About

“your style feels like home to me”

Hi, I’m Michelle, but you can call me Mish. I am a queer Ilokano bb, born in the 90s, based in Ohlone land (Bay Area) with roots originating from the Philippines (La Union and Pangasinan).

I am a photographer, but at my core, I am a storyteller.

I started taking pictures when I was fifteen. I had just finished cancer treatment, was returning to school after a year-long absence, and was in my high school counselor’s office deciding what classes to take. I asked to be put in B&W film photography, a class that is typically reserved for juniors and seniors… but who can say no to the sophomore who just had cancer?

I wanted to take pictures, but truthfully, I had a deep desire to document everything.

I was drawn to cameras and their ability to capture a moment of time. I loved the idea of being able to hold a fraction of a second, leaving traces of a specific memory behind, immortalizing a story, and allowing it to live many lifetimes beyond the instance it was captured.

I have committed much of my education and professional work into being in and with community; my creative practice has been heavily shaped by those who have blessed me with their own knowledge and being . My experience includes previously teaching Pilipino/Pilipino American Studies and serving as a residential counselor at a youth crisis shelter, a school social worker, and a mental health clinician. All of which have emphasized how valuable, healing, and often lifesaving it can be to provide a space where one’s self, story, and their greater community, are not only seen but honored.

I am dedicated to sharing my love of photography and the magic my cameras have given to me:

a place of humanization and healing
power to reclaim, reconstruct, and re-author narratives of self
a time capsule of celebrations, heartache, indignation, monotony, and everything else in between
sacred (re)connections formed with those who have trusted me to take their picture and share their story with me
and a home to freely and wholly be myself.

- Mish