camera to capture the places and experiences that were becoming meaningful to me.

That same year, I tried snowboarding. I borrowed clothes, bought used gear, and rented what I couldn’t afford. I quickly realized how intimidating and expensive the outdoor world could be, but I kept showing up.

After the move, I made it a goal to keep exploring. I picked up backpacking, running, and cycling. Most of it, I did on my own. Over time, I found confidence in doing things solo, even when I didn’t see many people who looked like me. Photography took a backseat, but the confidence I found outside led me to pick up my camera again. Joining Open Aperture reminded me why I started.

Open Aperture helped me reconnect with my creativity and the power of community. It reminded me that I already belong. It was never about needing permission to take up space. It was about remembering that I can.

I want to continue using my camera to document my adventures, tell stories, and show others what’s possible. My hope is that by sharing my journey, people who feel like outsiders will see that they can belong, try something new, and take up space in the outdoors too.”

“Way back in 2017, I bailed out of what was then my “normal-life”and engineering career to reconsider my general trajectory through this existence; an exploration that took the form of an extended road trip. I spent the better part of that year, roaming about in a van, chasing winter. On that adventure, a particular splitboarding buddy casually suggested, “I bet you’re the only one in the world”, referring to my status as a black-identifying backcountry snowboarder/splitboarder. As an analytically minded person, I noted this was statistically improbable, so I set out to prove him wrong. Despite considerable searching, at the time I could not find evidence of a single other. I’ve become accustomed to being “the only” in many life situations, but this instance really stuck with me.

Quite a few years later, I’ve finally left engineering to pursue photography full time, have my own family, and also now know for certain that I am not the only one out there (and likely never was). In this new chapter of life, as a photographer, outdoor athlete and community member, I am trying to use my time, energy and privileges to help amplify voices that might not otherwise be heard and build community. On that one big trip and the many smaller adventures, both before and after, being the only has been the general default, but it should not have to be.

The Open Aperture program was an amazing gift for which I am profoundly grateful. In addition to instruction and practice to improve with my craft, I left with a renewed enthusiasm to continue serving my home community and a strong sense of fellowship with the members of my cohort.”

“This year, I had the incredible honor of participating in the Mountain Hardwear Open Aperture event as a photographer. Being part of this program was deeply meaningful—not just for the opportunity to grow creatively, but for the chance to contribute to a community that champions authenticity and self-expression. Open Aperture is more than an event; it’s a movement to inspire a new generation of creatives to embrace and share their unique perspectives. I’m grateful to have played a role in such an empowering space.

As a Japanese American photographer, I’m especially excited to continue telling more outdoor stories through a lens that reflects my heritage and identity. There’s so much power in representation, and I look forward to helping expand the narrative of who gets to be seen and heard in the outdoors.”

“I am a West Coast-based freelance filmmaker and photographer. My passion lies in telling stories with depth that challenge beliefs, encourage empathy, and highlight the intersection between humans and the natural world. My approach to filmmaking starts with the understanding that my work might not save the world, but can maybe inspire it to change. In 2024, I created Tamago Films with the desire to use film and photography as a tool for impactful connection.”