I grew up... in upstate NY to immigrant parents. We didn't have much in those early days of my family, but we had each other. I enjoyed four seasons every year as a child and I loved every one. The stories we remind each other of remain in our hearts and minds and often times, the precious images I have imagined are inconclusive. And many times my story differs from that of one of my brothers or sister, my parents even. Some photos were taken here and there of us, but not enough for sure. And so today, I know the value in photographs. They freeze time. They take us back to those days when we built snow forts and camped with blankets in the backyard. They show us faces of an age where smiles were sincere and ice cream, for whatever reason, tasted so much better.

I take pictures... every. single. day. I've been through a lot in my life. I, like you, have dealt with illness, death, suffering, broken hearts, hunger, excitment, surprise, happiness, and unfortunately depression. In many ways photography helped me find my smile again. It kept my mind active and my hands working. It also made me see that there is beauty in EVERYTHING. The moon is just as beautiful as the sun, and fresh cut yellow tulips are just as amazing as a newborn baby that opens its eyes for the first time. Photography is not just a career or hobby for me, to me, it is a lifestyle... a way to share with others what I enjoy, a way to make someone smile and give them hope in their despair, and a way to show everyone that people are very much capable of LOVE. Memories are all we have in our final days of life. It's important to me that we remember them and its important that those memories live on. In doing so, LOVE never dies, people become immortal.

Thank you very much.

- Joe Ceralde :)