When Did You Fall in Love With Portland?

" The summer of 2016, at one of the Dug shows, which is an underground art show/collective in Portland. It helped so much in helping me figure out how to direct my photography."

"I don't live here anymore, but I did definitely fall in love the moment I moved here about seven years ago."

"I moved here on a whim, and everything fell into place. The realization of a great creative scene, with a ton of connections and artistic community—there was none of that where I'm from in New York. It sounds cheesy, but I've been able to feel more like myself here."

(Left) "2015, when I moved here. I was walking home from work and stopped on a bridge to look over the city. I came home to new roommates; they were filming home movies. That was the moment when I started feeling like I had found friendship in a new city." (Right) "I was interning here in 2011, sitting on my porch and Face-Timeing my friend at 9:30 pm, and it was still light out, which never happened where I used to live in LA. I was only there for two months, but I could take the bus right from where I was living to work and back, and it was so easy. Coming from LA, it was such a new thing and I loved it."

"I'd say when I started to work on building my black and brown community around me."

"Haha, when I was born here."

"I don't know if I have yet. I just haven't been here long enough. I feel like I'm starting to, though, through the wonderful people I've met and become friends with."

"When there was a black community in North Portland—that was my childhood, and I miss it. Also, Peninsula Garden, where I grew up."