EVENT DOCUMENTATION: YALDA

Dec. 2025

Project Overview

Commissioned 35mm film photography documenting Yalda, a community gathering presented by Alchemia at Cone Shape Top in Oakland. Rooted in the ancient winter solstice tradition, the event brought together art, music, poetry, food, altar-making, and collective reflection. The gathering framed the longest night as both ritual and metaphor, honoring grief under empire and state violence while invoking resistance, memory, and the return of light.

    • Documented the event’s altar installation, seasonal offerings, books, printed matter, photographs, instruments, and symbolic objects

    • Captured experimental electro-acoustic performances, DJ sets, and quiet moments of community gathering on 35mm film

    • Created a visual record of the event’s spatial atmosphere, symbolic details, and cultural-political framework

  • My approach focused on atmosphere, symbolism, and the relationship between objects, sound, and collective memory. I moved through the space intuitively and unobtrusively, using 35mm film to preserve the warmth, grain, and shadow of the solstice setting.

DOCUMENTARY: THE DRAGON UNDER OUR FEET

Sept. 2025

Project Overview

Behind-the-scenes 35mm film photography documenting a ten-day production shoot in Armenia for the feature-length documentary The Dragon Under Our Feet, which follows artist Tara Baghdassarian as she traces the history and symbolism of Armenian carpets.

    • Collaborated closely with the director and cinematography team to capture atmospheric, story-centered stills

    • Documented crew workflow, on-location environments, and key narrative moments to support the film’s visual archive

    • Provided production support and on-set adaptability within a small, mobile documentary crew

  • My strategy focused on the quiet, unposed moments that show how a documentary comes together. Using 35mm film created a tactile visual language tied to the film’s themes of cultural heritage and craftsmanship. I moved through set intuitively and unobtrusively, preserving real interactions as they unfolded.

BRAND EDITORIAL: NAIRIAN SKINCARE

Nov. 2024

Project Overview

Nairian is a woman-founded, organic, cruelty-free skincare brand rooted in Armenian herbalism and sustained by an eco-farm in Armenia. This brand editorial campaign aimed to revitalize its online presence and grow U.S. visibility through original photography, aesthetic refinement, and cultural storytelling.

    • Directed and shot a 35mm film campaign featuring products, models, and Armenian visual elements

    • Led creative direction, casting, styling, and location scouting to reflect the brand’s ethos

    • Developed visual storytelling to position the brand through heritage, nature, ritual, and contemporary skincare

  • The campaign approached Armenian herbalism through a contemporary editorial lens, combining product photography with soft portraits in natural light. Shot entirely on 35mm film, the visual direction emphasized warmth, texture, skin, fruit, textiles, and herbal elements to connect skincare with ritual, care, and cultural continuity.

CULTURAL PUBLICATION: QAMI JAN

May 2024 – Oct. 2024

Project Overview

QAMI JAN is an independent magazine and brand centering creative voices of the Armenian diaspora. This project features original 35mm film photography created for the publication’s editorial ecosystem, contributing images that reflect heritage, place, memory, and contemporary Armenian life.

    • Developed visual direction to align with the publication’s tone across multiple issues

    • Produced original film photography for features, interviews, and artist profiles

    • Shaped tone and visual direction to align with each issue’s concept and narrative arc

  • My visual approach centers presence, atmosphere, and minimal interference. Each shoot is shaped by the subject, environment, and editorial context, using 35mm film and natural light to create imagery that feels intimate, grounded, and connected to the publication’s broader archive.

← Portfolio