Our Story

The f/22 Project was born from a breakdown that became a breakthrough.

I came home from Iraq in 2007 after a year of service with the Navy. Like many veterans, I struggled to readjust—but I didn't recognize it as struggle. I just thought this was who I was now. Different. Disconnected. Going through the motions of civilian life but never quite feeling present in it.

For twelve years, I carried wounds that showed no visible scars. I functioned. I worked. I told myself I was fine. Until 2019, when I wasn't fine anymore. When everything I'd been carrying finally broke through the surface and I had to confront a truth I'd been avoiding: I was wounded in ways that went deeper than I'd allowed myself to acknowledge.

In the midst of that breakdown, I found my way back to photography—something I'd dabbled in after returning home but never fully embraced. And something shifted. When I was out with a camera, no matter what I was photographing, I felt centered in a way I hadn't experienced since before I deployed. Maybe even before that. The camera gave me peace. It gave me presence. It gave me a way to process what I couldn't put into words.

Photography didn't fix everything, but it gave me a tool when I needed one most. And once I found that tool, I couldn't stop thinking about all the other veterans who might need it too.

Why f/22?

The name "f/22" carries dual meaning that captures our mission perfectly.

In photography, f/22 is the smallest aperture setting on most lenses—it lets in the least amount of light but provides the maximum depth of field. Everything in the frame comes into focus. It's the setting you use when you want to see clearly, when you want nothing hidden, when you want complete clarity from foreground to background.

For veterans, this mirrors the therapeutic process: bringing everything into focus, examining our experiences with clarity, seeing both the immediate and the distant with equal sharpness. Not hiding in the blur, but finding the courage to bring it all into view.

The number 22 carries a heavier weight in the veteran community—it represents the approximately 22 veterans we lose to suicide every day. A statistic that's not just a number but 22 individual lives, 22 families shattered, 22 stories ended too soon. For every veteran reading this who has lost a brother or sister in arms to suicide, who has struggled with those thoughts themselves, or who knows someone currently fighting that battle—this project is for you.

The f/22 Project stands at the intersection of these two meanings: using photography as a tool to bring our experiences into focus while honoring those we've lost and fighting to prevent future losses.

Why We Exist

I started The f/22 Project because I lived the statistics. I know what it's like to come home changed and not understand why. To struggle in silence. To wait twelve years before getting help. I also know what it's like to find healing through an unexpected source—through the simple act of looking at the world through a lens.

Photography gives veterans what traditional treatment sometimes can't:

• A way to process without having to explain

• A tool that centers us in the present moment

• A mission and purpose in civilian life

• A community of people who understand without judgment

• The ability to create something meaningful from difficult experiences

• A language for experiences that defy words

We're not replacing therapy or medication or traditional treatment—we're providing another tool in the toolkit. Because healing isn't one-size-fits-all, and for many of us, it requires multiple approaches.

Our Approach

Our approach is peer-to-peer and veteran-led. I'm not a therapist pretending to understand military experience—I'm a veteran who's been in the dark places and found a way forward. That credibility matters. Veterans don't need to explain themselves to me. They don't need to translate their experiences. We speak the same language, even when we're not using words.

We provide professional photography instruction, quality equipment, and safe spaces for creative exploration and vulnerability. We create lasting community among veteran artists who support each other's healing journey long after the workshops end.

Who We Serve

The f/22 Project casts the widest net possible. We serve veterans from all branches—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force. All eras—from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan to current service members transitioning out. All experiences—combat and support roles, deployed and stateside, honorable discharge and other-than-honorable.

You don't need to be diagnosed with PTSD. You don't need to be in crisis. You don't need any photography experience. If you're a veteran and you're looking for healing, growth, community, or simply a new way to see the world and yourself—you belong here.

Looking Forward

This is just the beginning. The f/22 Project is building something lasting—a network of veteran artists, a community that understands, a proven pathway for healing that complements traditional treatment. Every workshop we run, every veteran we serve, every photograph that captures a moment of truth adds to this foundation.

I wish I'd had something like this in 2007 when I came home. I can't change my timeline, but I can change someone else's. If we can reach even one veteran before they hit their twelve-year mark, before their breakdown, before they become another statistic—this project is worth it.

Because healing doesn't always look like we think it will. Sometimes it looks like learning to see the world—and ourselves—through a new lens. At f/22, where everything comes into focus.

Thank you for helping!