In 2016, I went to Australia as a solo female traveler. I had never traveled by myself before, and I just had this overwhelming feeling that I was ready for a change. So I did something out of my comfort zone and booked a trip to Australia. I stopped in coastal towns across the East Coast, from Sydney to Cairns.

On October 12th, 2016, I took a scenic flight over the grandest world wonder, The Great Barrier Reef. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience on my bucket list. I took this photograph while on the seaplane, representing a pivotal moment when I realized photography was more than just a hobby for me. I conquered my fears to pursue my passion and never looked back.

“Above Paradise” was originally minted on March 2nd, 2022, for A Perfect Day: an all-women NFT photography exhibition at Superchief Gallery Los Angeles curated by Brittany Pierre and Burnish.

It was my first photograph featured in an exhibition, and NFTGirl also selected it for NFT Liverpool 2022.

The feeling I had when I took this photograph on my solo female adventure was the same feeling I had when I walked into the gallery and saw it in an exhibition for the first time. A full-circle moment I’ll never forget.

I burned the original NFT from the Opensea shared contract. This photograph was later minted on my birthday, May 4th, 2023. I believe in creative sovereignty, and “Above Paradise” is now on my own smart contract deployed by Manifold Studio.