what is happiness it’s a state of being
happy of course but that’s a vague
definition happiness to me as a smile a
laugh it’s sending a tweet to a friend
it’s having a conversation with someone
you haven’t talked to in the longest
it’s my family my my pets you name it
but perhaps even more than that it is
using a camera whenever I look through
my lens I see a world a world of beauty
one that is difficult to see with the
naked eye to me photography is all
beauty that comes in many shapes and
sizes there’s many types of photography
such as portraiture sports just my dog
nature nighttime astrophotography micro
work close-up architectural and more I
would take pictures like these and look
at them with the smile on my face for
two reasons the first being that the
contrasting colors and objects blend
together to create this this beautiful
image and the second being that I’m that
I’m the one who took it that I made that
happen and I’m very contented with the
outcomes I taught myself almost
everything I know about photography and
the parameters that I took to get to
where I am now have been worth every
single second despite the pain despite
the agony I struggle multiple times but
I persevered I found my happiness in my
lens that experience is when I wouldn’t
trade for the world but as one of my
favorite photographers once said it’s
always the hardest times made you who
you are
middle school was those times it was
because I look like this I went through
what almost every teenager has
experienced at one point or another and
that was a bullying to such an extent
that I had suicidal thoughts something I
would never wish on to anyone I have too
much time to myself I found an outlet to
cope with my anxiety and sadness and
that was a camera I read online that we
as humans are living in this continuous
loop called time but I don’t think we’re
living in this continuous loop in fact I
think we are living through an infinite
amount of instances the camera captures
just one of those instances and from a
collection of photos I’ve taken over the
course of a year I’ve sought to better
myself and help others with my camera
however possible that was a video
surfaced on YouTube April 20th 2016
titled everybody dies but not everybody
lives in which prints air portably
States it is not death most people are
afraid of it is getting to the end of
life only to realize that you never
truly lived to meet us at home before I
came to realization that I can’t allow
myself to give up my dreams dreams I’ve
had for years dreams that have led me to
the path that I’m on currently dreams
that make me wake up in the morning
eager to see what the day will bring
my optimism is blinding one of the many
things that keep me going and one of my
greatest drinks there have been
countless times where I just wanted to
put the camera down and never pick it up
never taking a photograph again but then
I want to find myself going through
photos I’ve taken photos of other people
their works of art their canvas that
they call home this world has my canvas
you all are my subjects your smiles and
laughs are my happiness these images
behind me captured what I believe to be
happiness this is a side note it’s my
grandfather
he’s on my dad’s side he’s he was born
in Mexico and in June of 2016 he was
hospitalized and a few months later he
passed away
and thinking about it now I just wished
that I could have spent more time with
him and I think that a lot of people my
family feel the same because I don’t
have much memories that I wish I could
have had she was one of the brightest
[Applause]
he’s watching this talk to date he’s
probably smiling at me I would hope he
is you know there’s no amount of words
that could ever ever
you know express how much I love this
man and how much I charge at the time we
had despite me not knowing enough enough
at the time and this is my aunt last
year she passed away as well and sadly
my grandma’s not here to see this
picture of her but she was also one of
the happiest people I’ve ever met and
because she always had this this
positive mindset that she maintained
throughout all her life and I’ve always
admired that about her that’s where I
get my optimism my optimism my positive
mindset my happiness I want to thank all
my friends and my family for everything
they’ve ever done for me I want to think
you know all the teachers that have
pushed me to do my best in school and
and my sister to annoy me and teach me
you know right from wrong my parents to
look out for me and guide me from the
you know from the darkest places I’ve
been in but over the over the last year
I’ve learned more so much more about
myself that words can I could never put
into words I’ve been both on a journey a
year ago today and that journey led me
here for will years lead you thank you [Applause]
happy of course but that’s a vague
definition happiness to me as a smile a
laugh it’s sending a tweet to a friend
it’s having a conversation with someone
you haven’t talked to in the longest
it’s my family my my pets you name it
but perhaps even more than that it is
using a camera whenever I look through
my lens I see a world a world of beauty
one that is difficult to see with the
naked eye to me photography is all
beauty that comes in many shapes and
sizes there’s many types of photography
such as portraiture sports just my dog
nature nighttime astrophotography micro
work close-up architectural and more I
would take pictures like these and look
at them with the smile on my face for
two reasons the first being that the
contrasting colors and objects blend
together to create this this beautiful
image and the second being that I’m that
I’m the one who took it that I made that
happen and I’m very contented with the
outcomes I taught myself almost
everything I know about photography and
the parameters that I took to get to
where I am now have been worth every
single second despite the pain despite
the agony I struggle multiple times but
I persevered I found my happiness in my
lens that experience is when I wouldn’t
trade for the world but as one of my
favorite photographers once said it’s
always the hardest times made you who
you are
middle school was those times it was
because I look like this I went through
what almost every teenager has
experienced at one point or another and
that was a bullying to such an extent
that I had suicidal thoughts something I
would never wish on to anyone I have too
much time to myself I found an outlet to
cope with my anxiety and sadness and
that was a camera I read online that we
as humans are living in this continuous
loop called time but I don’t think we’re
living in this continuous loop in fact I
think we are living through an infinite
amount of instances the camera captures
just one of those instances and from a
collection of photos I’ve taken over the
course of a year I’ve sought to better
myself and help others with my camera
however possible that was a video
surfaced on YouTube April 20th 2016
titled everybody dies but not everybody
lives in which prints air portably
States it is not death most people are
afraid of it is getting to the end of
life only to realize that you never
truly lived to meet us at home before I
came to realization that I can’t allow
myself to give up my dreams dreams I’ve
had for years dreams that have led me to
the path that I’m on currently dreams
that make me wake up in the morning
eager to see what the day will bring
my optimism is blinding one of the many
things that keep me going and one of my
greatest drinks there have been
countless times where I just wanted to
put the camera down and never pick it up
never taking a photograph again but then
I want to find myself going through
photos I’ve taken photos of other people
their works of art their canvas that
they call home this world has my canvas
you all are my subjects your smiles and
laughs are my happiness these images
behind me captured what I believe to be
happiness this is a side note it’s my
grandfather
he’s on my dad’s side he’s he was born
in Mexico and in June of 2016 he was
hospitalized and a few months later he
passed away
and thinking about it now I just wished
that I could have spent more time with
him and I think that a lot of people my
family feel the same because I don’t
have much memories that I wish I could
have had she was one of the brightest
[Applause]
he’s watching this talk to date he’s
probably smiling at me I would hope he
is you know there’s no amount of words
that could ever ever
you know express how much I love this
man and how much I charge at the time we
had despite me not knowing enough enough
at the time and this is my aunt last
year she passed away as well and sadly
my grandma’s not here to see this
picture of her but she was also one of
the happiest people I’ve ever met and
because she always had this this
positive mindset that she maintained
throughout all her life and I’ve always
admired that about her that’s where I
get my optimism my optimism my positive
mindset my happiness I want to thank all
my friends and my family for everything
they’ve ever done for me I want to think
you know all the teachers that have
pushed me to do my best in school and
and my sister to annoy me and teach me
you know right from wrong my parents to
look out for me and guide me from the
you know from the darkest places I’ve
been in but over the over the last year
I’ve learned more so much more about
myself that words can I could never put
into words I’ve been both on a journey a
year ago today and that journey led me
here for will years lead you thank you [Applause]
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