Hi, I’m Joni.

I’m a New York native currently living in Chelsea.

I began my career in the world of politics, and then made my way into the startup space and now social impact investing. When I’m not working, I love to travel, spend quality time with friends and family, and do pretty much anything that involves the outdoors.

Photography has been the common thread through nearly everything I enjoy, and resonates with different parts of me.

I like how photography is subjective and deeply personal. There’s no right or wrong way to take a photo. Blurriness, low lighting, or cutting off a subject’s feet aren’t necessarily “bad” -- these nuances, planned or not, are oftentimes what make a photo interesting. And can shed light on a photographer’s style. It’s about seeing and feeling, rather than finding a precise way to articulate something. As someone who experienced frequent anxiety from writer’s block growing up, I’ve found photography to be a comforting contrast.

I also love how photography is a healthy challenge to perfectionism. It’s rare that you’ll get the “perfect shot” with just one photo. More often than not, it takes multiple shots of the same thing and some experimentation -- adjusting your angle, your distance, the ISO, or aperture to name a few. Even after that, you might not get the outcome you wanted, and that’s okay. There’s always the next photo.

I like how photography is a secret weapon for introverts. It’s a way to start a conversation and connect with others in larger social settings. Conversely, it’s a way to keep occupied doing something you enjoy, if you don’t feel entirely comfortable talking to others at that moment or just want to be in your thoughts.

Lastly, I love how photography makes you feel. The rush of adrenaline when you know you got a good shot. The meditative nature of editing photos--adjusting the exposure, highlights and saturation point-by-point on each scale until it feels just right. The slight drop in your stomach when you capture an unexpected moment, whether it’s raw laughter or a stranger staring directly at you from afar. The world stopping around you just for a split second (sometimes literally for 1/1000 of a second) when you focus your lens (okay, buffer two seconds beforehand) and hear the camera shutter.

I hope you enjoy the photos and find that something that makes you feel just a little lighter, playful and connected to yourself and your surroundings.