Where it all began
ABOUT CLARA
I don't think I would have become a photographer if I hadn't moved to California.
I grew up on the East Coast and spent years living in Philadelphia (Go Eagles!) and Houston before finding my way to California's Central Coast. What started as a move for surfing ended up changing the course of my life in ways I never expected. Living here gave me a connection to nature I never had in the city, and before long, the ocean and the landscape became the foundation of the work I create today.
A life shaped by...
The ocean
I moved to California for surfing, but what I found was much more than waves. Living on the Central Coast gave me a connection to nature I never had in the city, and before long, the ocean and landscape became the foundation of my work.
ALWAYS LEARNING
Photography is a career I found while working in a completely different field. Maybe that's why I'm drawn to founders, artists, and small business owners building something new. I love hearing stories of reinvention, and photography has been mine too.
Working as a surgeon taught me that technical skill is only part of the job. Just as important is helping people feel calm when they're at their most vulnerable. That same steady presence shapes the way I approach every photography session, too.
calm presence
Connection
Surfing has taken me around the world and introduced me to people and cultures I never would have experienced otherwise. Wherever I've traveled near the ocean, it's become a shared language. A way to connect, build community, and experience a place through the people who call it home.
MY PHILOSOPHY
The places that make us feel most alive have a way of bringing out who we really are.
Moving to California taught me that the places we love have a way of shaping us. I love photographing people in their natural environments, alongside the people they care about, then letting the candid moments come out on their own. There's an ease that surfaces when someone is doing what they love, in a place that makes them feel alive, and those are the moments I'm always looking for.
I believe anyone can feel confident in front of a camera with the right guidance. My role isn't to force moments or over-direct every interaction. It's to create an experience where you feel comfortable enough to relax, connect, and let the photographs grow naturally from there.