Hello everyone! I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted an article or even a blog here, but things were a little busier than I anticipated last year. Between traveling, concerts, writing for YardBarker and Game Rant, doing contract work for Full Sail University, and my health, it became hard to stay as updated as I wanted to here.

However, I know that a lot of you are still coming through here thanks to the work I did during my graduate program. If you’re here from any of Full Sail’s New Media Journalism classes – welcome! I hope you find the work I did inspiring and that it helps jog some creativity as you close in on graduation. If you ever need any advice, please reach out through one of the socials linked on the page.

I have some plans for photography in the works, but most recently I updated with my portfolio with photos from Call of Duty League Major I that took place in Dallas. Thank you to EFG for trusting me as a freelancer to provide me with access. I have applications in for Blast in April, and I’m hoping to travel to DreamHack Atlanta in May.

Gaming events are going to be a little scarce in Dallas the next few years due to construction happening at the convention center where a lot of events like DreamHack take place, but I’m hoping to travel at least once a year to different events. In the meantime, I plan on brushing up on my portrait photography at the BTS Arlington shows, and I have plans to do photos for one of my favorite EDM groups when they come through Dallas next, hopefully this spring/summer. I also plan to discuss photos at youth hockey events with the Texas Stars when I go to the Dallas Stars job fair next week.

As far as writing goes, I’m not necessarily taking a break, but I’m trying to expand my horizons beyond just writing. I’m building more content onto my TikTok, where I’m starting to include some photographer POV videos for shoots that I do. I have one video from CDL up, but will have another up soon, along with a video from the No Kings protests in November.

Finally, I originally planned on taking a break from The*GameHers Awards this year, however someone(s) nominated me in two different categories this year. Knowing that people still believe in me and my craft has given me the confidence I’ve been looking for to push through the adversity of finding a job in this industry. I’ve been nominated for Rising Star and Impact through Education. One of the things I hope that my photography does is educate non-esports fans that gaming is more than just sitting at home on a computer. It’s community, family, and just as electric as any true “sport”.

If you could take the time to visit BIT.LY/ TGHVOTING and vote for me in Rising Star (crunknwj) and Impact Through Education (Rachel Olsen-Cooper) I would really appreciate it. Alternatively, you can find the voting here.

More to come.