Ever since I was little, I've been obsessed with photographs.

I got a Barbie digital camera that came with the clunkiest editing software you've ever seen when I was around 5 or 6, and I thought it was the coolest thing. I always wanted to help my grandmother put together her scrapbooks, and for her to tell me the stories behind the photos over and over again.

There has always been something compelling about capturing moments for me. For years I've been the self appointed historian of my friend group. Before I got a DSLR, I would carry around a tiny digital camera. "Take a picture with me" was pretty much my catchphrase at gatherings.

I eventually got a larger more "professional" camera when I was in high school before I made the jump to a DSLR. That's when I stopped taking pictures as much as I used to, because it was harder to carry around.

Fast forward a couple of years, and one of my good friends passed away. I scrambled to find any pictures of him that I could. I could only find a handful of pictures and a video, and that's all I had. From that moment on, I was determined I wouldn't let that happen again.

To this day I've converted my camera bag into a purse and it goes everywhere with me. Some may say living your life through a lens isn't a good thing and that you should live your life in the moment, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm not a very assertive person, so using my camera allows me to make quiet observations. It allows me to express myself without drawing too much attention. I love being able to capture candid photos of my friends at their happiest and being able to show them later. However, on the other side of that same coin, I can get friends together and do the most elaborate shoots and have so much fun. Photography is such a versatile form of creativity.

I know that these days everyone is a "photographer," and knows their way around a DSLR. Everyone is snapping pictures on their phones and slapping them on Instagram. And you know what? I kind of love it. I love being able to see people's stories unfold on Facebook and Instagram. I love that people have that ability in their pocket.

Carrying my camera around has allowed me to not only become a better photographer, but get more in touch with why I wanted to develop my skill in the first place. I want to be able to print my photos, put them in a box and tell my future family members the stories behind them just like my family did for me. I want to try to document why I love the people I love and why I do the things I do.